I’m not sure if I’m in the right place, but if anyone can help...
I'm 27. My iron levels used to be incredibly low, so I was taking Feosol, which is why I wanted to get checked out since it's been a while since my last blood work. After moving and switching to a new doctor, she wanted me to check my CBC because of all the symptoms I've been dealing with—dry skin, brittle nails, lifeless hair that sheds constantly (dandruff included), feeling perpetually cold (if I sleep without socks, I catch a chill; I also have to run to the bathroom constantly, and even sitting down requires a blanket because my apartment is at least 72 degrees), getting exhausted and sweaty from even minor exertion (when I use my stationary bike, I have to pedal painfully slow just to keep my heart rate around 120-130), being pale, gaining a lot of weight over the last year (I'm constantly hungry), total exhaustion, irritability, insomnia, bruising on my legs without remembering any impact, migraines for the past year, and general body aches and itching... plus the stress of job hunting. She asked if I had thyroid issues (as far as I know, there's no history in my family, and I've never checked), but I just chalked everything up to iron deficiency (or ignored it), and my previous doctor never sent me for anything else. I went to a pharmacy for one of those vitamin and mineral status screenings, and everything came back negative except for calcium and omega (even though I don't eat fish). I know they're just trying to sell products, but my boyfriend takes some supplements and his results were perfect. My doctor said she doesn't mind if I take extra supplements. I asked her if I could check all my vitamins and minerals when I do my blood work, but she told me that isn't possible through standard blood tests (I assume it's expensive, so you only do it if it's absolutely necessary).
Anyway, I had my blood drawn on May 4, 2016.
Lab: Hematology and Coagulation
ESR (1 hour) 13 (4-24)
CBC
Leukocytes 9.6 (3.4-9.7)
Erythrocytes 4.59 (3.68-5.08)
Hemoglobin 131 (119-157)
Hematocrit 0.409 (0.356-0.470)
MCV 89.3 (83.0-97.2)
MCH 28.5 (27.4-33.9)
MCHC 320 (320-345)
Platelets 296 (158-424)
Clinical Biochemistry
Glucose 4.7 (4.2-6.0)
Urea 3.0 (2.8-8.3)
Creatinine 76 (45-84)
Urate 232 (134-337)
Total Bilirubin 17 (3-20)
AST 16 (8-30)
ALT 9 (10-36)
GGT 5 (9-35)
Alpha-amylase 52 (23-91)
Cholesterol 6.9 (Recommended HDL Cholesterol 2.6 (Recommended >1.2)
LDL Cholesterol 3.5 (Recommended Triglycerides 1.7 (Recommended Iron 23 (8-30)
UIBC 62 (26-59)
Sodium 137 (137-146)
Potassium 3.8 (3.9-5.1)
Urinalysis
Dipstick Test
Appearance: Clear
Color: Yellow
Specific Gravity 1.020 (1.002-1.030)
pH 5.0 (5.0-9.0)
Leukocyte Esterase 0 (0)
Nitrites 0 (0)
Proteins 0 (0)
Glucose: Normal
Ketones 0 (0)
Urobilinogen: Normal
Bilirubin 0 (0)
Erythrocytes/Hb 0 (0)
Microscopic Sediment Examination
Leukocytes 1-2 (0-2)
Erythrocytes 1-2 (0-2)
Epithelial cells: Few (0-1)
Hormones and Markers
TSH 11.09 (0.34-5.60)
So, my iron turned out great (23), and I haven't changed my diet or taken Feosol for a long time. It surprises me that it's so good, but hey!
Is there anything else I should be worried about? Are my liver enzymes okay? The doctor only commented on the iron and TSH. When she saw the TSH (which is why she asked about my thyroid), she gave me a referral for more hormone testing (TSH, FT3, FT4, anti-TPO) and a thyroid ultrasound (I haven't gotten to that yet) due to suspected hypothyroidism.
I had the hormones drawn on May 9 (only five days later!), and I just got the results today:
TSH 5.439 (0.340-5.600)
FT3 4.84 (3.80-6.00)
FT4 11.44 (7.90-14.20)
Anti-TPO 1.2 (< 9.0)
All values are within range, but does it even make sense to go for the thyroid ultrasound? Is this normal, and how is it possible for my TSH to fluctuate so wildly from 11.09 to 5.439 in just five days? The only difference is that during the first draw, I was on Estal birth control (I take it for protection, but also because of hair growth issues and irregular periods—when I asked my gynecologist for a hormone panel, she basically told me "why bother, the treatment is just pills + running to a beautician"), whereas during the second draw, I happened to be off them for a week. Is it possible that the birth control is the cause, and that my TSH stays high while I'm on them? Does this mean there's a high chance I'll have thyroid problems long-term because of the pills (and would it be better to stop)? (At the lab, they asked if I was on hormones, but it was noisy and I thought I heard "no" when I meant "yes" regarding the birth control). It doesn't say anything on the report about it. Don't they use different ranges if someone is on medication? I'm currently switching to a new gynecologist and hope she'll be more helpful. But this is weighing on me while I wait, so any info would be appreciated. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any help.
I'm 27. My iron levels used to be incredibly low, so I was taking Feosol, which is why I wanted to get checked out since it's been a while since my last blood work. After moving and switching to a new doctor, she wanted me to check my CBC because of all the symptoms I've been dealing with—dry skin, brittle nails, lifeless hair that sheds constantly (dandruff included), feeling perpetually cold (if I sleep without socks, I catch a chill; I also have to run to the bathroom constantly, and even sitting down requires a blanket because my apartment is at least 72 degrees), getting exhausted and sweaty from even minor exertion (when I use my stationary bike, I have to pedal painfully slow just to keep my heart rate around 120-130), being pale, gaining a lot of weight over the last year (I'm constantly hungry), total exhaustion, irritability, insomnia, bruising on my legs without remembering any impact, migraines for the past year, and general body aches and itching... plus the stress of job hunting. She asked if I had thyroid issues (as far as I know, there's no history in my family, and I've never checked), but I just chalked everything up to iron deficiency (or ignored it), and my previous doctor never sent me for anything else. I went to a pharmacy for one of those vitamin and mineral status screenings, and everything came back negative except for calcium and omega (even though I don't eat fish). I know they're just trying to sell products, but my boyfriend takes some supplements and his results were perfect. My doctor said she doesn't mind if I take extra supplements. I asked her if I could check all my vitamins and minerals when I do my blood work, but she told me that isn't possible through standard blood tests (I assume it's expensive, so you only do it if it's absolutely necessary).
Anyway, I had my blood drawn on May 4, 2016.
Lab: Hematology and Coagulation
ESR (1 hour) 13 (4-24)
CBC
Leukocytes 9.6 (3.4-9.7)
Erythrocytes 4.59 (3.68-5.08)
Hemoglobin 131 (119-157)
Hematocrit 0.409 (0.356-0.470)
MCV 89.3 (83.0-97.2)
MCH 28.5 (27.4-33.9)
MCHC 320 (320-345)
Platelets 296 (158-424)
Clinical Biochemistry
Glucose 4.7 (4.2-6.0)
Urea 3.0 (2.8-8.3)
Creatinine 76 (45-84)
Urate 232 (134-337)
Total Bilirubin 17 (3-20)
AST 16 (8-30)
ALT 9 (10-36)
GGT 5 (9-35)
Alpha-amylase 52 (23-91)
Cholesterol 6.9 (Recommended HDL Cholesterol 2.6 (Recommended >1.2)
LDL Cholesterol 3.5 (Recommended Triglycerides 1.7 (Recommended Iron 23 (8-30)
UIBC 62 (26-59)
Sodium 137 (137-146)
Potassium 3.8 (3.9-5.1)
Urinalysis
Dipstick Test
Appearance: Clear
Color: Yellow
Specific Gravity 1.020 (1.002-1.030)
pH 5.0 (5.0-9.0)
Leukocyte Esterase 0 (0)
Nitrites 0 (0)
Proteins 0 (0)
Glucose: Normal
Ketones 0 (0)
Urobilinogen: Normal
Bilirubin 0 (0)
Erythrocytes/Hb 0 (0)
Microscopic Sediment Examination
Leukocytes 1-2 (0-2)
Erythrocytes 1-2 (0-2)
Epithelial cells: Few (0-1)
Hormones and Markers
TSH 11.09 (0.34-5.60)
So, my iron turned out great (23), and I haven't changed my diet or taken Feosol for a long time. It surprises me that it's so good, but hey!
Is there anything else I should be worried about? Are my liver enzymes okay? The doctor only commented on the iron and TSH. When she saw the TSH (which is why she asked about my thyroid), she gave me a referral for more hormone testing (TSH, FT3, FT4, anti-TPO) and a thyroid ultrasound (I haven't gotten to that yet) due to suspected hypothyroidism.
I had the hormones drawn on May 9 (only five days later!), and I just got the results today:
TSH 5.439 (0.340-5.600)
FT3 4.84 (3.80-6.00)
FT4 11.44 (7.90-14.20)
Anti-TPO 1.2 (< 9.0)
All values are within range, but does it even make sense to go for the thyroid ultrasound? Is this normal, and how is it possible for my TSH to fluctuate so wildly from 11.09 to 5.439 in just five days? The only difference is that during the first draw, I was on Estal birth control (I take it for protection, but also because of hair growth issues and irregular periods—when I asked my gynecologist for a hormone panel, she basically told me "why bother, the treatment is just pills + running to a beautician"), whereas during the second draw, I happened to be off them for a week. Is it possible that the birth control is the cause, and that my TSH stays high while I'm on them? Does this mean there's a high chance I'll have thyroid problems long-term because of the pills (and would it be better to stop)? (At the lab, they asked if I was on hormones, but it was noisy and I thought I heard "no" when I meant "yes" regarding the birth control). It doesn't say anything on the report about it. Don't they use different ranges if someone is on medication? I'm currently switching to a new gynecologist and hope she'll be more helpful. But this is weighing on me while I wait, so any info would be appreciated. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any help.