Need help with bloodwork interpretation
Posted , 9 users are following.
Hi,
I have had symptoms of being excessively fatigued, nearly intolerably cold hands/feet in winter, joint pain, complete inability to lose weight despite 1500 calorie diet and working out 5 days per week at the gym, headaches, and more for several years. I have been telling my doctor for years as she gets on to me about my weight and cholesterol that I am TRYING, but nothing is working. I am using the diet and exercise plan she gave me, I have a personal trainer at the gym, I keep food diaries etc. She has tested my thyroid several times (partially) though it always comes back as within the normal lab ranges. Because I still feel horrible and can't lose the weight, I requested a referral to an endocrinologist though she felt this unnecessary. The endocrinologist used the bloodwork my doctor had ordered a month prior and said that due to a mild anemia pattern he would test my iron and thyroid antibodies. He said that given my TSH has steadily rose in the past few years and my free T4 level had fallen, he would put me on a low dose of thyroid medicine for 3 months to see if I improved. When his new bloodwork came back that he ordered, he had his nurse call and say that iron levels and thyroid antibody levels were normal, therefore I had no thyroid problem and did not need to return to his office or any thyroid medication. I was quite upset because he told me prior that he thought I would benefit from a trial of the medicine and then completely dismisses me without being able to discuss the change in our plan! At any rate, he also failed to order an updated free T4 as the one in my chart was from one year ago! I have also never had Free T3 or any of the other tests done. Please help me by looking over my lab results and let me know if this is worth trying to find another endocrinologist or Primary Care Doctor or if you have any other suggestions. Thank you in advance for any help or insight you can provide!
TSH:
2013- 2.34
2014- 2.99
2016- 3.51 (reference range: 0.27-4.20)
Free T4:
2014- 0.75 (Range: 0.65-1.40)
2015- 0.65
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies:
2016- 6.0 (Range: <9) thyroglobulin="" ab:="" 2016-="">9)><1 (range:="">1>< or = to 1)
iron tests: (all done last week)
ferritin- 104 (range: 13-150)
iron- 101 (range: 37-145)
iron binding capacity- 330 (range: 255-450)
% saturation- 31 (20-50%)
vitamin d:
2015- 17 (range: 30-100)
2016- 29 (this is with me taking 2000 iu of d3 per day)
various other lab results:
2016- anion gap- 20 (range: 12-20)
2015- anion gap- 11 (range 12-20)
2016- rbc- 3.8 (range: 3.9-5.03)
2015- rbc- 3.99
2014- rbc- 4.10
2016- hemoglobin- 11.9 (12.0-15.5)
2015- hemoglobin- 12.4
2014- hemoglobin- 12.9
2016- hematocrit- 36 (35-45%)
2015- sodium- 134 (range: 136- 145)
2016- sodium- 137 (range: 136-145)
i know that is a lot of info, but does it ring a bell for any patterns or anything that you can see? i really don't know if i should try again or accept the endocrinologist' assessment as is. i am tired of being so tired and working on my weight and cholesterol only to have no change at all.
thank you for your time. or="to" 1)="" iron="" tests:="" (all="" done="" last="" week)="" ferritin-="" 104="" (range:="" 13-150)="" iron-="" 101="" (range:="" 37-145)="" iron="" binding="" capacity-="" 330="" (range:="" 255-450)="" %="" saturation-="" 31="" (20-50%)="" vitamin="" d:="" 2015-="" 17="" (range:="" 30-100)="" 2016-="" 29="" (this="" is="" with="" me="" taking="" 2000="" iu="" of="" d3="" per="" day)="" various="" other="" lab="" results:="" 2016-="" anion="" gap-="" 20="" (range:="" 12-20)="" 2015-="" anion="" gap-="" 11="" (range="" 12-20)="" 2016-="" rbc-="" 3.8="" (range:="" 3.9-5.03)="" 2015-="" rbc-="" 3.99="" 2014-="" rbc-="" 4.10="" 2016-="" hemoglobin-="" 11.9="" (12.0-15.5)="" 2015-="" hemoglobin-="" 12.4="" 2014-="" hemoglobin-="" 12.9="" 2016-="" hematocrit-="" 36="" (35-45%)="" 2015-="" sodium-="" 134="" (range:="" 136-="" 145)="" 2016-="" sodium-="" 137="" (range:="" 136-145)="" i="" know="" that="" is="" a="" lot="" of="" info,="" but="" does="" it="" ring="" a="" bell="" for="" any="" patterns="" or="" anything="" that="" you="" can="" see?="" i="" really="" don't="" know="" if="" i="" should="" try="" again="" or="" accept="" the="" endocrinologist'="" assessment="" as="" is.="" i="" am="" tired="" of="" being="" so="" tired="" and="" working="" on="" my="" weight="" and="" cholesterol="" only="" to="" have="" no="" change="" at="" all.="" thank="" you="" for="" your=""> or = to 1)
iron tests: (all done last week)
ferritin- 104 (range: 13-150)
iron- 101 (range: 37-145)
iron binding capacity- 330 (range: 255-450)
% saturation- 31 (20-50%)
vitamin d:
2015- 17 (range: 30-100)
2016- 29 (this is with me taking 2000 iu of d3 per day)
various other lab results:
2016- anion gap- 20 (range: 12-20)
2015- anion gap- 11 (range 12-20)
2016- rbc- 3.8 (range: 3.9-5.03)
2015- rbc- 3.99
2014- rbc- 4.10
2016- hemoglobin- 11.9 (12.0-15.5)
2015- hemoglobin- 12.4
2014- hemoglobin- 12.9
2016- hematocrit- 36 (35-45%)
2015- sodium- 134 (range: 136- 145)
2016- sodium- 137 (range: 136-145)
i know that is a lot of info, but does it ring a bell for any patterns or anything that you can see? i really don't know if i should try again or accept the endocrinologist' assessment as is. i am tired of being so tired and working on my weight and cholesterol only to have no change at all.
thank you for your time.>
0 likes, 5 replies
barbara98940 christina20242
Posted
Another idea is ask to see a haematologist. An endocrinologist specialises in hormones, a haematologist specialises in blood related disorders. The reason I'm suggesting this is because of the slow gradual deterioration in many of your blood test results and that some of them are at the bottom of the range or just below.
Do let us know what you decide to do and how you get on.
shellyC19 christina20242
Posted
My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA. I have Hashimoto's thyroid disease .
I will disuss the abnormal results here:
VIT D Needs to be a tad higher some people take 3000 IU or higher. VIT D goes low as we age. We do not make enough from Sunlight after age 30 or so. You can add more VIT D foods in your diet. Low D makes you tired also. I also take 2000IU but some need more than that.
HGB -Hemoglobin needs to be a bit higher so take a Multiviatmin w/ iron and that will help & so will some red meats and Liver is loaded with iron. Spinach is also.
It will help you make more RBC's and it takes 3 week to make new RBC' s. Low HGB & RBCs makes you tired so do eat more iron foods.
The rest are okay blood values. That is good about your thyroid as it is normal.
Shelly
amand52717 christina20242
Posted
ian74954 christina20242
Posted
Vitamin D is (still!) well under optimal levels, (that word NORMAL is a curse! Forget about it, you want things to be OPTIMAL) but I would not suggest suppmenting the bigger amounts you probably need unless you also supplement vitamin K2 - NOT vitamin K (search for info!) as it has a bad habit of affecting Calcium transport and it can migrate from the bones into the bloodstream, not the best a good idea!
There is a lot of info (I won't post the web site address as it usually ends up putting this post in a long moderation queue), but there is a site for Thyroid UK which has a lot of help for the likes of you (and me!!) You are far from alone sadly, and most Endocrinologists are pretty lousy when it comes to helping unfortunately. There are some however that have a far better track record.
Something going on with that Sodium level and anion gap levels too... when one of the blood electroytes is very low as yours is it is often the case that other blood electrolytes (eg. calcium or Magnesium or Potassium may be less than optimal too so well worth having those checked too. it is VERY common in any case for Magnesium levels to be low, in fact more common than not.
To be sure thyroid is optimal,(even if you get thyroid replacment) the right vitamins and minerals have to be in place, if you search: Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Thyroid Disease, you will see the thyroid uk page that gives more info, and there is a alot of other info out there on it too.
Unfortuinately if you are not an easy stereotypical thyroid case in the UK you won't find getting sorted anything like as easy as it SHOULD be! The only way out is to educate yourself and find out as others have done to remedy this common situation.
Noddydog christina20242
Posted
Like Barbara, I was going to suggest Vitamins/Minerals to try. I have been keeping UAT at Borderline for 10 years with Vitamins/Minerals/Kelp and Diet.
Now i am over borderline and fighting to stay off Thyroxine as I struggle to take Synthetic drugs of any kind. I am worried by all the side effects you read about on this site, especially as i have no symptoms at present.