I don't know how it is in the UK, but dealing with drs and lab tests here in the US can be highly frustrating. My Endo doesn't check for Ferritin, Iron, etc with my TSH tests. So I did them myself. I also have an acupuncturist who has been helping me as a functional dr since most Western Drs here don't know much about supplements. Below are my recent labs... I started 15 mg liquid iron since I had a low Ferritin level of 33 (range 16-288 ) and have hair loss. Of course the added Iron tweaked my TSH levels but after 8 weeks of iron supplementation, my Iron levels are lower!
I have no digestion problems, have no symptoms of anemia that I know of, but want to try more iron, yet my Primary Care Dr. insists I don't need it. I'm going to see her armed with as much info as I can (she wants me to do invasive procedures like endoscopy/colonoscopy to see if there is internal bleeding (have no symptoms). Any advice, feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'm on 75 mcg Synthroid and 2.5mcg T3....Endo wants me to take 1/2 pill of the 75 mcg one day a wk, while taking the regular 75mcg 6 days a week. I want to try more iron to get tested for that again, but know it's dangerous to get too much iron, which I don't think I'm in danger of since everything dropped since starting the 15 mg. of iron. I have Hashimoto with levels about 77.
Free T4 3.2 (1.4-3.8)
T3 Uptake 33 (22-35%)
T3 Free 3.5 (2.3-4.2)
T3 Total 120 (76-181)
T4 Total 9.8 (5.1-11.9)
TSH Here's the rub : .12 (.40-4.50) HAD BEEN 1.04 prior to iron supplement
IRON SATURATION 17% (16-45%)
FERRITIN 26 (16-288) HAD BEEN 33 PRIOR to iron supplementation
TIBC (binding capacity( 338 (250-450)
Total Iron 57 (45-160) HAD BEEN 121 PRIOR TO iron supplementation
Am I NUTS to say that my iron levels are low? I don't eat a lot of meat and barely gluten (so I'm not getting fortitifed wheat supplementation with iron)...I do eat lots of greens, sardines, turkey, etc. Started to eat a bit more meat. I'm baffled. My drs. hate when I tell them about support groups or research on the internet. My ENDO was telling me how important the TSH levels were...gave me the choice of not taking the 2.5 mcg T3 or lowering my Synthroid a notch. Didn't give a hoot about iron levels even though it was so OBVIOUS that the iron supplementation did something to my thyroid! Would it be dangerous to take another 15 mg of iron?? Not one dr so far has been able to tell me.
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bessygo
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Your iron levels will drop when you first start supplementing, because it has been deficient. It needs to be absorbed by all the tissues/ cells etc that haven’t been getting any for as long as it’s been deficient, therefore you won’t have that much ‘available’ or free in your blood when they test it! This is true for any vitamin or mineral that you’re deficient in and subsequently start supplementing.
This will then affect your thyroid hormone levels as they all need to be available to work together, that’s why it is essential that we try and get our hormones, vitamins and minerals into their “optimal” ranges rather than what the medical field class as “normal” ranges, as this is usually based on a ‘sick’ population anyway!!
Hope this helps and I haven’t confused things more.
Thanks so much. However, how long does the iron begin to settle? Why would a normal reading for my total iron DROP after starting iron supplementation? I wasn't deficient in that lab...would supplementing lower that as well? That is normal? I've been on the 15 mg iron supplement for 8 weeks. I would think that would be enough time for my other defiencent iron levels to rise, not fall. So, it seems from your feedback, I should wait before supplementing more iron? Is that why I don't have symptoms? Perhaps why my primary care physician keeps saying I don't need to supplement, which baffles me. Doesn't it seem like I need MORE supplementation?
I don't know much about supplementing iron but from what has already been suggested you may not have been taking it long enough to make a difference.
What I do know about iron though is that it needs to be taken at least 4 hours away from your thyroid medication so just wanted to check you are aware of that.
I have an iron deficiency. I take it going to bed away from my T4 and T3 medication. My dose is 210mg a day in tablet form. I take ferrous fumerate prescribed by my Dr.
I’m a vegetarian so I don’t get iron or B12 much from my food. I also have B12 shots every 3 months from my Dr. I guess this’ll be for life now.
I have a conversion issue. I can’t convery T4 to T3 very well. This is due to a faulty gene DIO2 which has recently be proven.
I do know that taking iron medication can interfere with your thyroid medications. Do you take it hours away from each other.
Ok, I believe I know the answer to this. You have to have enough stomach acid to digest iron from food and from your supplements. Low stomach acid will keep you deficient. Iron levels are also dependant on B12. Some people carry a MFTHR Gene and need to take a methylated B12 with folate. *Very important that it's folate and not folic acid!* If your iron is low you most likely have this. You can get a generic test done for MFTHR. You may have it but it may not be affecting you. (I think the term used is, " not expressing".)
Almost everyone with hashimotos has low stomach acid. Google bicarbonate of soda stomach acid test.
I'm increasing my stomach acid by taking betaine pepsin with every meal. I also have low ferritin that seems to get lower in spite of supplement!!! I'm hoping the betaine pepsin will make a difference.
FYI-Iron deficiency is
low serum iron, saturation, and ferritin, high TIBC.
Other scenarios where ferritin is low but the other things are high or normal indicate other things like parasites or heavy metals, which is why you have to look at ferritin with a full iron panel.
I had all my micro-nutrients tested and everything was in range.
So I am assuming my body is absorbing all my vitamins, minerals, etc.
I do drink 9.5 alkaline water and that may be reducing my stomach acid however it seems that my iron / ferritin is the only thing that skewed lower.
I had my MTHFR tested. I have "normal risk of hyperhomocysteinemia" Whatever that means.
Although I do not have celiac disease, I was told to go gluten free because I have Hashimoto with a count of 78 in my antibodies.
My Vitamin D was 53 (range 30-108), B12 was 968 (200-1100).
I have absolutely no digestive issues, no bloating, no gas, no acid reflux, etc.
Since this was the first time I had ferritin and TBIC, etc. tested I never knew about all this...would rather supplement and fix my iron then keep upping my thyroid meds.
The only symptoms I have (no fatigue, weakness, lack of energy, etc.) are: sometimes rapid heartbeat (I have nocturnal blood pressure dipping 85/66 so my heart beats faster) During the day, my b/p runs 105/75.
Other symptoms are sometimes, low body temperature, hair loss (scarring alopecia so may not have anything to do with ferritin?), irritability, foggy thinking/poor memory, depression, but all that could also be related to horrible insomnia.
It is frustrating as I said, since I really have no one to guide me. I'd like to take another 15 mg of liquid iron (the iron I take is highly digestible...and of course I don't take it anytime near any other supplements, nor Thyroid meds). I guess the only thing to do is try it and get blood tested again.
Here it's just as bad or worse; I'm doing private tests for Thyroid monitoring, hormones etc , costing me a fortune to try and sort my hypo symptoms....Am on the Iodine protocol a few years now; Apart for reverse T3 my levels are OK; I added T3 to lower the r T3 (was 16 at last blood test) To improve your iron levels I was told to eat steak 2 or 3 times per week....my Iron levels have been OK so I don't supplement with Iron (just occasionally eat steak / sometimes not even once a week) . I take a variety of supplements for the Iodine protocol , including others like B12 as a spray ; Good Luck to you
Hi bessygo, I to have had problems with iron starting 30 years ago. I am taking 65 mg elemental iron from 325 mg ferrous sulfate. This is a pretty standard over the counter dose. My iron saturation was 14% range 30 to 35%. I am in the US. Went to a blood Dr yesterday, my hemeglobin was 12.9, range 14 to 18%. Have to go back in a month, gave me a few reasons it could be low, said maybe will have to do a bone marrow sample, not sure yet. I said I feel OK. I take 150mg levo and 10mg liothyronine. My thyroid was removed during 6 years ago during parathyroid surgery, though it was functioning OK. A non compressive goieter. 2 of 4 parathyroids removed. Very small and behind the thyroid, controls calcium level. Only been taking iron reguarly for a couple weeks. My total iron was at very low end of normal range. Guess I will have to see how this plays out, I am 71 so probably older than you. Good luck, hang in there.
Thanks for your input. All the hematologists are oncologists so I don't know if this is something I should even see someone about since my symptoms are not so bad (see my reply to Chicken Lady). My levels are on the lowest of the ranges, not under. Someone on this post said that it is natural for iron to go lower when beginning supplementing, but I don't know if that is medically true. Haven't researched that one yet.
My Dr. said nearly all blood drs are cancer drs so don`t be alarmed. I have what is called a m-spike but if I had cancer there would be another spike I don`t have. So guess I will have to wait and see what developes. I have what is called normocytic anemia. I think this can cause inflamation and RA. reumatoid arthritis.
Iron supplements are non-heme iron so require conversion for our cells to absorb it. I do as Seaside Susie recommends and eat ( lamb's ) liver as it is heme iron that contains lots of useful cofactors like vitamin a, b vitamins like niacin and also copper (calves liver is even better for vitamins, but I don't eat beef) . With non-heme iron you do, as a previous poster has pointed out, need at the very least a good acid stomach. Non heme iron that does not get absorbed will feed bad gut bacteria in the small intestine. Too much of those guys could cause leaky gut and ironically make absorption worse.
With regards to your insomnia, if you are pre menopausal you may want to nip this in the bud by taking magnesium as the situation won't improve past menopause as we get very depleted in this mineral post 50 and it is essential to prevent bone loss and generally prevents anxiety. Read Dr Carolyn Dean's Magnesium Miracle for more information.
Thanks. I take the best magnesium ( a powder that is the best absorbed) 200 mg at night as well as 200 mg during the day. Insomnia is psychophysiologic (have to sleep with head raised, advanced glaucoma, etc.) Magnesium, melatonin, gaba, nothing helps. Know a lot of women my age (64) who have major sleep problems.
Sorry to hear about your glaucoma. If magnesium isn't working by itself it may be worth a try adding in p5p (absorbable b6) and zinc as I believe together they may help in magnesium absorption and stop a racing mind. I tried things like 5htp which was hopeless and extra taurine which was quite good, but it was Magnesium in combination with p5p and zinc that helped the most for insomnia. Post menopause our bodies need more persuasion to take up minerals. I have found p5p works and zinc (in moderation as it needs to be balanced with copper). Also some minerals may help with your iron absorption issues as being too low (or high) in either copper or zinc can prevent uptake?
People with MTHFR defects are often very deficient in B6 (as well as b12 or folate).
I believe ferritin fluctuates depending on one’s menstrual cycle. I know my ferritin is lower soon after having my period. Not sure if this applies to you but just a thought.
My suggestion would be to take liver powder as liver in dessicated form at heme-type iron and see if your iron levels improve. 15mg is not that much. You need to be much higher. And make sure you take any iron 4 hours after you take your thyroid meds.
Ferrous sulfate is one of the iron salts that are prescribed by doctors as iron supplements.
The full list of iron salts I'm familiar with (in tablet form) are :
Ferrous sulfate
Ferrous fumarate
Ferrous gluconate
Ferrous bisglycinate
Note the word "ferrous" may be substituted in some products with the word "iron" e.g. iron bisglycinate instead of ferrous bisglycinate. But they are the same thing.
When taking iron salts the total amount per pill of pure (or elemental) iron in the product will be stated somewhere on the packaging, and is very important. This can vary enormously, from 5mg to 100mg per pill.
The maximum dose (very roughly) of elemental iron (from iron salts) that people can take per day is 200mg of iron.
I took iron salts to raise my iron. This was several years ago and was before I discovered there were more palatable alternatives that work for some people.
I was taking ferrous fumarate 210mg, one tablet three times a day, for 21 months, then dropped to a maintenance dose. I didn't absorb iron very well. Taking the ferrous fumarate for 21 months raised my ferritin to mid-range, while my serum iron was still only about 20% of the way through the range. Each pill that I took contained 69mg of pure iron, so three a day contained 207mg of iron. My doctor prescribed this for the first two months, then I was left to my own devices. I bought my own pills and paid for my own testing.
...
Forms of iron which can be taken to raise iron and ferritin levels :
Note that iron and ferritin levels should be tested regularly while supplementing because iron is poisonous in overdose.
Note that some people can end up with high ferritin while serum iron stays low. And some people can end up with high serum iron while ferritin stays low. This is why it is important to know both ferritin and serum iron.
Thank you. As I said, I was taking Liquid Iron as Ferric Pyrophosphate which I bought from a Functional Dr because it is very gentle and easy to digest. It says 15 mg Iron. I also have a capsule of 18 mg Iron from Ferrochel Iron Bisglycinate in a capsule form. I don't take them any time near Thyroid Meds nor other supplements. I think I will take another 15 mg of the Liquid iron since my levels are low and of course no doctor has advised me. I will get my labs retested in 6 weeks. I stopped the Iron 3 days prior to my last labs.
I hope your levels start to improve soon. As I said I was taking 207mg of pure iron per day for nearly two years, so your dose isn't even slightly high.
It is actually best to stop iron supplementing for 7 days before testing.
Thanks....well since I stopped the iron 4 days before labs and they still went down....my Dr finally called and told me to supplement another 15mg every other day. MMMM. I think they're very scared of iron overload.
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