Serum ferritin low, iron ok

[hoalarg]

Is it possible to supplement one and not the other?

My partner's ferritin is low end 34ng/ml range is 20-204ng/ml. Has anyone else had this, and if so how did you deal with it? Where about should we ideally be seeing ferritin in the range?

Many thanks

[Inana]

I have this. I am taking a minimum of 300mg of Ferrous Fumarate with 1500mg of Vitamin C daily. On this regimen I have increased my ferritin from 12.2 to 52.8 in 4.5 months. From what I have read here, the goal should be between 70 and 90.

Also, to supplement Ferritin you need to take iron, Ferrous Fumarate is the iron to take. Worked wonders for me.

[hoalarg in reply to Inana]

Thanks for the message. So will this still raise her overall iron levels too or just ferritin?

[Inana in reply to hoalarg]

It will raise everything somewhat. Think of iron as the food at dinner ready to eat, and think of ferritin as the house's groceries, food in the fridge and in the pantry. Ferritin is like the iron stores, and iron is the food right in front of you ready to be eaten.

The more food stored, the longer there will be food to be eaten, more dinners to be had. So, the iron might remain at a good level, or better level (better meals) but generally the human will be richer as there will be more stores of iron.

[bluebug in reply to hoalarg]

Over the years I've had:

1. low ferritin and in range (over 120g/l) haemoglobin, and,

2. ferritin over 70 and below range haemoglobin,and,

3. low ferritin and below range haemoglobin.

(Now I'm more likely to have the second due to heavy periods.)

You can raise one without the other when taking iron tablets. You can also raise both if you need to but your haemoglobin will rise faster. (While this is a chemistry article it explains about ferritin - chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev... )

To raise ferritin alone take 1 ferrous fumerate with vitamin C twice a day, and to raise haemoglobin or both I take 1 ferrous fumerate with vitamin C thrice a day.

The ferrous fumerate I take is 210mg and contains about 65-70mg of elemental iron.

[hoalarg]

Thank you very much for your quick replies. I will get some ferrous fumarate and get her to take it with vit c twice a day so only her ferritin is raised. Here iron is near the top of range so don't want that to change much.

[greygoose in reply to hoalarg]

Don't worry about that. As Inana said, ferritin is the stored iron, and the body takes iron out of it, and puts it back, as needed. If you have inflammation, for example, the body will put the iron back into storage, and when the inflammation has gone, take it out again. To a great extent, the body is self-regulating. But, you have to keep those iron stores optimal, so there's always iron when the body needs it.

[hoalarg]

Thank you very much for your quick replies. I will get some ferrous fumarate and get her to take it with vit c twice a day so only her ferritin is raised. Here iron is near the top of range so don't want that to change much.

[gucia6 in reply to hoalarg]

Hi,

just wanted to ask how is it now?

Did taking ferrous fumarate improve ferritin withouf raising serum iron levels?