Please help me interpret my Wonky Blood Test

[farmerjess]

Hi Allergies Mamas. I am putting this here because we have lots of sensitivities and I believe this blood work is wonky due to my changing diet to primal diet (no grains, beans, sweeteners, etc) For background I had a blood test about 6ish months ago and everything was normal in the metabolic part. Then ferrtin was around 25. I started primal blueprint about 5 weeks before the blood test and went to get a bunch of stuff tested because I have been feeling generally really poorly since starting this diet. Changes are that I am eating a lot less carbs, some more fat, and possibly eating more protein. I wasn't counting before, but now I am eating about 75-90 grams a day. I am also hypoT and got that stuff tested too. I googled this combo of wonky metabolic things and only got one person who said it can happen to someone using steroids?!? I am having a hard time getting support on the pb forum because saying that you feel like crap on their diet even though you are doing it exactly right is apparently taboo.

Here's what abnormal:

Ferritin 42 (13-150) in range but lower than optimal
Creatinine, Serum 1.12 (.57-1.0)
eGFR 57 (>59)
Calcium, serum 10.5 (8.7-10.2)
CBC with Differential/Platelet
RBC 5.26 (3.8-5.1)
Hemoglobin 15.7 (11.5-15)
Vit B12 1183 (211-946) --->probably artificially high due to supping
25 (OH) D 47.9 Labcorp

Also TPO Ab 490 (0-34) so I guess I am having an antibodies attack
TSH .804
T4 8.3 (4.5-12)
Free T4 2.6 (1.2-4.9)
T3 137 (71-180)
T3 Uptake 31 (24-39)
She apparantly didn't test FT3 like I asked (arghh)

She said the wonky #s may be due to dehydration, but I remember thinking about how I'd drank a lot of water about 2 hrs before the test. She wants me to test again in one month.

What's going on with my body? Any ideas? Are these #s you'd expect to see from the kidneys not being able to handle all the protein? I am sure it has *something* to do with those darn calcium ion channels, but I am stumped.

TIA.

[neverdoingitagain]

I'm sorry that things aren't going well for you with PB

I'm as confused as you are with your results. The only thing that really gave any answers was the TPO ab results. Thats scary high. Are they going to test for Hashimoto's or Graves disease? I wonder if this is the main reason behind the wonky numbers?
I hope you get some answers soon.

[JaneS]

High thyroid antibodies plus hypoT means Hashimoto's. It completely explains why you feel like crap.

I don't know enough to say how it effects your metabolic numbers but since thyroid runs your metabolism that would make sense to me. I would also say that since insulin hormone effects the thyroid, reducing insulin in the body would also make sense. But maybe you are eating something new on PB that is making you react?

Are you completely gluten free? All indications are that is essential for Hashi's.

There has also been discussion in the Thyroid II thread about Dr. Kharrizian's new book on autoimmune thyroiditis, "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Tests are Normal?" http://thyroidbook.com/ which instead treats the underlying immune system dysfunction that is causing the attack on the thyroid and not necessarily using thyroid replacement.

[farmerjess]

Originally Posted by neverdoingitagain

I'm sorry that things aren't going well for you with PB

I'm as confused as you are with your results. The only thing that really gave any answers was the TPO ab results. Thats scary high. Are they going to test for Hashimoto's or Graves disease? I wonder if this is the main reason behind the wonky numbers?
I hope you get some answers soon.

Thanks. I am sure that I have Hashi's. From all my googling it does not seem that this metabolic # pattern goes with thyroid problems.

Originally Posted by JaneS

High thyroid antibodies plus hypoT means Hashimoto's. It completely explains why you feel like crap.

I know I have hashi's, but had to fight tooth and nail to get the antibodies test. It makes sense that an active attack would make me feel bad.
I don't know enough to say how it effects your metabolic numbers but since thyroid runs your metabolism that would make sense to me. I would also say that since insulin hormone effects the thyroid, reducing insulin in the body would also make sense. But maybe you are eating something new on PB that is making you react?
I see what your saying about the metabolic stuff but I have not heard of or seen this pattern anywhere online. It seems to me that something else is going on. I have read that too low carb is stressful on the thyroid/adrenals and wondering if this is part of what's going on here. I didn't feel great before starting primal, but I felt a lot more functional than this. I haven't started any new foods. Well, actually I started rotating eggs in one day/week but it doesn't seem to correlate at all with feeling bad. I have not been able to shake hypoglycemia despite being on this diet and between 50-100g carbs for 6 weeks now.
Are you completely gluten free? All indications are that is essential for Hashi's.
Yes, 101% gluten, dairy, soy free, 99% corn free. Like I said, I was following the diet exactly, plus being off all my ds's intolerances.

There has also been discussion in the Thyroid II thread about Dr. Kharrizian's new book on autoimmune thyroiditis, "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Tests are Normal?" http://thyroidbook.com/ which instead treats the underlying immune system dysfunction that is causing the attack on the thyroid and not necessarily using thyroid replacement.

Thanks for the book rec. I will definitely get that, seems like what I need. I also really need a new health care provider. Mine is just really not that thoughtful.

[farmerjess]

Other weird symptoms that have come up since starting primal:

sudden intolerance to caffeine (green tea makes me shake like crazy)
insomnia
sweat more easily
sudden intolerance to Mag citrate
hypoglycemia
reflux pain and liver/gallbladder pain

I really didn't change my diet that much. Cut honey, dried fruit, reduced starchy tubers, and cut the few servings of gf grains I was having per week. Other than that just the proportions changed.

[JaneS]

I'm not sure if the Hashi's flare can explain all that or it's the diet. It seems to me a combo of both.

The reflux and gallbladder pain says to me you are not digesting your fats and proteins well ... low stomach acid and low bile. I would try betaine HCL tablets. Have you had gallbladder sx before? You might consider coconut oil and coconut butter as your main fat source as the mcf's don't need bile to digest.

I'm guess if you are not digesting fats and protein well, you are not making glycogen available and therefore the hypoglycemic symptoms are appearing. I know it is said it takes some time for the body to learn to "switch over" from burning carbs for glucose... but I don't know much more than that. I'm surprised the PB people missed all this but I imagine it depends on who's around at the time.

Sudden intol. to mag citrate says to me that your intestines could be inflamed, do you have bloating, gas, diarrhea? How exactly are you not tolerating? How much are you taking at a time? I couldn't do mag supplements for a long time, and even now just a small amt. of mag. chloride and mag. glycinate. I like trandermal mag. way better, changed my life.

If caffeine is making you shake, that's adrenal issues. Which as you know go hand in hand with insulin problems. Do you take vitamin C? I much prefer natural c from camu, amla or acerola. And magnesium is essential for adrenal issues.

[neverdoingitagain]

Because I'm a curious sort of person, I started doing research on each individual test result It was fun!
Ok! Ferritin increase is good, if it was 25 before. Probably due to the extra meat you're eating. Which by the way, can increase your creatinine levels(up to 10-20% more than a "normal",which is ok) People who have a higher muscle mass tend to have higher levels. Vitamin B12 seems to be ok, apparently higher is nothing to be alarmed about since there isn't a known toxicity from it. Hemoglobin and RBC would make sense since you have increased your iron intake and your body is probably responding. Vitamin D is a little low, but close to optimal which means you should stop supplementing calcium (if you have been). Might be why your calcium is little high.

But the creatinine results with the eGFR results indicate there may be some kidney damage happening.
Also
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/ma...rticlekey=7860
Whew! Don't know if it helped any, remember I'm not in any way an expert.

From the looks of it, I really don't know if your diet changes caused this. You were eating pretty primal before other than the few grains you mentioned.

I had to cut down on caffeine quite a bit too. I just can't tolerate it like I used to. Same with sugar.
I hope you find a doctor that takes these results seriously and really works with you.

[farmerjess]

Originally Posted by JaneS

I'm not sure if the Hashi's flare can explain all that or it's the diet. It seems to me a combo of both.

The reflux and gallbladder pain says to me you are not digesting your fats and proteins well ... low stomach acid and low bile. I would try betaine HCL tablets. Have you had gallbladder sx before? You might consider coconut oil and coconut butter as your main fat source as the mcf's don't need bile to digest.

HCl does help. Once though when I started taking it with every meal, I got really bad reflux for a couple days. I take it occasionally, but I am honestly a little scared of taking it too often again. It seems like my stomach acid level waxes and wanes quickly so I never know how much to take. Coconut does work much better for me, you're right. I have had gallbladder symptoms before, mostly from pork. That has come back I guess with trying to add in more fat.

I'm guess if you are not digesting fats and protein well, you are not making glycogen available and therefore the hypoglycemic symptoms are appearing. I know it is said it takes some time for the body to learn to "switch over" from burning carbs for glucose... but I don't know much more than that. I'm surprised the PB people missed all this but I imagine it depends on who's around at the time.

That makes a lot of sense. I have asked around there quite a bit and not gotten such a sensible answer. I have had this inclination to increase my carbs back to the 100-150 range until I am digesting protein and fat better. I know you know a lot about enzymes, is there one you'd recommend?

Sudden intol. to mag citrate says to me that your intestines could be inflamed, do you have bloating, gas, diarrhea? How exactly are you not tolerating? How much are you taking at a time? I couldn't do mag supplements for a long time, and even now just a small amt. of mag. chloride and mag. glycinate. I like trandermal mag. way better, changed my life.
Just loose poops. I used to be able to take 400-600mg at a time, now I can't take any. I will look into the mag oil option.

If caffeine is making you shake, that's adrenal issues. Which as you know go hand in hand with insulin problems. Do you take vitamin C? I much prefer natural c from camu, amla or acerola. And magnesium is essential for adrenal issues.

I know I am having additional adrenal symptoms come up. It's been a slow realization though that primal diet is making my adrenals worse. Whatever I have changed, which essentially is decreasing carbs and increasing fat is stressing my body out to the max. I need to get a natural c supp. I take AA from time to time. Thanks for all your helpful thoughts. Its much appreciated.

Originally Posted by neverdoingitagain

Because I'm a curious sort of person, I started doing research on each individual test result It was fun!
Ok! Ferritin increase is good, if it was 25 before. Probably due to the extra meat you're eating. Which by the way, can increase your creatinine levels(up to 10-20% more than a "normal",which is ok) People who have a higher muscle mass tend to have higher levels. Vitamin B12 seems to be ok, apparently higher is nothing to be alarmed about since there isn't a known toxicity from it. Hemoglobin and RBC would make sense since you have increased your iron intake and your body is probably responding. Vitamin D is a little low, but close to optimal which means you should stop supplementing calcium (if you have been). Might be why your calcium is little high.

Thanks so much for looking stuff up for me! I really haven't been eating much more meat than before because meat is my only protein source and I have been eating it for 3 meals a day for almost a year now (forgot to say we also can't eat nuts/seeds, I always forget all of them.) I think the ferritin increase mostly is from taking ferrochel type iron. I am actually not hitting the RDA for iron because I dont eat beef (lo is intolerant.) Did you read that somewhere about RBC and hemoglobin going above level due to increased iron intake? I had that thought too, but wasn't sure if it made sense. Thanks for giving me some perspective. I probably am overreacting somewhat.

But the creatinine results with the eGFR results indicate there may be some kidney damage happening. and weird.
Also
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/ma...rticlekey=7860
Whew! Don't know if it helped any, remember I'm not in any way an expert.

From the looks of it, I really don't know if your diet changes caused this. You were eating pretty primal before other than the few grains you mentioned.

I think the main thing that happened was decreasing my carbs from probably around 150 grams/day to around 60-80g, increasing fat to make up the calorie deficit, and possibly increasing protein. I think those are pretty big changes even though my actual food didn't change much. My body just feels stressed to the max now. I am not sure that's what's reflected in the bloodwork or not.

I had to cut down on caffeine quite a bit too. I just can't tolerate it like I used to. Same with sugar.
I hope you find a doctor that takes these results seriously and really works with you.Thanks so much.