FERRITIN 12.2 ,and the doctor didn't think it was low .

[Connor10]

Hi ,I have just come back from the doctors ,showing her a private blood test I had done for ferritin .the results were 12.2 and she said it wasn't that low ,I said I thought it was after comparing the reference range ,so she said she would put me on iron tablets for a month and see how I go , am I right about it being low ,what do you think ,I'm constantly dizzy and light headed and have hashimotos aswell .

[Moggie]

I had the same sort of thing from my endo and my levels were similar to yours (mine was 12). You don't give the ranges so I'm assuming they are similar to mine (15 - 50). My endo said I was "slightly" deficient and got my GP to put me on iron tablets. After taking these for a month nothing much happened (my blood test hardly showed any difference) and it was only then that my GP informed me that to be able to absorb the iron properly you have to take it with VitC - why she didn't tell me that in the first place is unbeleivable. Started taking them with vitC powder (she said pure orange juice would do but I don't like it) and I have finally started to see a difference.

What the doctors call slight or not that low can make a big difference to how we feel so take the iron tablets with VitC and see how you go.

Moggie x

[Moggie]

p.s. Apparently its also better if you take it on a full stomach but its very important to keep it at least 4 hours apart from your thyroid meds.

Moggie x

[Hashi_since_age9-1988]

mine was 17 and the doctor though that was low. I'm not convinced iron tablets will make a difference for me as I think I get enough iron in my diet. I feel as though my body is deliberately keeping it low for some reason. eg apparently the body produces hepcidin in response to inflammation such as in autoimmune disease which causes the body not to absorb iron.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepcidin

[PinkNinja]

You might like to show your GP this article

bmj.com/content/326/7399/1124

Carolyn x

[Clarebear]

I don't know if there is any connection but I felt dreadful when my ferritin was 26 (28 - something in the hundreds). I have been on iron tablets for a year now and have managed to get feritin up to 98 and am feeling much better. Since my feritin has been higher, I have been able to increase my Armour dosage significantly, whereas previously I was stuck on a low dose. This may also have had something to do with low cortisol as well though. I too was dizzy/light headed and suffered with vertigo, but I think these are more related to undertreated hypothyroidism for me. Have you had a recent thyroid test - if so please could you post the results on here together with the ranges? Thanks xx

[nichola79 in reply to Clarebear]

mine is 29 its going down every time (ferritin) that is, don't know myself if I should be supplementing iron

[galathea]

Apologies but I have to change the title of your post..... It should be:

"Ferritin 12.2 and the doctor didn't think."

Xx

[Hidden in reply to galathea]

*like*

[Hidden]

Connor10 - as you can see the ranges can be different (20-250 ug/L at my lab) please can you post yours? I'm not saying it isn't probably low 'tho and very often we have to educate docs to take notice of the obvious! (why do they place such importance on blood tests then ignore them???) J