Factors Affecting Iron Test Results

[Sami-M]

On having bloods for Iron studies Panel, following 4 Tests:

Serum Transferrin

Iron Serum

Total Iron Binding Capacity

Ferritin

Twelve hours fasting is mandatory. Can anybody advise how many days prior to blood draw one should stop ferrous supplementation in order not to affect test results ?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

I read that it should be a week. Also, don't eat liver or high iron foods for a few days.

[Sami-M in reply to SeasideSusie]

Many thanks.

Grateful for any advice on my last Iron Panel, October 2018. My dosage since October has been 65mg (elemental iron) Ferrous Fumarate, once daily for last 3 months. I suspect it may not have been sufficient. I believe I should have been taking double the dose ? I’m due to take the iron panel again in a fortnight and just curious as to the results.

OCT 2018 RESULTS :

Iron Serum 68 60 - 180 ug/dl

Tot Iron Binding Cap. 341 250-450 ug/dl

% Saturation 20 20-50 %

Ferritin 22.9 13 -150 ng/ml

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Sami-M]

I can't say how much you should be taking, iron is complicated and I don't know enough about treating it.

Those results are obviously not good with very low serum iron, saturation and Ferritin. They should hopefully be improved now, you'll have to see what the results are like after this new test.

Was a full blood count done as well? If so did it suggest iron deficiency anaemia?

These are the optimal levels for an iron panel :

rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...

[Sami-M in reply to SeasideSusie]

Brilliant link, Excellent!

FULL BLOODS: OCT 2018

Hemoglobin 13.1 12-15 g/dl

Red B. Cell Count 4.21 3.8-4.8 mil/uil

White B. Cell Count 4.5 4-10 thou/ul

Platelet Count 271 150-410 thou/ul

Hematocrit 38.4 36-46 %

MCV 91.2 83-101 fl

MCH 31.1 27-32 pg

MCH Concen. 34.1 31.5-34.5 g/dl

Red Cell Dist Width 12.9 11.6-14%

Mean Platelet Vol 10.2 6.8-10.9 fl

Neutrophils 49 40-80 %

Absolute Neut. Count 2.2 2-7 thou/ul

Eosinophils 2 1-6 %

Abs. Eos. Count 0.09 0.02-0.5 thou/ul

Lymphocytes 43 .HIGH. 20-40 %

Abs. Lymph. Count 1.94 1-3 thou/ul

Monocytes 6 2-10 %

Abs. Mon. Count 0.27 0.2-1 thou/ul

Basophils 0 <2-2 %

Ab.Bas.Ct 0 .LOW. 0.02-0.10 thou/ul

Highly appreciate your input.