Blood test results and GP no idea

[Icenii]

Below are my blood test results. All apparently normal. I have been feeling persistently tired, with some days of total exhaustion and brain fog. In addition, some days I am extremely stiff in my joints, and my muscles ache. I have no joint swelling. I assume peri (46). The GP stated there is nothing in my blood to indicate an issue, and it is unlikely to be perimenopausal. He was rather dismissive and finally agreed to see me in a month. They seemed more focused on mental health issues.

Is there anything obvious below?

Rheumatoid factor 8 Range: Below 12.5

Serum ANA level Negative

Tissu transglutaminase IgA lev < 1 Range: Below 6

Urea and electrolytes
Serum sodium 138 Range: 133 to 146
Serum potassium 4.5 Range: 3.5 to 5.3
Serum urea level 3.0 Range: 2.5 to 7.8
Serum creatinine 55 Range: 60 to 120

eGFRcreat (CKD-EPI)/1.73 m2* Range: > 90

Liver function test
Serum ALT level: 11 Range: 10 to 49
Serum bilirubin level: 10 Below 21.0
Plasma C reactive protein < 5 Below 10
Serum urate level 309 Range: 184 to 464
Serum total protein 76 Range: 57 to 8

Serum vitamin D 63
Serum vitamin B12 524 Range: 220 to 700
Serum folate > 20.0
Serum ferritin 11 Range: 10 to 291

Full blood count
Total white cell count: 7.9 Range: 4.0 to 11.0
Red blood cell (RBC) count: 4.89 Range: 3.90 to 5.60
Haemoglobin estimation: 147 Range: 115 to 165
Haematocrit: 0.447 Range: 0.370 to 0.470
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): 91 Range: 80.0 to 99.0
Mean corpusc. haemoglobin(MCH): 30.1 Range: 27.0 to 32.0
Platelet count: 334 Range: 140 to 400
Neutrophil count: 5.34 Range: 1.50 to 7.50
Monocyte count: 0.42 Range: 0.20 to 0.80
Eosinophil count: 0.04 Range: 0.04 to 0.40
Lymphocyte count: 2.05 Range: 1.00 to 4.00
Nucleated red blood cell count: < 0.20 Range: 0.00 to 0.20

Serum LH level: 12.1
Serum FSH level: 15.8

Haemoglobin A1c level: 4.9 Range: 4.0 to 5.9

HbA1c levl - IFCC standardised 30 Range: 20 to 41

Serum free T4 level: 12.9 Range: 11.5 to 22.7
Serum TSH level: 1.00 Range: 0.55 to 4.78

Agree ferritin with everyone else
I would also add vitamin D could be a bit higher so supplement that if you aren't already
Keep an eye on your T4 as mine started dropping and then I was diagnosed with hashimotos

My doctor told me my bloods were normal for 8 years
I had undiagnosed severe neutropenia, levels were so low that the lovely locum GP rang me that night after a blood test and sent me straight to haematology

I agree with all of this. Ferritin is often low in people with thyroid dysfunction too. The Health Unlocked forum will help with all of this

Ferritin definitely low and while vit d is within nhs limits a lot of evidence optimum levels should be higher. I think above 70

Can I hop on and ask whether 50 ug/L is low? It seems to be the very bottom of the NHS range.

And OP, your doctor is being totally ridiculous saying you can’t be perimenopausal because your periods are regular. I’m nearly 53 and still having regular periods but am peri as fuck.

My ferritin is 55 but markers on gp results say about 13 is fine..

Above sorry

@FrancisSeaton Is that ug/L? My test result says above 40 is normal.

Yes

@FrancisSeaton How odd. This is what mine says.

I tried to get referred for an iron infusion but I didn’t get anywhere. I am hoping it’s crept up now as I couldn’t stomach iron pills but the iron bisglycinate has been fine for me. I’ll stick with it and will be getting my bloods done next week. I definitely feel uite a bit better.

I specifically asked about the ferritin level and also informed them I took iron supplements and am on them now. He said because my red blood count looked fine he didn't really see an issue and to go back after 3 months on iron.

They did so many tests because I saw a nurse and she had a student with her.

What more do I want? Because some days I feel I exhausted, can't think and my back, knees, neck, jaw, wrists hurt and I don't know why.

I also already take vitamin d.

I'm glad they did all the tests as if there's anything connected to the low ferritin hopefully someone on the site mentioned will be able to suggest a cause.

I've had this overlooked twice by male doctors before - once a nurse asked if I was sure the Dr had OK'd me having Depo (said she wasn't sure because she had seen my blood test results) but me being confident they'd have noticed something big said I'm sure it was fine. The second time was when they refused me donating blood and I was 1 month in to anti-depressants because the male doc had completely missed my low ferritin. It seems such a basic thing to check when 50% of the population need high levels to function.

How weird this is my blood results and the ‘normal range’ looks so different to yours.

I’ve got low Hb, low MCH and Low white cell count and some other of other stuff at the low end of ‘normal’ but my gp says it’s all normal except the HB and I need to take some iron.

I have episodes of double vision, facial twitches, pulsatile tinnitus, dizzy spells, near fainting episodes, nausea, nightsweats and endless bloody left sided headaches.

It’s bloody miserable and I’m a danger to myself and others sometimes. But I’m going to take my iron like a good girl and hope it all gets better (I tell you what won’t get better my agonising IBS, my stomach hates iron!)

I hope you get some good advice here. It’s miserable feeling awful most days and having no idea why.

I hope we both feel a lot better after the iron supplements.

I take heme iron, bought off amazon, it is 18mg that's not high

I'd go back after 3 months and asked for the ferritin re-checked, my GP said mine was borderline low at 24, after 3 months of heme iron 18mg a day it was 64 so that was better.

@Corkpinboard I have tinnitus and sometimes it pulses. My vision also sometimes changes and I can go light headed.

@Icenii hopefully these things are part of the low iron then. My Hb is very close to yours. I filmed my face twitching like a mad thing today so if it doesn’t go away I can show the GP and they won’t decide it’s all in my head and start handing me the SSRIs

I’m a nurse. How long have you been taking the ferritin for? The WHO defines iron deficiency as less than 15 μg/L so you’re below that-and pretty much all your symptoms can be explained by iron deficiency, despite your normal haematocrit. Ideally, you would treat iron deficiency until the levels are back to around 100μg/L, but if you’ve been taking iron for a long time then my concern would be that it’s not being absorbed properly and you need to try a different form.

This is an education. Following.

I’m not against heme iron supplements themselves. Different people tolerate and/or see better results with a range of different iron supplements.

My point is that The Iron Protocol website peddles a lot of factually incorrect info and is run by someone with no medical background. The evangelism with which the site owner talks about heme supplements, couched in misleading scientific language is really problematic given the affiliate links and discounts for heme iron supplements.

@Namechanger50million interesting you say that - on my last blood tests my T4 was 10.1 and my TSH 1.98 and GP didn't refer it further- I will go back with this!

I've got reverse situation on ferritin though mine was 198 - but I am post menopausal and haven't had a period since I was 37 due to mirena. GP said that was quite often the case in women over 60 who used IUD for years

You're iron deficient. That explains your symptoms