Ferritin

[Emerald8]

Ferritin 15 ng/L (15 - 150)

If I have heavy periods each month what do I need to do about this level please?

Thank you.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Emerald8 You need to discuss it with your GP. Ask for a full iron panel to see if there is any iron deficiency. You should have either an iron infusion or be prescribed iron tablets. Take each tablet with 1000mg Vit C to aid absorption and to help prevent constipation. If you eat liver once a week this will help to raise ferritin. Liver is a superfood and contains more vitamins and minerals that most of us realise chriskresser.com/natures-mo...

The recommended level is half way through range, with a minimum of 70 for thyroid hormone to have any chance of working.

Have you also had Vit D, B12 and folate tested?

[Emerald8 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for this, I don't eat liver every week. Haematologist thinks my hypothyroidism is causing the heavy periods.

Folate 2.1 ng/L (4.6 - 18.7)

Vitamin B12 241 pg/L (190 - 900)

Total 25 OH vitamin D 25.5 nmol/L (25 - 50 vitamin D deficiency. Supplementation is indicated)

Taking 5mg folic acid and 800iu D3 and they are prescribed to me.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Emerald8]

Emerald8 If you increase your liver intake to once a week, maybe twice, put it in everything meaty and have liver and onions if you like it, it will help. I believe the maximum recommended is 200g per week.

**

Folate 2.1 ng/L (4.6 - 18.7) 5mg folic acid

Vitamin B12 241 pg/L (190 - 900)

How long have you been taking the folic acid?

As your folate is absolutely dire, I suggest you take these results over to the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum here on Health Unlocked for further advice. They are the experts and can give you guidance.

Your B12 is way too low. Do you have any symptoms of B12 deficiency? You can check them here b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

Mention everything on the PA forum.

healthunlocked.com/pasoc

**

Total 25 OH vitamin D 25.5 nmol/L (25 - 50 vitamin D deficiency. Supplementation is indicated) - 800iu D3 prescribed

Well, 800iu D3 isn't going to ever raise your level. It is hardly a maintenance dose for someone with a reasonable level.

NICE treatment summary for Vit D deficiency:

"For the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the recommended treatment is based on fixed loading doses of vitamin D (up to a total of about 300,000 international units [IU]) given either as weekly or daily split doses, followed by lifelong maintenance treatment of about 800 IU a day. Higher doses of up to 2000 IU a day, occasionally up to 4000 IU a day, may be used for certain groups of people, for example those with malabsorption disorders.

Several treatment regimens are available, including 50,000 IU once a week for 6 weeks (300,000 IU in total), 20,000 IU twice a week for 7 weeks (280,000 IU in total), or 4000 IU daily for 10 weeks (280,000 IU in total)."

cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d...

Each Health Authority has their own guidelines but they will be very similar.

Go and see your GP and demand that he treats you according to the guidelines and prescribes a loading dose.

If you wish (and it might be a better idea) you can do it yourself with guidance from members. I got my Vit D level up from 15 to 200 in two a day a half months by buying my own softgels, taking a loading dose then a maintenance dose. I now maintain at around 150nmol/L. The recommended level is 100-150nmol/L.

D3 has important cofactors that are needed, read about them here vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...

D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems.

D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, four hours away from thyroid meds.

Magnesium comes in different forms, check here to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Emerald8]

That amount of D3 isn't going to do anything. It's not even enough to maintain the existing level for an adult - you need about 10000 iu for a few weeks, then 2000 or so. Your B12 and folate are both very poor - I'd nip across to the Pernicious Anaemia Society on HU for advice, as I doubt that the amount of folic acide you are taking wil do anything either, but I'm no expert.

[shaws Administrator]

Heavy periods are a clinical symptom of hypothyroidism and I'll give you a link for information:-

If you have had a recent blood test get a print-out from the surgery. If you haven't make a new appointment at the very earliest, fasting and allow 24 hour gap between last dose of levo and the test and take after test.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[bluebug]

You are in a catch 22 situation.

Until you cure your iron deficiency you will have heavy periods.

However curing your iron deficiency is difficult because most doctors don't recognise:

1. You need to sort out your hypothyroidism

2. You need to take iron tablets until your both your haemoglobin and ferritin levels are good within their range e.g. haemoglobin level over 13g/dL and ferritin mid-range. Most GPs will not prescribe for either of these as apparently if you are within range you have "good levels".

3. Once you sorted both out you need to keep an eye on ALL levels yourself and take proactive measures to ensure they don't fall again e.g. enough levo and maintenance doses of iron. GPs will not treat you to maintain your iron levels you need to learn to sort this out yourself.