Low ferritin, high platelets.

[MrsJourns]

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of low ferritin and high platelets.

My son was diagnosed with Coeliac disease a few years ago and has been strictly gf since. He is a normal healthy 6 year old boy.

However his yearly blood tests always show low ferritin (currently 30) and high platelets (currently 530). In the past the assumption has been made his gut has still been healing and it's probably diet related. However he has a good diet and I give him iron supplements. We met his dietician today and they agreed his diet is healthy (I kept a food diary for the last few weeks) and suggested that perhaps his current ferritin level is his high, and it may not get any higher. He's due to have his bloods tested again in a few weeks, but I suspect unless there is a fall in his ferritin they won't do anything.

I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not, his medical notes currently state he has persistent thrombocytosis (due to ongoing high platelets) but nobody is telling me if this is a concern or not. I only see his gastro consultant before his blood tests, so we can discuss his general health (which is good) but it means I never get answers to any questions about his latest tests. I can see my GP or his dietician but they don't know if these results are significant, my GP just says some kids have low ferritin, some have high platelets. I'm not sure if I should be pushing for more, or just accept what my GP is saying. As I said before, he seems well in himself.

Just to add, his folate, vit b12, hb and iron concentration are all good. Currently his amylase is high and eosinophils are low but these are normally in the normal limits.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[Frodo]

If you look at labtestsonline it will tell you what conditions are associated with a high platelet count. This will probably alarm you, but bear in mind that for these conditions there would be other markers and symptoms the medics would be aware of, and it also says:

"Platelets are cells that have a short life-span in the blood (5-10 days), which means the count can rise and fall quickly in response to disease or trauma. Short-term increases in platelet counts are known to be associated with strenuous exercise... "

In other words it might not be significant so I would say if he is generally healthy try not to worry (I know it's hard!) but maybe check again in a few months or if he does seem unwell.

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

[Jazzw]

It might be that going gluten free isn't quite enough. Have a look at this. entirewellbeing.com/coeliac... I can imagine it would be quite a struggle to restrict your boy's diet even more, but it's something to think about.

Re the ferritin - is he having plenty of Vitamin C? It helps the body absorb the ferritin.

[Hil101]

I'm not sure how this relates to children, but I read a piece of research a while back where women with lowish ferritin were given cognitive function tests then their ferritin was raised to I think it was 50 and they scored higher on the tests. Last year, I was told by an excellent womens' health consultant (Yehudi Gordon) that ferritin should be at least 70 for full health. Again, I don't know if it's the same for children. What I do know is that throughout my adult life no doctors acted on my low ferritin count, which never reached 10, until I became more ill and was diagnosed with coeliac at 52 years of age. I have felt steadily better and clearer-headed as the ferritin count has gradually risen over 6 years and is now around 40.

I'm afraid doctors have a tendency to ignore low ferritin but I believe it's relevant and needs pursuing. Another thing I have been advised is to take a supplement with folate NOT folic acid which is an artificially synthesised substance that does not have the same effect in many people.

Good luck!