Why am I deficient in so many things? Any thoughts?

[mouseinmyattic]

Hi everyone,

I would appreciate any advice/ experience on deficiencies.

I've had recent blood tests, which have shown that I'm deficient in Vitamin D- the level if 23 and it should not go below 50 and ideally be closer to 70.

B12 is 197, which is low but not technically deficient until 10 points lower.

Ferritin has chronically been in single figures or at the highest into the teens if I take iron for weeks on end.

GP also checked my thyroid recently which was TSH 3.86, T4 12 so normal.

Symptom wise I am very low in energy, have poor quality sleep, poor concentration and somewhat low mood/ more anxious. I've wondered if I'm perimenopausal but now wondering if it could relate to being low in several things. Just wondering why I would be so low though?

GP has put me on Vitamin D megadoses to be taken weekly and isn't too bothered about any of the other stuff.

I often wonder this. I have low thyroid, low b12, low iron and folates. No-one seems to want to help me join the dots

My first thought was also coeliac. Also pernicious anemia which is another autoimmune condition where you can’t absorb B12.

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions I really appreciate it. I will definitely ask my GP to test me for coeliac.

Regarding the thyroid results, she just said they were “normal” so I doubt she will do anything about that. I don’t know what the connection is with thyroid and absorption of b12/iron/ vitamin D and in what way one affects the other. I doubt the GP will be very interested in this either to be honest.

Anyway I will ask about coeliac and I’m still unsure about the HRT conversation as I have doubts about my issues being necessarily hormonal when they could be to do with being deficient in things.

'It’ll be your gut. That’s why you aren't absorbing nutrients properly.'

This. Many (most?) people these days in the western world suffer from some level of poor gut health usually caused by SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), due to various environmental factors as well as individual and genetic patterns of gut bacteria. This causes a wealth of health issues, including depression/anxiety/neurological/auto-immune issues etc, for a number of reasons including poor nutrient absorption. It's hard to accurately test for it.

I would do some research on the microbiota and start with improving your gut health.

Great re coeliac. Also Check hyperparathyroid too which is different to thyroid. It needs calcium and PTH checked for diagnosis. It’s linked to low vitD www.parathyroid.com/low-vitamin-d.htm

I don’t know what the connection is with thyroid and absorption of b12/iron/ vitamin D and in what way one affects the other.

GP is unfortunately unlikely to know as she doesn't know your B12 is low enough to need treatment, or that she should be referring you on to a haematologist for more in-depth testing as per NICE guidelines I posted below. You will need to educate your GP

Vitamin D is totally separate from B12.

B12 needs Iron, folate, B6 & potassium to make healthy blood cells as they all work together

HTH

@RockinHorseShit

How did you find out about the genetic condition?

We took a DNA test & using the code in Genetic Genie, it flags up any potential genetic mutations. The methylisation bit covers things like vitamin D... we need more than normal
B12... can't process it properly... confirmed by GP test
Folate... we can't process folic acid into folate, so need to take folate. & thiamine. This actually helped with diagnosis

Thiamine, D, B12 & showed up as a genetic problem when my DB was tested at the NHS metabolic clinic in Salford too

@Missmissmiiiiiiiiisss

Hi, if you don't mind me asking how much did all of that cost?

Gut health!!!!! Support beneficial bacteria with Kombucha, yoghurts, kimchi and other fermented foods. Avoid processed foods especially processed carbohydrates like white bread.

I agree with the excellent posts on gut health- well worth improving it as may help you absorb nutrients better. It’s made a huge difference in our family.
I also recommend magnesium given you are tired- so much of the population is deficient and doesn’t realise. DS used to have no energy and now so much better. We have a magnesium spray (this can feel itchy if someone is deficient) and also salts for the bath . I get them by 10 kilos from eBay

The symptoms you have described are exactly what I'm like when I'm low in B12. I have poor absorption of B12 since I had my gastric sleeve, and I use those symptoms as my reminder go go and get a jab. Every 6-8 weeks I get 4 b12 boosters privately (a week apart each) by week 2 I've got energy, a new lease of life, I can concentrate better, sleep better and I'm a lot less grumpy!

Lack of vitamin D is supposedly quite common in this country- also makes people feel funny symptoms when it's low.

I was eventually diagnosed with malabsorption after a routine blood test (I had also complained of feeling tired) picked up my appallingly low vitD and vitB12 (I was also anaemic). Sometimes something causes it - in my case, they did a gastroscopy and a colonoscopy and just concluded that a v serious bout of bacterial dyssentry where I was hospitalised and was ill for 6 months as a teenager had likely damaged my intestines.

I take a sublingual vitD and vitB12. I couldn't tolerate the high dose vitD they put me on (it made me very nauseous and upset my stomach).

when I went abroad, I qualified for the vitB12 injections which make a huge difference too (I don't qualify here).

I would give the vitamins a chance to work and definitely check the Coeliac as that would explain a lot. I had thought it was a menopause/hormone related thing but it turned out to be nothing of the sort and I'm now 48 and feel a lot better. Took about 3-6 months to have a real impact on me. Doctor said she was amazed I could get out of bed!