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[CE1976]

Hi, I find it all a bit confusing! So B12 levels were 165 and went up to 600 ng/L and folate went from 7 to 8 ug/L.  Is ferritin the same as iron serum test as I think that’s all I’ve had?
Thanks so much for your input x

[Seasidegirl]

Ferritin is the bodies iron store and iron is the amount of iron circulating in the body.   There is also transferrin which is relevant as well.   

It's worth knowing exactly what you've had tested and what the numbers are as they all fit together.   

As others have said there is a massive difference between  "in range/normal" and optimal where you feel well.     165 for B12 was very low,  in Japan and Europe apparently they regard under 550 as deficient and treat accordingly.  One of the papers I read suggested the this may be part of the reason they have low levels of dementia. 

You may also need to consider why your levels are low?  Might you have a condition that needs to malabsorption?   Coeliac, some auto immune conditions etc.   

The NHS is really poorly at this stuff unfortunately which leaves many of us feeling really unwell.   I wish I'd known this stuff 6 years ago!

[SundayGirl]

Seasidegirl is spot on and I totally agree with what she has posted. It seems like we're both doing a DIY approach and doing our own research.

CE1976 - your B12 was low at 165 but even at 600 you could increase this a little.
Your folate at 8 is still very low too. Obviously this is dependent on what ranges were used in your blood results. I'm assuming NHS ranges but I could be wrong.

A decent B complex would help. B vitamins are water soluble so you body will get rid of anything you don't need.

[Seasidegirl]

Sunday Girl, I'm grateful to you and AmandaJR for your advice on my post about reference ranges.   I can't remember which of you pointed me at Health Unlocked Thyroid forum but I'm grateful for that and the knowledge you burgh shared.   

My (actually very good) GP is very glib and uninterested in these deficiencies. 

I really wish I'd known the importance of vitamins and minerals before and the difference between"in range" and optimal

[CE1976]

Thank you both so much for your input. I’ve bought a high strength B vitamin complex and picking up the vitamin D prescription tomorrow. Do either of you know if I should take a vitamin K supplement with the vitamin D high load tablet? And if so, how much? I’m already taking Mg supplements too.

[AmandaJR]

Hi ladies, I’m on the DIY Vit D research bus too, my reading is 54, it was 150 the year before. I think we all need to research and advocate for ourselves.
I wish I’d known more about ranges too Seasidegirl.

Healthunlocked is amazing, members must give most of their day to helping others, it’s an incredible resource that I’m extremely grateful for, thank you SundayGirl for the intro.

I take D3 with K2 CE1976, mine is a combined pill. I’m not sure if GP’s prescribe K2 but it’s easy to get online.

I’m really hoping we feel better as vit D increases. I’ve had hair loss which is really bothering me, I’m considering shaving what’s left off and getting a wig as I can’t wear a bobble hat or baseball cap at Xmas events. :-(

[AmandaJR]

Have any of you had issues with B12 too? I had two months of injections followed m by daily supplement yet a month later my B12 reading is still under 50%? A year ago it was over range with just daily supplements?
GP isn’t concerned but isn’t about vits/minerals in general 

[SundayGirl]

Thank you both so much for your input. I’ve bought a high strength B vitamin complex and picking up the vitamin D prescription tomorrow. Do either of you know if I should take a vitamin K supplement with the vitamin D high load tablet? And if so, how much? I’m already taking Mg supplements too.

Short term, taking vitD without K2 won't do much harm but for a maintenance dose, which you'll have to buy yourself once you're in range, get a combined one. Much easier as it's in the correct proportion.

Hi ladies, I’m on the DIY Vit D research bus too, my reading is 54, it was 150 the year before. I think we all need to research and advocate for ourselves.
I wish I’d known more about ranges too Seasidegirl.

Healthunlocked is amazing, members must give most of their day to helping others, it’s an incredible resource that I’m extremely grateful for, thank you SundayGirl for the intro.

We're going to need a bigger bus 

Healthunlocked is fab. I can spend hours reading it and gleaning tons of good info.

Have any of you had issues with B12 too? I had two months of injections followed m by daily supplement yet a month later my B12 reading is still under 50%? A year ago it was over range with just daily supplements?
GP isn’t concerned but isn’t about vits/minerals in general 

How about trying a higher strength one? Maybe your body isn't absorbing it as well. Or maybe you need to give it a bit longer for the full effect.
I know if I don't take my B complex my levels drop rapidly and it takes a while to get them back up again.
My GP isn't concerned about vitamins either. It took a review with a pharmacist to suggest a B complex when my folate was well below range.

[CE1976]

My gp wasn’t bothered about my B12 levels either as said they can go up & down all the time anyway…. They did test for pernicious anemia and coeliac disease though which came back fine - might be worth asking if they have already been done?
Hope you feel better soon too AmandaJR

[AmandaJR]

Vit b Complex. I’m use a daily B complex from Nutifilife. D3 5000mcg with Dr MYHILL’S  multi MIX FORMULA and a Swanson 50000Ui D3 multi with K2.
I’m using this as a loading dose and will re test in 8 weeks.

Aiming for b12 and d3 high range.

I wish this was easier to do but using what I have available.

Yes SundayGirl,need a bigger bus!

[Wania]

I've also been low on vit D just before they put me on HRT with terrible palpitations and other symptoms and vit D didn't do anything with regards to that.
Everything improved since starting HRT (that said, some people may be different and may react better to vit D).

Folic Acid deficiency can also cause palpitations.

[Seasidegirl]

I despair about how we are ever supposed to get good advice on these issues. 

My vitamin D is 53.9, because it's over 50 my GP is happy that it's fine.   I reminded her that I've been taking 1000iu since February so it would suggest that either I was hugely deficient to start with (but not tested) or I'm not absorbing ( which might fit with my potential thyroid issues)

She suggested that I might just want to keep taking the 1000iu.  She couldn't prescribe the loading dose as the result is over 50.   

For the folate she suggested a multi vit.

She's really very good and is trying hard to understand what's wrong with me but it's clear she has little knowledge around these issues. 

So,  I thought I'd pop into our local pharmacist and chat to the pharmacist about how to create a loading dose over the counter as it's possible to buy high level D.

He suggested I should take 800 iu when I went back over taking 1000iu since February he said the 1000iu would be OK.

So I'm off to Amazon to buy 10,000 iu and I'll make it up as i go along 🙄

[SundayGirl]

You probably won't get help from your GP    and because your vit D is now in the ok range, it's left up to you. Once your vitD reaches 50, you're fixed

1000iu isn't a huge dose for maintenance. Especially if you're not absorbing it well. It took me a long time to raise mine significantly as I was afraid of using more than the GP said was OK. Now you know your levels and where you want to be, use the calculator I posted earlier to fine tune. You may want to monitor your own levels using private testing.

Don't take a multi vitamin. A decent B complex is what you need.

So I'm off to Amazon to buy 10,000 iu and I'll make it up as i go along 🙄

😁 There's many people who do just that!! With the caveat of monitoring your levels of course 🙂

[Seasidegirl]

Thanks Sunday Girl,  I've looked at the calculator,  I'm slightly wary of the bigger dose unsupervised.  I don't know why really given that they don't seem to have any more idea than I do!

I'm now taking 4000iu daily but I'd really like to make quicker progress.

GP has said that she'll retest Ferritin in the new year (it's 200 above the 150 higher range).  She'll then retest D, folate and I hope B12 in 3 months.  I'll do them privately if there are any issues in getting them done. 

I'm going to see an endo privately which GP has been encouraging of,  she referred me to NHS endo but they rejected me as my TSH and T4 are in range .   I'm hoping that he might see the bigger picture including my thyroid goitre and also includes high SHBG which is impacting on my free hormone levels. 

I'll go back and look at the calculator

Thanks

[SundayGirl]

Taking 4000iu per day should mean you see an increase when you next test at 3 months.

That's a high ferritin level you've got. It can sometimes indicate inflammation in your body. Did you also get CRP tested?

Good luck with the private Endo. They're often more open to prescribing even though a lot of them also work for the NHS. Remember to give them your most recent blood test results or it's a waste of a first appointment.