Need help with weird iron blood test results - Thyroid UK

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Need help with weird iron blood test results

Bluemallers profile image
4 Replies

Hi

I've been hypo for about 2 years and am now on 175mcg thyroxine with a suppressed TSH of 0.03. I've had ongoing issues with very low ferritin which doesn't rise much on supplementation. My levels from last week's blood test were:

Ferritin 19ug/L 9 (15-200) LOW

Iron 39umol/L (10-30) ABNORMALLY HIGH

Transferrin Saturation 60% (10-30) ABNORMALLY HIGH

Transferrin 2.60g/L (2.00-4.00)

Haemoglobin 151g/L (115-165)

However my levels from 6 months ago were:

Oct 2014:

Ferritin 9ug/L (15-200) ABNORMALLY LOW

Iron 17umol/L (10-30)

Transferrin Saturation 23% (25 - 50) LOW

Transferrin 2.90g/L (2.00- 4.00)

Haemoglobin 138 (115-165)

Does anyone have any idea what this could mean? I've been supplementing between these blood tests (and stopped a good month before test) and i've got no idea why my iron and transferrin saturation have rocketed whilst i remain still very low on ferritin. My haemoglobin is also higher than its ever been. Also my bilirubin has gone high and my platelets drop every time I have a blood test (currently 122).The GP asked me if I was 'viral' when I had my test done. I had no idea what she meant.

Sorry for all the results - I'd appreciate your take on my results.

Thank you very much.

x

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PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja

When your GP asked if you were viral he was probably just asking if you had a virus like a cold as this can affect results.

Are you taking B vitamins with your iron? You seem to be absorbing the iron but not storing it very well for some reason. I remember Helvella saying that vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is needed for storing iron. My uncle has the same problem and was told by his GP to eat marmite and other sources of B2 so this seems like something a good doctor is aware of. Clearly you are absorbing the iron so perhaps a lack of B vitamins is preventing storage of that iron.

I imagine there are possibly other reasons for inability to store iron effectively but that is certainly one worth considering.

I hope you find the reason. Your ferritin is awfully low.

Bluemallers profile image
Bluemallers in reply to PinkNinja

Hi Carolyn - thank for replying it's much appreciated. I'll look into the b2. Vitamin - I do take a b12 recommended by other on this site but not separate b vitamins. What worris me is that my iron and transferrin saturation has rocketed all of a sudden after always being low like my ferritin. Also my platelets have dropped and dropped over the past year or so.

X

PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja in reply to Bluemallers

Did you stop taking your iron before the blood test? If not, that might have affected it.

A B complex would be a better idea than just taking B2 on its own. The B vitamins all work together.

I'll see if I can find anything about platelets and let you know.

Bluemallers profile image
Bluemallers

Hi Carolyn thanks so much for your help. I stopped taking all my vits and minerald over a month before the test so they wouldn't skew the results. I'm worries about supplementing again with high iron supplements as those iron panels have gone high. My bilirubin was also high. They've told me to go back in three months for more blood tests. All a bit of a mystery. I had no vital issues I was aware of last week when the blood was drawn. X

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