FERRITIN AND SERUM TRANSFERRIN.

Hi, can anyone help with this query, 18 mnths ago my ferritin was 11 gp gave me iron tablets, it took months to get it to 37 that reading was july 12,gp took me off iron and had more b/tests done april 13, my serum iron was 21 umol range(14-29) transferrin saturation index 28% range (20-40)serum transferrin hi (3.01g/l range(1.6-2.7) tsh 0.54 mu/lrange (0.34-5.6) feeling peculiar for few days slightly breathless and very tired even after nights sleep, do have mild asthma which is under control use quar 50 morning and night do have ventolin inhaler but have,nt needed it for a year , but it does,nt feel like asthma problem , trouble is we put everything down to our thyroid which think is quite common amongst us on thyroid meds, but l do feel a like l did before going on iron, any comments appreciated,,eve

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

As far as I know, you look still to be a bit low in iron.

Have a look here:

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

(And for the other tests you mention.)

I would also be very keen to know that you had been tested for vitamin B12.

Rod

[Hidden]

Hi Eve,

Do you have you full blood count results? Haemoglobin etc.

>it took months to get it to 37 that reading was july 12,gp took me off iron and had more b/tests done april 13,

Your ferritin was 37 on July 12th last year? Ok, that's fairly normal. What was your ferritin this April? Just wanted to clarify the dates because you didn't post a ferritin level for this year.

Low ferritin is the most useful indicator of iron deficiency, except when a major inflammatory disorder is present. (An example of an inflammatory disorder would be a serious infection; mild well-controlled asthma does not count). This is because severe inflammatory conditions increase blood levels of ferritin even when iron-deficiency is present.

Surprisingly, serum iron concentration is not a very useful test for iron deficiency, except in special clinical circumstances. Although your serum iron is within range, this is not particularly revealing. Similarly, your normal transferrin saturation index does not rule out deficiency. Neither of these tests are commonly performed in the evaluation of mild anaemia. They are both more useful when iron overload is suspected!

Your high transferrin level is suggestive of deficiency - and so I would except your ferritin to be a bit on the low side. Do you have your ferritin result from April?

Iron deficiency can cause breathlessness if anaemia is present (due to low haemoglobin). There seems to be a weak link between mild 'non-anaemic' iron-deficiency and tiredness, but I'm not sure about breathlessness.

As a side note. Iron is rather interesting. It's vital for health on the one hand, but too much iron is toxic. Excessive ferritin levels are undesirable (high ferritin either being the result of iron overload or inflammation). Iron overload is more common in men, and usually has a genetic basis, hereditary haemochromatosis.... it is less common in women due to menstrual blood loss.

Bob.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for reply, my first ferritin b/t was 11,second was 37 and last one in april was 28 was told to stop iron when reading was 37 as dr wanted to check for other things it was the transferrin test that came back hi, have read this can be due to inflammation and l do get hip pain and big toe joint pain also have tendonitis in my shoulder, so l got appt yesterday with gp who said my iron (hb, mcv,and mch were all in the well within upper range,vit d 44, did good examination and was reassuring, but with ferritin at 28 and if it is inflammation making serum ferritin hi l feel perhaps l should take some spa tone to see if l feel better, its such a minefield is,nt it, wishing you well eve.