Lab Results

[bincongo]

I posted this on another forum but it is more appropriate here.

I got my labs back and I just wanted to run some things by some of the smart people on this forum. My doctor wasn't concerned about any of it. She will retest me in 4 months. I know I am a new Celiac so my IgG was 102 and my IgA 11.1, Reticulin Abs - positive 1:20, Endomysial Abs - negative.

I also had a few other things tested. I had taken supplements up until about a week before my labs and then decided I wanted to know what my body was doing without supplements so I quit. My vitamin D was normal and so was my B12 but my B6 was elevated 70, in a range of 5-50. I forgot to ask for a magnesium test. I am close to being anemic but not out of range. My WBC is low 3.74, with MCHC of 31.7 and Neutrophils of 1.99.

I have stopped taking any vitamin B's but I am still taking Magnesium Citrate. I have a problem with constipation and I feel it helps but wondering if there is any danger in doing so. I continue to have problems with sleep but don't know if it is related. I take Levothyroxine but will be switching to Synthroid non generic. My T4 was 7.06 and TSH 1.27 on meds.

All in all I came out better than I expected so maybe my Celiac was caught early but I still would like some advice.

Dx Celiac July 2010 by Endoscopy biopsy- had Endoscopy for another reason, not for possible Celiac

Hypothyroid Dx 2009.

[burdee]

I got my labs back and I just wanted to run some things by some of the smart people on this forum. My doctor wasn't concerned about any of it. She will retest me in 4 months. I know I am a new Celiac so my IgG was 102 and my IgA 11.1, Reticulin Abs - positive 1:20, Endomysial Abs - negative.

I also had a few other things tested. I had taken supplements up until about a week before my labs and then decided I wanted to know what my body was doing without supplements so I quit. My vitamin D was normal and so was my B12 but my B6 was elevated 70, in a range of 5-50. I forgot to ask for a magnesium test. I am close to being anemic but not out of range. My WBC is low 3.74, with MCHC of 31.7 and Neutrophils of 1.99.

I have stopped taking any vitamin B's but I am still taking Magnesium Citrate. I have a problem with constipation and I feel it helps but wondering if there is any danger in doing so. I continue to have problems with sleep but don't know if it is related. I take Levothyroxine but will be switching to Synthroid non generic. My T4 was 7.06 and TSH 1.27 on meds.

All in all I came out better than I expected so maybe my Celiac was caught early but I still would like some advice.

Dx Celiac July 2010 by Endoscopy biopsy- had Endoscopy for another reason, not for possible Celiac

Hypothyroid Dx 2009.

Are you sensitive to dairy? Many newly diagnosed celiacs cannot digest lactose, because their intestinal villae have not yet healed. If you cannot tolerate lactose, you may not tolerate Synthroid, which includes Lactose Monohydrate in its 'inert ingredients'. However, a compounding pharmacist can prepare Synthroid without that lactose ingredient, if you really need that specific thyroid supplement.

[cassP]

may i ask you what your TSH & T4 numbers were BEFORE u got on meds???

i need to retest my thyroid. havent tested since 2006- and back then my TSH was around 4.50 ???

[bincongo]

Are you sensitive to dairy? Many newly diagnosed celiacs cannot digest lactose, because their intestinal villae have not yet healed. If you cannot tolerate lactose, you may not tolerate Synthroid, which includes Lactose Monohydrate in its 'inert ingredients'. However, a compounding pharmacist can prepare Synthroid without that lactose ingredient, if you really need that specific thyroid supplement.

I am sensitive to lactose. I get my Synthroid by mail so I guess I should call them. Does Levothyroxine have lactose in it too? My sister has Hashimoto's and her specialist doesn't beleive in generic so I thought I should switch too but my sister isn't Celiac or lactose sensitive.

[bincongo]

may i ask you what your TSH & T4 numbers were BEFORE u got on meds???

i need to retest my thyroid. havent tested since 2006- and back then my TSH was around 4.50 ???

I don't know what my TSH was. That was my pre Celiac days and I wasn't concerned about keeping a copy of my lab results for myself. Actually I just realized that they did give me two lab results. The TSH of 1.27 and T4 of 7.06 was from December of last year after taking meds for 3 months. The most recent labs are TSH of 2.58 and Free T4 of 1.12. I am not sure what that means.

[burdee]

I am sensitive to lactose. I get my Synthroid by mail so I guess I should call them. Does Levothyroxine have lactose in it too? My sister has Hasimoto's and her specialist doesn't beleive in generic so I thought I should switch too but my sister isn't Celiac or lactose sensitive.

You can "google" Levothyroxine ingredients, which were (inert ingredients): "butylated hydroxyanisole, colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium lauryl sulfate and sucrose." I'd have problems with mannitol and sugar, but you may not.

Contact the company which markets your 'Synthroid' to verify ingredients. Most brands of T4 replacement thyroid supplements have the same active ingredients, but the inactive ingredients may affect absorption in the intestines. I've read that Levoxyl is more easily absorbed by people with intestinal problems. When I saw that Synthroid included lactose and Levothyroxine included mannitol and sugar in the inactive ingredients, I understood how people with lactose and alochol based sugar sensitivities may have intestinal reactions to those drugs. Inflammatory (intolerance) reactions would certainly affect absorption.

[burdee]

I also had a few other things tested. I had taken supplements up until about a week before my labs and then decided I wanted to know what my body was doing without supplements so I quit. My vitamin D was normal and so was my B12 but my B6 was elevated 70, in a range of 5-50. I forgot to ask for a magnesium test. I am close to being anemic but not out of range. My WBC is low 3.74, with MCHC of 31.7 and Neutrophils of 1.99.

I have stopped taking any vitamin B's but I am still taking Magnesium Citrate. I have a problem with constipation and I feel it helps but wondering if there is any danger in doing so. I continue to have problems with sleep but don't know if it is related.

I also had low WBC and MCHC results on my last blood tests. Both of those results could mean anemia which causes fatigue and sleep problems. My doc suggested I take more Vitamin B12 and folate. Deficiencies of those could lower WBC. I'm eating more iron rich foods (because I don't tolerate iron supplements) to raise my MCHC.

I've taken magnesium supplements for years to cope with chronic constipation problems. Many newly diagnosed celiacs have magnesium deficiencies, because the celiac damaged intestines don't absorb enough magnesium from food. I also had low stomach acid production, which prevents adequate magnesium digestion in the stomach. Too much magnesium will cause diarrhea, which will tell you to take less magnesium. If you struggle with constipation, you probably need a lot of magnesium. Did the thyroid supplements help resolve your constipation problem? I just started Levoxyl 3 weeks ago and hoped that would improve my regularity.

[bincongo]

I also had low WBC and MCHC results on my last blood tests. Both of those results could mean anemia which causes fatigue and sleep problems. My doc suggested I take more Vitamin B12 and folate. Deficiencies of those could lower WBC. I'm eating more iron rich foods (because I don't tolerate iron supplements) to raise my MCHC.

I've taken magnesium supplements for years to cope with chronic constipation problems. Many newly diagnosed celiacs have magnesium deficiencies, because the celiac damaged intestines don't absorb enough magnesium from food. I also had low stomach acid production, which prevents adequate magnesium digestion in the stomach. Too much magnesium will cause diarrhea, which will tell you to take less magnesium. If you struggle with constipation, you probably need a lot of magnesium. Did the thyroid supplements help resolve your constipation problem? I just started Levoxyl 3 weeks ago and hoped that would improve my regularity.

In response to burdee - I am not sure where to go from here with Synthroid. Maybe I should have left well enough alone. If I were sensitive to sugar I would be in big trouble with what I eat so no problem there. I am a little concerned about my WBC and MCHC since I think this is the first time it came up low but I will take a mulivitamin and it sounds like several people agree I should continue to suppliment B12. It would be interesting if my sleep problems were also related to anemia.

As far as the thyroid supplements helping my constipation I am not sure. My thyroid problem was discovered before my Celiac and my constipation has gotten worse since I have been gluten free.

[burdee]

In response to burdee - I am not sure where to go from here with Synthroid. Maybe I should have left well enough alone. If I were sensitive to sugar I would be in big trouble with what I eat so no problem there. I am a little concerned about my WBC and MCHC since I think this is the first time it came up low but I will take a mulivitamin and it sounds like several people agree I should continue to suppliment B12. It would be interesting if my sleep problems were also related to anemia.

As far as the thyroid supplements helping my constipation I am not sure. My thyroid problem was discovered before my Celiac and my constipation has gotten worse since I have been gluten free.

Have you tried Levoxyl? Levoxyl's inert ingredients are "microcrystalline cellulose, crocarmelose sodium and magnesium stearate". I've had no reaction problems with Levoxyl, despite my 7 food allergy restrictions and several other intolerances (related to leaky gut). I react to mannitol, sorbitol, etc. with IBS symptoms. I react to any form of cane sugar with tachycardia and nausea, but I can tolerate beet sugar.

Since my blood tests indicated low WBC and MCHC, I've eaten high iron foods and taken high amounts of B12 and folate for a month. I haven't retested, but I feel much more energetic. So I suspect the extra iron, B12 and folate decreased anemic symptoms from low WBC and MCHC. However, Levoxyl could have also improved my energy. I also finally recovered from a bad cold after taking therapeutic amounts of Vitamin D3 (6,000 IU daily for 2 weeks). So any one of those things could have improved my energy levels. Nevertheless, Levoxyl didn't improve my regularity yet. So I suspect the vitamins helped more than thyroid supplement.