Me again! Ferritin 37 midJune,baffled as to how it has raised another 25 to 110 in a wk,taking no iron please?

[Jo5454]

Hi,I posted recently a bit confused due to ferritin results...

March 25th 48 (nhs)

8wks later after loading dose-37 (nhs)

2wks ago 85 (medichecks pinprk) after 1 wk not taking iron-advanced thyroid check.

Last wk 110 (medichecks Iron Panel-no.other results worked)

I've only been taking 1 ferrous fumarate daily, have 3 arrows finally arrived at ready,but obv been off iron to.preoare for these tests.

Should I just be seeing this as a miracle rise please, as it usually takes so long to raise ferritin levels,then they drop as soon as i cut back on iron supplements. I can't ask for an nhs one until mud Sept, and dubious they'd give one seeing as ferritin was 37 on last testing

Have asked medichecjs but bn advised it can raise quickly and uts not any use comparing different labs anyway.

Crp fine...thank you for any ideas or anyone else who's seem such a speedy rise in ferritin.

[Orchard33]

37 is low for a PA person. Fluctuation can happen when injecting B12 as ferritin is used to make healthy blood. My ferritin level has fallen after an infusion which I (and my haematologist) interpret as increased iron (Three Arrows) being used with the ferritin to raise my haemaglobin level. I think that, after prolonged deficiency of B12 and iron, it takes the body a long time (perhaps depending on the duration of the deficiency) to slowly recalibrate itself. I'm neither medic nor scientist but an informed long-term empirical project.

[Jo5454 in reply to Orchard33]

Hi, thanks for yr reply. Yes, quite agree, it takes time to recalibrate and for everything to start working alongside each other properly after potentially a long spell of not doing so & having to find other ways to survive..What is happening to you shows the great need you have for the iron, doesn't it and sounds like your body is making good use of it.

Guess that's my concern, I was expecting the drop in ferritin after loading dose, just not the sudden rise after, so quickly, with the small.amount i was taking. Thinking if its risen 25, that much in a wk, will.it continue at that rate? Time will tell and maybe I should be celebrating,lol, I've had very low and slow rising! ferritin over yrs & wished it would speed up! Now it has & I'm still not happy Keep making good use of that iron...

[FlipperTD]

Scientist, not medic. Ferritin isn't just ferritin. Not all tests are the same. The ranges aren't all the same. So, comparing results from different NHS labs around the country won't give the same results if they're using different methods and analysers. They all participate in external, Government sponsored Quality Assurance. This assures us that the results are reliable. The EQA scheme even compares performance between different methods, but this doesn't help you. If there was one piece of advice I could offer, it would be 'simply stop doing this!' When it comes to paying someone to test a fingerprick sample for you, well, it's your money, after all. But I wouldn't do it. Trust the NHS.

[Jo5454 in reply to FlipperTD]

Thanks Flipper Td, fully appreciate what you're saying. I did the yearly thyroid test to get vit d, antibodies, active b12 tests that the NHS won't give me-even though vit d and active b12 have been very low in past.The ferritin result was included & I wondered why it'd jumped up in a short time. I've asked different Drs for iron panels over yrs, but no go& have found on private tests I've had a great need for iron at times, but would never have known if I left it to the NHS. So I did the iron panel last wk & wondered why it'd jumped up a further 25 in a wk & just concerned at whether I need to take supplements or not, as know its dangerous to overdo.

I've had ferritin at 11, and many similar low results it seems looking at past notes and not even been told, let alone advised to take iron or 3mnthly retests. I wouldn't have known ferritin had lowered after loading dose if I hadn't specifically asked, had been told all fine,as always. I do trust the NHS results, it's just the relaying of them and seeing the actions through I don't always!

I will relay my info to them & maybe they can offer an idea, but unless somethings changed I'll be lucky to gey a 3mnthly ferritin check when the last one was 37, regardless of the symptoms I experience? But we'll never say never and keep a trying! Thanks for your help once again,always appreciated.

[Jo5454 in reply to FlipperTD]

Just putting paperwork in order to put away, and noticed that I had si.ilar results ferritin wise after 1st loading dose...3mnths after ferritin had risen from 24- to 83, then couple months later back to 26! Is this a coincidence do you think or something that temporarily happens whilst body is settling into b12? Worth me keeping an eye out in case it does a downward dive again. ..

[FlipperTD in reply to Jo5454]

Are these all from the same laboratory and sample type? If not, even harder to work out.

If you'd been deficient in something AND anaemic, and then got a boost, AND your Hb recovered, then you'd use iron, so your ferritin levels would change. If you'd had some inflammatory condition in the meantime, that could disturb your ferritin too.