Iron and transferrin levels

[fiftyone]

Just had blood results. Shows my iron has plummeted since an iron infusion in February. Now reads 7. Yet comment next to this result is 'normal'. How come. Furtheremore,transferrin says 'abnormal' and I have been feeling very fatigued for the last month or so. Thoughts please before I contact the doctor. All other bloods are clearly normal in midrange.

[Regenallotment]

Be sure to list your symptoms, results are clearly not ‘normal’ especially since you had a transfusion. The lab may not have that information so the comment doesn’t have the context.

Any idea where you are losing the iron from? Any unexpected bleeding?

Good luck, stand firm with GP, lead with symptoms and ask what the plan is to address those . 🌱

[fiftyone in reply to Regenallotment]

thanks for reply. I don't absorb some things through my stomach, probably cos I take metformin and a PPI

[wedgewood in reply to fiftyone]

I assume that you are self-injecting B12. If not , you should be , as metformin will block B12 and PPIs will make it difficult for you to absorb vitamins and minerals , but especially B12 which is the most difficult vitamin to absorb . You will need very regular B12 injections.

[fiftyone in reply to wedgewood]

yes, I get a B12 every 8 weeks.

[wedgewood]

It might be beneficial for you to have more regular B12 injections. Try your GP, and if no luck , I suggest you self inject . I you want to consider that , you can get the information on here .

[fiftyone in reply to wedgewood]

no, Icould never self inject. Have a fear of needles. I have to look away while nurse is taking blood. GP surgery won't give any moreB12 injections,though recent blood tests showmy B12 is holding up well between jabs

[fiftyone in reply to fiftyone]

it;s my iron which seems to have plummeted

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

Maybe you could put your concerns into a short letter to GP.

Link about iron tests

labtestsonline.org.uk/tests...

NICE (National Institute of Health and Care Excellence) have guidance on iron deficiency anaemia.

Search for "NICE CKS Anaemia Iron deficiency" to find it.

I left detailed replies about PA and B12 deficiency in this thread below.

Help Needed! Have I got Pernicious Anaemia?

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

I'm not medically trained.

[yorkshiregirl4]

Hello there, I was just looking for further info. about iron and ferritin and came across your post. I am hypothyroid, have Pernicious Anaemia, atrophic gastritis and bile acid malabsorption. I have struggled with iron deficiency for decades. I had my first iron infusion 11 months ago which made me feel so much better and my iron blood tests before that infusion were similar to yours. I too struggle with oral iron absorption. The decision about a further infusion is apparently based upon a number of blood tests and my ferritin levels remained high, for example, so I have not been allowed a second infusion at the moment.

My GP is unable to interpret my iron blood test results and so I have had to see a Consultant and I was wondering, who has interpreted yours? An earlier post I made on the Thyroid forum resulted in an Administrator comment that a number of members who have had an iron infusion have a sudden drop in iron subsequently. Mine has happened 10-11 months later but I think it often occurs earlier than that.

I started with B12 injections every 8 weeks at the Gp's nearly 2 years ago but within 6 months realised that I needed to self inject. I was very anxious too but I took one step at a time, ordered everything online, read about safe injecting and decided upon a start date. I would think everyone is anxious to start with. Could a relative or friend help you? I did attend a private clinic and pay £45 per injection monthly at first and realised the improvement and then went on to self inject. Many members inject daily.

One specific word of advice I would give you, having gone down that road myself. is to ask for test results with reference ranges because they are all that is useful. Someone's comments "normal" are meaningless and that is exactly how I remained iron deficient for decades without knowing. Mid range blood test results are not automatically good or normal, as it depends upon the type of test. Good luck with your recovery.

[fiftyone in reply to yorkshiregirl4]

thank you for all the info.Yes my blood results for iron have come back 'normal' even though they are even lower than when I had an iron infusion earlier in the year. Have written to the GP and expressed my concerns. I sometimes wonder if doctors just look at figures without relating results to patient conditions and history.

[MorningMist in reply to fiftyone]

Yes I agree ‘normal’ may not be normal at all if the trend is downward. You need to monitor your tests over time. Doctors rarely do, relying on the reference ranges and lab comments.

[fiftyone in reply to MorningMist]

I sometimes think doctors are negligent.

[MorningMist in reply to fiftyone]

Yes or maybe they just have too many patients with complex conditions to keep up with.

Now we have access to our notes I have observed that my doctor’s request for further tests were refused by the local hospital who questioned the evidence for her diagnosis.

[yorkshiregirl4 in reply to fiftyone]

Sure that is the case in many instances.

[fiftyone in reply to yorkshiregirl4]

yes ranges are important but doctors seem to think so long as you are within range that's okay. It doesn't mean to say the result is optimum. Some people may need to be higher or lower.