Is there a connection with High Ferritin Levels and B12 Injections.

[Lemondrizz1]

I have had very high Ferritin levels for the past eighteen months (now 715) with a Tsat of 59% and despite a lot of BT's and proceedures checking for inflamation in my body nothing has been found - I have been and still am feeling really ill with many debilitating symptoms including neurological symptoms -

Although my B12 blood tests were well in range - my GP has recently started me on B12 injections every other day - no lifting of symptoms as yet - but my question is ?

I am not sure if there is a link between B12 and Raised Ferritin Levels - but is it possible that with the B12 injections my Ferritin Levels might reduce -

Your thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

Lemondrizz

[Thrones12]

I can’t honestly say I’ve read of anything connecting it but I must also say my ferritin dropped a great deal once I’d been on my b12 shots prob around a year,from nearly 700 to 400+ I was delighted.

I’ve got p.a been checked for haemochromotosis negative so as far as I can “deduce” p.a or b12 deficiency causes all sorts of inflammation in the body,I personally had raised lymph glands near the caecum which I had scans et for no reason found apparently just monitor in future which of course has never been done.

I’d say in my case the raised ferritin was as a result of the inflammation caused by having undiagnosed p.a and when I started my b12 shots to correct it’s resolved itself. Hope this helps a bit but it’s only my history and opinion I’m no expert. Best of luck x

[Nackapan]

For me my ferritin leveks did drop on loading doses. Levels do raise with inflammation In the body,

Not sure if my body needed more iron for healing or as the Inflamation reduced the levels dropped. 🤔

Nowhere near your present levels though.

Do you know what your levels were when well?

Have you seen a neurologist?

Hope the b12 injections help you.

Was your folate level okay ?

[Lemondrizz1 in reply to Nackapan]

Many thanks Neckapan for your input on this -

This is very interesting and only something that I have only just been querying ?

How quickly did your FL decrease please.

I have not been found to be deficient in B12 - but continue to have many neurological and other symptoms - so my GP has made the decision to try me on the B12 Injections to see if they might help to improve the symptoms - I understand that there is a B12 deficiency called Functional B12 deficiency - where there is no shortage of B12 in the blood - but it is not getting into my cells or tissues ?

I do not know what my Ferritin levels were when I was well as I guess it was not checked ?

I do not know how long it might take for the B12 injections to show any improvement and fear that they may be discontinued unless I can justify some improvements - but if it does show my F Levels decreasing - then this of course may change things ?

I am at present awaiting a referral to a Haemotologist to discuss and hopefully further investigate my raised F Levels.

Many thanks again for your interest.

Lemondrizz

[Nackapan]

I had a blood test 3 months afterwards as was put on a low dose of iron. Thats when my ferritin came back lower.

Mine was not high to start

Nothing made sense really.

Taking iron i thought would raise it ?

I also took a basic multivit

That's why i wondered about the inflammation

Folate should've been done at the same time as b12.

Useful to keep your own blood results .

Perhaps you've had an MMA test or IFAB test.

Helps with a functional b12 deficiency diagnosis .

My serum b12 ( when done rather late!!) was very low.

Loading doses made everything worse for some time before any improvements.

If you've many neurological symptoms ask for a referral to a neurologist.

Hope things become clearer

[MrsTuft]

Correlation is not causation. High ferritin is a thing in itself (Haemochromatosis) and can make you feel as ill as low ferritin. Usually they take blood to lower it.

[Scott-rock in reply to MrsTuft]

my high ferritin was caused by low testosterone levels , which also caused non alcoholic fatty liver. Once I started testosterone replacement it fell back to normal really quickly. And my last X-ray/ct scan said I had a normal looking liver.

[MrsTuft in reply to Scott-rock]

that’s good. You know the cause and you corrected it. My mum’s high ferritin was following cancer treatment. It’s normal again now. Some people just have high ferritin and need blood letting.

[WIZARD6787 in reply to Scott-rock]

My liver function normalized after taking B6.

[Kimbo4379]

Not sure there is a link between b12 and ferritin levels. I'm on b12 injections every 2 months and my last ferritin reading was 12 which is borderline low

[EiCa]

If you haven’t been checked for hemachromatosis, you should be. The treatment is easy. It can be managed w/o meds…just giving blood.

[Joanne1971]

Hi Lemondrizz1,

You need genetic testing for haemochromatosis ,

iron overload.

HFE gene.

You have high ferritin and high tSAT , that is iron overload.

Don’t delay. They will venesection the iron it’s an easy fix.

[Lemondrizz1 in reply to Joanne1971]

Joanne

Many thanks for your reply - I was tested for the HFE gene a year ago - but it came back as negative and have been told I do not need any further treatment. However I have since been in touch with Haeomochromatosis UK who say that there are other genes that should be tested and I am at present still waiting for an appointment with a Haematologist on the strength of this. I have also requested venesection treatment to deal with the iron overload - but this was declined. I am at present having EOD B12 injections to hopefully deal with my neurological symptoms - Fizzy Head - legs and feet that feel as if hey are full of iron filings and difficulty walking as constantly feeling disoriented and intoxicated. But as I have just had a B12 BT which has come back at over 2000 - I fear that this will not be continuing.

It is a constant battle to try and move forward - especially when feeling so rubbish all the time.

Many thanks

Lemondrizz