Serum ferritin and iron

[ellj]

Hello, please could anyone advise on boosting ferritin and iron but please NO eggs or liver...allergic to eggs and cannot eat liver at all.

Which supplements do you recommend please ?

Thank you

Ell

[deniseinmilden]

I take "Solgar Gentle Iron" iron bisglysinate 25 mg. I make sure I get plenty of vitamin C to utilise it.

It seems good for maintenance but I'm not sure how effective it would be at raising low levels.

[fbirder in reply to deniseinmilden]

Just for info -

Vitamin C isn't needed if taking iron as the bisglycinate (or fumarate). With things like iron sulfate the ascorbic acid (and/or citric acid) is needed to chelate the iron and get it into solution. But the bisglycinate is already chelated.

[deniseinmilden in reply to fbirder]

Thank you very much fbirder - symptomatically that makes total sense because I do notice if I don't take the Gentle Iron but I don't notice any difference whether or not I have extra vitamin C with it! I just thought it was coincidence... Too many #@#@# Drs have shaken my confidence in listening to my body so I don't always believe it, even when I know I should.

Cheers, Denise

[Sleepybunny]

I have read that care should be taken with iron supplementation as some people may be at risk of iron overload. See next link.

patient.info/doctor/iron-ov...

See section on "Sources of iron in the diet" in next link.

patient.info/health/diets-s...

[Foggyme Administrator]

Hi Ella. I agree with Deniseinmilden and sleepybunny.

Just wondering what your levels were...if they are very low (or outside of) the reference range, your GP should prescribe some high dose iron tablets and should monitor you blood levels regularly.

Iron supplementation should be done undear medical supervision as too much iron can indeed be dangerous.

I have iron deficiency anaemia, treated and monitored by GP. Once my levels reach appropriate levels, I will the use Solgar Gentle Iron to maintain the levels. It is very gentle on the stomach and doesn't seem to cause the terrible constipation that some iron products do.

Good luck 😀

[19191919]

i used spatone had to have iron tablets after but it did help. midwives prescribe it to mothers to be i am told. its an iron rich water you put it with orange or blackcurrant .

[Hidden]

Get you ferritin tested and post the result here. Even if it is within range, it may be at the bottom of the range .. so say the range is 20 - 150, your result was 30, you probably would see an increase in energy if you got it up to about 80. But don't overdo it. Low and high are both bad.

The ranges are v sexist, by the way.

[Ashweb901]

My fave is Multigen Plus. It doesn't hurt my upper tummy and it doesn't constipate my lower tummy (any further than it already is because of an extra long colon). It has intrinsic factor (from pigs?) in it so it helps me absorb it (my whole issue is absorption in the first place). It's prescription but the generic is not expensive. My daughter's fave is Vitron-C. Also doesn't upset her tummy.

[Ashweb901]

(my serum ferritin -- iron stores in liver -- numbers were as low as 20 at one time. And they haven't gotten above about 50, but at least that's better!)

[Krealan]

Is there greater risk to develop iron deficiency if someone has pernicious anemia? Recently my sister has been diagnosed with pernicious anemia she went to get a blood test because she was feeling weak and losing hair and it came back she was both deficent in iron and b12, her iron was at a very low 7. She told me that she has gone to a GP months before that and he told her that her iron was fine at 25 but when she saw this new GP she said 7 is dramatically low and that you need above 70 for normal hair growth. She is very insecure about her hair loss.

I have had pernicious anemia since I was 20 years old (I am 27 now). During that time my hair has been thining and at a rapid rate within the last two years. My GP has always told me that my iron was fine but now I am worried that I am lacking iron.

I have a bloodtest booked for two days time and after I get my results what should I be looking for, what should mine and my sisters iron range be for hair growth and overal health?