Bloodloss, help with labs please

[Beebop]

Hi,

I lost blood giving birth. In the hospital I had two blood transfusions (which I had no time to research), but refused the iron tablets. I ate liver, kidney and steak for days and carried on eating eggs, cheese, cream, meat, and other things.

Fast forward a couple of months, I'm feeling mostly ok, but my bloodwork is not great and also slightly confusing. Doctor wants to lower my thyroxine and give me iron tablets. I usually know how to interpret my results but I don't know enough about some of these ones. Can anyone give me a clue about what is going on and what I could do?

T4: 17.5
TSH: 0.01
I don't feel hyperthyroid, in fact I have dry skin - one of my first indicators of low thyroid, and when I take T3 I feel fine, so I'm sticking with my current dose, but that TSH is low!

Serum Ferritin: 1 (normal: 15 - 300)
Is this good from a Peat perspective?

These ones I don't know how to interpret (Normal ranges in brackets)
Haemoglobin estimation: 112 g/L (120 - 150) - low
Mean corpusc. Haemoglobin MCH: 22.6 (27 - 32) - low
Mean Corpusc Volume MCV: 68 (77 - 95) - low
Haematocrit: 0.34 (0.36 - 0.47) - low
Red blood cell count: 4.94 (4.5 - 6.5) - normal
Platelet count: 484 (150 - 400) - high
Red Blood cell distribution width - 16.6%

Folate: 9.4 (4.2 - 18.7)
B12: 302 (174 - 1132)

I guess what I've done so far with diet hasn't helped enough to restore my blood to normal, and I don't know if having Ferritin that low is actually a good thing from a Peat perspective or not. If anyone has any thoughts about these results I'd really appreciate them!

 

[natedawggh]

Yeah he says something about how Ferritin doesn't exactly reflect Iron levels, especially because Iron can be stored in all sorts of places and not just the blood. It's not an accurate reflection, and you can hardly avoid eating it anyway.

Are you on L-thyroxine? is that the synthetic one? Synthetic thyroid can cause a lot of health problems. Switch to Cytomel. It's been really great for me. You also don't need to take a whole lot of it. Your TSH is probably low because you've been on thyroid, but as you've guessed that of course does't mean you are hyperthyroid at all! Go by how you feel. That is the best indicator and should be trusted over tests.

Also, are you having other symptoms? You should post of those specifically if you are, and you could benefit from aligning your diet with Dr. Peat friendly foods, and vitamin K2 is a very important blood and body vitamin that could help—don't take one with toxins like titanium or silica. I use Life Extension brand Super K. Also, other supplements like B vitamins could probably help a lot.

 

[tara]

Are you on L-thyroxine? is that the synthetic one? Synthetic thyroid can cause a lot of health problems. Switch to Cytomel. It's been really great for me.

I thought Peat recommended and used the synthetic thyroid supps, like cytomel (T3) and cynomel (T3) and cynoplus (T4+T3). Not natural dessicated thyroid, (NDT -T1, T2, T3, T4 etc), which is made from actual thyroid glands?

Is the distinction you were aiming for the difference between T4 and T3?

 

[Beebop]

Thanks for your replies!
I've been eating Peat-inspired for I think two or three years I can't remember. I take Vitamin K and Progest E.

I don't think my thyroid is the issue, I just posted that because anemia can be caused by low-thyroid and I clearly do not have low thyroid. Also, I agree with Tara, that Cytomel and Cynomel are also synthetic - I don't know what the difference is compared to thyroxine? I take thyroxine and some Cynomel too.

I just don't know how to interpret these results and what to do to resolve the anemia. Should I be eating liver every day? Is it not an iron issue but something else? This is where I am stuck. Any thoughts appreciated.

As for symptoms, I don't have any major bad symptoms, I'm tired and have a few minor things (dry eyes, cold sore), but I have a newborn baby so... But I'm still concerned about these results

 

[4peatssake]

Beebop, have you written to Ray?

I think this is a situation I would consider asking him directly.

 

[Beebop]

I have 4peatssake, right after the birth, he said:

"Besides the liver, eggs, etc., fluids including juice and milk and salty soups help to restore minerals and volume."

But so far that hasn't been enough. I could ask him again, was trying to avoid pestering him!

 

[4peatssake]

I have 4peatssake, right after the birth, he said:

"Besides the liver, eggs, etc., fluids including juice and milk and salty soups help to restore minerals and volume."

But so far that hasn't been enough. I could ask him again, was trying to avoid pestering him!

I don't think you'd be pestering him.
I'd send him the labs and tell him you've done what you can with food but the lab results continue to show deficits and see what he says.

He gains insight from people's experience as well, so perhaps rather than seeing it as pestering him consider that you are providing data for his ongoing research.

If you do ask and he responds, let us know and we can include it in the email depository!

Wins all around!

 

[aguilaroja]

Hi,

I lost blood giving birth. In the hospital I had two blood transfusions...

Serum Ferritin: 1 (normal: 15 - 300)

Haemoglobin estimation: 112 g/L (120 - 150) - low
Mean corpusc. Haemoglobin MCH: 22.6 (27 - 32) - low
Mean Corpusc Volume MCV: 68 (77 - 95) - low
Haematocrit: 0.34 (0.36 - 0.47) - low

The labs suggest iron deficiency (microcytic anemia with a clear history of blood loss). The ferritin value is not only low, but very low.

At the minimum, it might be helpful to continue with generous intake of iron rich foods. Vitamin C-rich foods may also increase iron absorption. If you are especially pale and fatigued, or with several symptoms of anemia, you might consider short term iron supplementation.

My experience is in accord with Dr. Peat's view that "chronic" anemia may have a factor of low metabolism. Your situation was a rapid anemia with a clear cause.

If blood loss was substantial enough to get transfusions and recent, and with the recent lab results, things appear very far from concerns about iron excess. You can readily get more lab work if there is a concern about overshooting.

While dry skin may occur with low thyroid function, it is not a specific indicator. Resting temperature & pulse, symptoms and other factors give a more full picture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_defic ... Blood_loss

 

[natedawggh]

Are you on L-thyroxine? is that the synthetic one? Synthetic thyroid can cause a lot of health problems. Switch to Cytomel. It's been really great for me.

I thought Peat recommended and used the synthetic thyroid supps, like cytomel (T3) and cynomel (T3) and cynoplus (T4+T3). Not natural dessicated thyroid, (NDT -T1, T2, T3, T4 etc), which is made from actual thyroid glands?

Is the distinction you were aiming for the difference between T4 and T3?

Oh I was mistaken. I thought cytomel was natural.

 

[4peatssake]

Beebop, have you seen this thread from haidut, talking about taking Vitamin A to increase Iron stores?

Improving iron status without supplementing iron

 

[Beebop]

Thanks 4peatssake I will check that out, and thanks everyone for your thoughts.

Ray Peat replied to me with this:

"Oysters and liver would be the most effective foods."

Which I guess I already knew, but it is interesting that he didn't say I should supplement iron tablets.
What I'm not sure about now is, from a Peatian perspective, what is the ideal Ferritin level?

 

[4peatssake]

Thanks 4peatssake I will check that out, and thanks everyone for your thoughts.

Ray Peat replied to me with this:

"Oysters and liver would be the most effective foods."

Which I guess I already knew, but it is interesting that he didn't say I should supplement iron tablets.
What I'm not sure about now is, from a Peatian perspective, what is the ideal Ferritin level?

Yeah, I've found that when corresponding with Ray, a lot is often in what he doesn't say.
Can you eat liver and oysters daily for awhile while you keep checking your iron levels? I'm not sure how much of that you're eating now.

I'm useless with labs so can't help there and I don't really trust the numbers anyway.
I'm much more adept going by symptoms, temps and pulse etc.

haidut's thread looked pretty interesting. I hope maybe it can help.
Keep us posted OK?

 

[messtafarian]

In the grand scheme of things, especially considering a recent clear cause, these numbers are actually pretty good. Ferritin is not really reflective of total iron availability -- next time ask for a TIBC. But in the meantime I wouldn't worry too much. Women in particular conserve iron and build levels faster than men do in preparation for monthly blood loss. It is really hard *not* to get enough iron even when you don't supplement, unless you *are still bleeding* from somewhere else.

I would just try to lean towards more iron rich foods. Giving birth is a depleting experience and anemia in the first year of motherhood is actually nearly universal. The rest of the ferritin that should be there is probably in your baby :).

 

[Beebop]

Ah, overdue reply to thank you messtafarian - very reassuring :)
I assume TIBC stands for total iron blood count?