So my doctor said my B12 level was normal at 412. I'm wondering, since my grandmother and aunt suffered from Alzheimer's and I have had a bowel resection, if I should up my level.
I'm taking same dose of vit D as you. Red_Starvis right, the supplement should not pump your vitamin D level to that high. You might want to check on your parathyroid labs. And I maybe wrong, I think when you take these supplement drugs, unlike antibiotics, you don't have to finish the course prescribed. It's ok to stop or reduce to maintenence dose when symptoms are gone and labs are normal.
Glad to help others know what to look for to avoid suffering in "normal" ranges.
Are you able to post your thyroid lab reference ranges? I have not heard of a doctor who specialises in vitamins and minerals. I wish there was one though. :)
I am not sure free measurements but yes it shows as pg/ml. My doctor will retest D and calcium? I am not sure but maybe I should see a doc that specificaly knows about these issues. What do you think?
By the way thanks for responding :). I hope all is well for you.
137.8 ng/mL is way above the reference range so stopping vitamin D supplementation would be recommended at this point. Vitamin B12 serum levels could be higher up in the range, at least 800pg/mL.
As for your thyroid labs, you haven't listed if this is total or free measurements of T4 and T3. Free measures what is unbound and available (free to use) so a more useful test. I'm not sure what your lab measurements are. Possibly pg/mL?
So here are my recent results...
T3 127
T4 1.4
Vit.D 137.8
Vit.B 722
My doc wants me to stop taking D but keep doing monthly injections???
I am even more confused now...
Any thought out there?
WOW I reposted questions under thyroid conditions. I should have remembered here first"brain Fogs".
Thank you so much for all of this information. I really do appreciate it.
TSH - too high in the "normal" range - red flag something is going on as 95% with no sign of thyroid disease has a TSH under 2.5mU/L with most around 1mU/L.
Vitamin B12 - too low in the "normal" range - unless you live in Japan or Europe where your result is officially classed as a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin D deficiency - severe
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Excerpt from Sensible Alternative - "Thyroid Disease"...
"If you suspect low thyroid function, but have had "normal" blood tests, you and your doctor may want to take a second look. A TSH of greater than 2.5 is not normal. (For an appointment with our Naturopathic Doctor, click here.)
Ten years ago, the American National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry narrowed the reference range for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) from 0.5-5.0 to 0.2-2.5mIU/L. Similar revisions by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) meant that 13 million people previously considered to be normal, could now become officially diagnosed with under-active thyroid. (1)
You should also consider the fact that TSH is lower if the blood test is taken later in the day, and if you ate before the test. (2) Other factors can cause an inaccurate TSH reading, such as a deficiency in the adrenal hormone cortisol.
The most important test for thyroid is the blood test for thyroid antibodies. Thyroid antibodies can cause symptoms even when TSH is normal. In particular, they have been shown to have a role in fertility and miscarriage. (3,4)
Thyroid antibodies cause symptoms even when thyroid reading is normal
"...it raises the possibility that optimal doses of thyroid hormone will not completely ameliorate all symptoms" - Dr Emerson (editor of journal Thyroid)
New research has shown that Hashimoto's patients with high thyroid antibodies report more symptoms than patients with low thyroid antibodies, even if their thyroid function test is normal. In other words, thyroid replacement is not enough to ameliorate symptoms of autoimmune thyroid disease. (5)
Untreated thyroid disease leads to heart disease, muscle weakness, poor mental function, and an increased risk for cancer. Some experts believe that it may be responsible for 40% of unexplained cases of fatigue, depression, weight gain and infertility (6)."
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Excerpt from "B12 deficiency: a silent epidemic with serious consequences" by Chris Kresser...
"Why is B12 deficiency so under-diagnosed?
B12 deficiency is often missed for two reasons. First, it’s not routinely tested by most physicians. Second, the low end of the laboratory reference range is too low. This is why most studies underestimate true levels of deficiency. Many B12 deficient people have so-called “normal” levels of B12.
Yet it is well-established in the scientific literature that people with B12 levels between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL – levels considered “normal” in the U.S. – have clear B12 deficiency symptoms. Experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiency, like Sally Pacholok R.N. and Jeffery Stewart D.O., suggest treating all patients that are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL. They also recommend treating patients with normal B12, but elevated urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA), homocysteine and/or holotranscobalamin (other markers of B12 deficiency).
In Japan and Europe, the lower limit for B12 is between 500-550 pg/mL, the level associated with psychological and behavioral manifestations such as cognitive decline, dementia and memory loss. Some experts have speculated that the acceptance of higher levels as normal in Japan and the willingness to treat levels considered “normal” in the U.S. explain the low rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia in that country."
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Excerpt from Vitamin D Council - "Am I vitamin D deficient?"...
"If having a doctor test your vitamin D levels, again, make sure the correct test is ordered - a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. In addition, many doctors still consider a result of 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) to be sufficient when studies indicate otherwise."
"Studies indicate that for proper health, serum vitamin D levels should be a minimum of 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L), with optimal levels falling between 50-80 ng/mL (125-200 nmol/L). These values apply to both children and adults."
Ok my doc did not check t3 or t4.
TSH 2.98
B12 412
Vit.D 9.8
I will read the book that you mentioned and thank you I feel better. My doctor read me the results over the phone but I will get a copy when I have time and post the results.
Again thank you for your response.
Much Appreciated
This may not be thyroid related but to add you can still have thyroid symptoms with a normal thyroid gland. This can be anything from poor conversion of T4 to T3 to elevated reverse T3. And there is a possibility that a milder thyroid issue due to the thyroid gland dysfunction may not show up on an ultrasound. The TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test can be "normal" with thyroid disease. A book on this subject is "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal?" by Dr Kharrazian. Were you given your thyroid lab results?
With that high a vitamin D dosage, make sure your magnesium levels are optimal. Vitamin D "uses up" magnesium to convert to active vitamin D. Deficiency states in general take about 3 months to correct.
I forgot to mention that my doc is staring me on the shots Vit. B12 and am taking 50,000 IU CA Pliva Vit.D ???
She wants to re-check in 3 months.
hello,
Thank you for your response. I do have some symptoms of hypothyroid BUT I had an ultrasound done and the tech said that everything looked fine. My blood levels are normal. I am exhausted all of the time and gained weight"about 12 pounds". I have what I call brain freezes. Some one will ask a question at work and I know the answer"12 years same job" but cannot focus to remember it. Crazy I know I am 46 yrs old and feel like I am losing it at times.
Hypothyroidism causes various deficiency states but the three most common are iron, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Also elevated cholesterol can be due to untreated hypothyroidism. Do you have symptoms of hypothyroidism?