Is Iron a persistent deficiency with Hypothyroi... - Thyroid UK

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Is Iron a persistent deficiency with Hypothyroidism?

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5 years ago•11 Replies

I wanted to know If iron deficiency is a constant thing that I need to manage long term with hypothyroidism?

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11 Replies

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5 years ago

I can only point to my own experience. I decided to increase my meat intake until my iron was adequate. I eat much more than the dietary guidelines suggest. I have a friend with genetically high iron and he must be bled monthly to reduce his iron to a point where it isn't toxic - his blood is too high in iron so it is discarded.

I eat maybe 2-3 times the meant that is recommended and my ferritin is fine now. The rest hasn't been checked for a long time. I have had one period in the last year, so I kind of thought that maybe I could reduce my meat now, but not according to that blood test.

Maybe the dietary guidelines are inadequate? My cousin doesn't have hypo, but she does have low iron; my mum and I have hypo and have struggled with our iron for years - for me even before the hypo started.

in reply to 5 years ago

Yeah I understand the low iron struggle, as the low iron crux is taking supplement to improve it. I do have an impatience with taking high dose iron and vitamin c. I suppose it will pay off in the end.

in reply to 5 years ago

I have avoided supplements for years by improving my diet. The supplements were most unpleasant.

in reply to 5 years ago

I can agree iron supplements are egregious to me, but my doctor wants me to take them. Most medical advice was unanimous on iron supplements that the supplements are the best means to alleviate symptoms. I noticed no improvement with diet changes.

in reply to 5 years ago

Sorry to hear that. I would absolutely do what the doctor says but can I ask how much meat you eat?

in reply to 5 years ago

I don’t eat a lot of red meat. I eat a lot of mexican food and seafood.

in reply to 5 years ago

Ah, it was adding a lot of red meat that helped me.

I did have to take iron at one point, so I'm not against it at all! And I'd definitely do what the doctor says.

Kes85 years ago

Could be as hypothyroidism potentially reduces stomach acid which therefore potentially decreases absorption of iron.

5 years ago

I have been taking dried beef liver capsules for the past year, along with high doses of vit C to improve absorption. Still, my ferritin levels are low. The problem is my doctor will only test ferritin, not iron or TIBC. So not sure how reliable the ferritin levels are on their own.

Until last year I used to have very heavy periods so attributed my low iron ferritin levels to that. However, I have not had any periods for over six months (I'm 50) so expected them to look better, but labs from last week show no improvement.

My doctor has me on a prescription drug called Losferron which never did anything for me which is why I decided to try beef liver capsules instead.

I have Hashimoto's and am on NDT.

MaisieGray5 years ago

My own experience is 50 years of being a non-meat eater and 40 years being hypothyroid, with no problems of iron deficiency, so its not a given that there will be problems.

in reply to MaisieGray5 years ago

No, and there are certainly genetic variations that affect this.

I've known a couple of people who've had genetically high iron, both of whom had to give blood regularly (the man really often) to get iron down to a non-toxic level) - they'd both have done just fine as vegetarians from an iron point of view! There was my colleague being told she had to give blood regularly for safety, and me popping iron tablets. Sigh. If only we could have met in the middle!

Me (and my mum and other female family members, sigh), we've all struggled with our iron. Me, from long before I developed hypothyroidism, and at least three of them without hypo at all, so no, not always related to hypo.

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