High Ferritin level

[pamelashep]

What does High levels of ferritin mean? I have a high Ferritin level of 192.1 the range is 20-150 for women. Has anyone else got this and any idea of how they can be lowered. Thanks

[Steap]

What units are used in that result? Ie ug/l

[pamelashep in reply to Steap]

Sorry ug/L.

[Steap in reply to pamelashep]

I never quite get the different ranges. Your results put you bang in the middle going off the range on my results which were 30-400ug/l

I had a 219.2 when I was taking iron and more recently a 155.3

Going off my labs ranges you'd be in tip top condition.

Your lab will use averages from its local population from supposedly healthy people.

This explains it better

doctor.ndtv.com/faq/ndtv/fi...

Others on here are much more informed than me so I'm sure they'll be along soon to offer some reassurance.

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to Steap]

Hi Steap. Just to clarify...It's not possible to transfer your lab reference ranges to somebody else's results (oh if it were only that easy 😖)...but perhaps that's not quite what you meant 😄.

See reply to Pamelashep for more information 👍

[Foggyme Administrator]

Hi Pamelashep. Do you have the reference range from your particular test (I think the one you provide may be a generic reference range?).

Variations for local statistics aside, labs use different machines for analysing blood samples and each individual machine will be calibrated locally at each lab. This means that there will be local variations to lab reference ranges - so what's important is the actual reference range used by the lab who did your blood test. This is usually printed on the blood test results, next to the actual result.

So...whilst 192.1 may look slightly higher than a 'normal' results as listed in a generic range, it may well be 'in-range' on the reference ranges used by the lab for your tests. No way on knowing without having those reference ranges.

Having said all that...have you been taking iron supplements - one reason for high ferritin.

High ferritin can also be present due to infection or inflammatory response - and the iron institute also lists B12 deficiency as one possibe cause for high ferritin. And there are, of course, more. Here's a link to the site: irondisorders.org

There's some very interesting information on the site - some is quite complicated so suggest you go the the patients section first - the charts are particularly useful. You can also search (try 'ferritin' as a search term). Note - when they refer to other possible conditions/diseases that may be linked to high ferritin levels, they are referring to ferritin levels that are much much higher than yours - and it's also linked to other iron levels in the body too - it's about reading all iron results over and against each other - so don't get frightened or worried 😖😄.

If your level is a over the reference range used for your test, best to go along and discuss it with your GP, who should like to consider doing a full iron panel (looking a ferritin on its own only gives part of the 'iron' picture - serum iron, transferrin, iron saturation etc. are all important things to consider too).

Your GP may like to consider doing blood tests (CRP and ESR) to see if an inflammatory process is taking place (not diagnostic - if high just indicates that further investigations are necessary).

Try not to worry - it looks like you may be only a little over the reference range - but not easy to say without the actual ranges.

Good luck and post again if you need any further advice 👍

P.s. The iron disorders website is not easy to navigate - they seem to want to make it difficult to find anything! Just keep pressing things and all sorts of wonderful stuff will pop up 😄

[pamelashep in reply to Foggyme]

Hi Robbie thanks for replying am going to go on the link you gave me but first my blood test results were with Blue Horizon and are as follows: CRP 0.30 range <5.0 mg/L

Ferritin High 192.1 range 20-150 ug/L Thyroid Function TSH 0.55 range 0.27-4.20 mIU/L. T4 Total Low 25.3 range 64.5-142 nmoI/L. Free T4 Low 4.67 range 12-22 pmoI/L. Free T3 Low 2.96 range 3.1-6.8 pmoI/L. Immunology. Anti-thyroidperoxidase. 5.2 range < 34 range kIU/L. Anti-Thyroglobulin <10 range <115 kU/L. Vitamins. Vitamin D (25 OH). 55 range Deficient <25 nmoI/L. Insufficient 25-50 consider reducing dose >175. Vitamin B12 415 Deficient <140 pmoI/L insufficient 140-250. Consider reducing dose >725. Serum Folate 25.87 range 8.83-60.8 nmoI/L. I really had this test done as i have a under active Thyroid and have done for about 38 years. Thanks again Pam