SeasideSusie , or anyone with iron experience, I've just had an iron panel run by the GP as part of tests for Atrial Fibrillation. What do you think of my iron results now and do you have any advise? I still take 1 Cytoplan iron capsule a day with vitamin C and eat blood products as often as I can.
Serum ferritin 48.6 micro/L (10 - 200)
Serum folate 15.1 micro/L (3.0 - 20.0)
Serum iron level 16.3 micro/L (11 - 30)
Serum transferin 3.17 g/L (1.8 - 3.6)
Transferrin saturation inked 23% (16 - 50)
Optimal iron results are:
Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range (higher end for men) and yours is 29% through range
Transferrin: Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, high in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron and yours is 76% through range so suggests you need to supplement
Saturation: 35 to 45%, higher end for men and yours is 23% so it's low
Ferritin: Low level virtually always indicates need for iron supplementation and yours is only 20% through it's range
Cytoplan wholefood iron contains 5mg iron per capsule, their Iron/Molybdenum contains 10mg iron per capsule. If you were prescribed iron by your GP then each tablet would contain between 65 and 70mg elemental iron. So there is room to increase your iron capsules if you wish. And if it was me I would continue eating liver, maximum 200g per week.
Iron is complicated and I'm not advising you what to do, this is just what I would do if it was me.
Your folate level is good, recommended is at least half way through range and yours is 71%.
Thanks Susie. You seem to really understand iron from experience, which is good. I'm not expecting you to tell me what to do, but having the benefit of experience is valuable. I am getting to the end of the pot of capsules so I think I will replace with the 10mg option and take 2 a day, perhaps 3 a day and retest after a couple of months. The folate is probably OK because of the vitamin B complex.
Is there a better brand of iron capsule I could be taking or is Cytoplan OK? I was worried that my ferritin would come out even lower than this because I've had a lot of trouble with bleeding on HRT for 6 months. I'm glad it's stayed as good as it has. I am seeing my HRT doctor in a couple of weeks and she was a GP until she left the NHS last year so I might ask if she can prescribe me something stronger for a while. I really want optimal iron sorting out now. It could help me with my T3 journey and also help this horrible atrial fibrillation. It might also give me some energy.
Hi Fancy - It might be advisable to go back to your doctor to find out what sort of anaemia
you have. If it is to do with your immune condition with thyroid, it might be haemolytic
anaemia. If you have not had your B vitamins tested, you should have tests for a range of vitamin deficiencies. It may be due to the new medication with side effects.
If you have haemolytic anaemia B6 and B12 supplements are recommended. Bone marrow may not be producing enough haemoglobin cells so B6 especially helps to increase the red blood cells in the bone marrow. If you have any food intolerance such as wheat which you may not have been tested for, then some over the counter products may contain herbs and wheat, to which you might be sensitive to. Iron supplements which are just iron, with no coating can irritate the lining of the bowel. As your tests are lower than normal, I would go back and ask for vitamin level tests, as B12 and iron deficiency can be another sort of anaemia, corrected with B12 supplements and iron.
There is an enzyme condition called G 6 PD which may occur after taking a drug, which may be hereditary - but going back to the doctor for tests will help you understand if it is the hormones you are taking, or if it is another type of anaemia which needs different treatment. Natural foods to increase ferritin levels are found in beetroot and meat poultry and eggs. Ferritin is a protein which contains iron. When ferritin levels are too low it is a sign of low iron. Hope you get the right advice for your condition.
a-fib.com/faq-coping-with-a...
article by Steve Ryan PHD and information from Dr Jeff Whelchel may help.
healthyhormones.us/treatment-of-low-ferritin-levels
My active B12 is good. My b vitamins are good and supplemented anyway. My doctor has dismissed these readings as “fine” and isn’t interested. My iron struggles have been going on for a long time, my beta blocker, anticoagulant and blood pressure pills are less than 3 weeks and started after this blood test.
I have tried gluten free in the past with no improvement. I don’t think that’s got anything to do with it.
I have been given zero help with the DX of AF. Told over the phone and left with no help. I have asked for a cardiologist referral for some experienced help. Appointment is end of April. I have been distressed by the lack of GP interest in something that frightened me so much.
Drugs can sometimes affect your iron levels but if you still have swellings, you need blood tests to rule out infection, virus, or other diseases, and to find out what sort of anaemia it is. Could it be to do with gynaecology -fibroids or cysts? If you can have ultra sound on your neck and over pelvic area, this might help to see if you have any problems which may be affecting your kidneys, or ovaries. When you went gluten free did you have any other intolerance tests? I had ultra sound over my goitre and though my results were marginally low, I never went back as the junior registrar was implying I should have biopsies which I did not need. I have a nodular goitre, but it had not gone hyper. You had the partial thyroidectomy and it must have helped - so do you think you have a residual antigen problem? Antigen problems are associated with histamine response and can be triggered by certain foods such as banana and cheese which have a high histamine response. I found from food intolerance tests I had dairy egg and multigrain intolerances, with IBS but it has helped removing all those foods.
Suzycohen.com has a website where you might find out about histamine response which may be genetic. Now I have cut down on dairy my sinuses and ENT problems are better. It is like doing a jigsaw trying to match your symptoms and getting the tests you need. I need to lose a stone in weight and have type 2 diabetes but feel better than 2 years ago when I had a melanoma removed, which I had tried to get tests for on NHS but was ignored. The local pharmacy had introduced a photo scan which I had and was referred to the hospital for a biopsy, I thought all was well as had a large area of tissue
removed = but no - I had to go back again for another large chunk to get the beast out.
I do understand where you are coming from and hope you go back and ask for blood tests and referral to a haematologist.
I’ve never had a thyroidectomy. Where did you get that idea from? I don’t have swellings. I’ve not been diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditus either.
I’ve just had a set of bloods run. Nothing out of line other than the iron.
Hey cross read another page - page went on computer - glad you have sorted out your problem. I found a drop in pharmacy has helped if I ask if a drug has had an effect on my health - they will look up drug combinations for you and refer you back to the doctor. When you phone you can say your pharmacist has recommended you see someone about it. You are more likely to access treatment if someone else prompts you to go to your doctor. No need to reply.
Medichecks results re. Iron status - how do I maintain a good level?
Current status of NDT in the UK and what to say to my Dr.
do I need to stop Biotin containing supplements before a Blue Horizon iron status profile test? 
Iron supplements question
