Low iron

[infomaniac]

What's the best way to increase iron levels please? The last time my iron was checked it was slightly over the upper limit so it was a bit of a surprise to find out last week that it's now only just over the lower end of the scale. No idea how that happened! It may be the answer to a lot of questions: thinning, dry hair, palpitations, dizziness etc. so I'm keen to increase my levels ASAP.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Did you have a full iron panel done? Exactly how low is your level?

If you've only had ferritin tested then you shouldn't supplement with iron tablets until an iron panel and full blood count have been done to see if you have iron deficiency anaemia.

If it's just lowish ferritin (but not right down at the bottom of the range because low ferritin can suggest iron deficiency anaemia) then you can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet

apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

[infomaniac in reply to SeasideSusie]

No it was just a routine blood test. The range is 35-175 and mine is 43, so it's pretty low. I'm not 100% sure what's actually been tested as it's in Spanish and translates as "seric iron".

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to infomaniac]

Seric iron sounds more like serum iron than ferritin, they are two different things. Ferritin is the iron store.

I would try and find out for definite, whichever it is it's very low in range and I would want to know if I have iron deficiency anaemia.

[infomaniac in reply to SeasideSusie]

I think I will follow it up as there's no reason for mine to be low. Sadly the doctor pronounced everything as "fine" so I might be up against it

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Seaside Susie,

My ferritin has also dropped to 49.3 ug/L. I have been adding 14mg iron supplement x 3 week and posted yesterday to ask if liquid iron was more easily absorbed than tablets- I didn’t get a reply on this point, so would welcome your thoughts. I know it’s harder for me as I’m a pescatarian so can’t do the offal suggestion.

I also haven’t had a full iron panel done- I was hoping my supplementing would increase ferritin (but it’s actually 20ug lower than summer). If I ask my GP for iron panel, do I need to stop taking iron tablet’s for a while?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Buddy195]

When having an iron test we should stop iron supplements and high iron foods, for 7 days beforehand. Also, we should fast for 12 hours before the blood draw so an early morning test is preferable.

I'm afraid I can't make any suggestions regarding iron supplements. Iron is complicated and if you already have a decent amount of serum iron then taking supplements could push that too high so I am not in a position to suggest anyone takes iron supplements. If an iron panel and full blood count suggest iron deficiency then it's for the GP to address this.

As you are a pescatarian and don't want to eat liver then you'll need to look into other high iron foods. I used to be pescatarian but decided, when I found my Ferritin was low and couldn't cope with iron tablets, then I decided my health came first and added liver to my diet.

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you (as always!) for your advice. Will definitely speak to GP about full iron test & follow your advice to stay off iron supplements 1 week before / fast prior to test.

[RockyPath in reply to Buddy195]

Buddy195,

Each person is as unique as a snowflake, but I can tell you the functional nutritionist whom I’ve been seeing advised 50 mg per day of iron bisglycinste, taken with 500 mg of Vitamin C on an empty stomach, and four hours from thyroid hormone.

Two months on this protocol barely made a dent in my iron lab results (plasma iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin), all of which were in the bottom quartile.

I also don’t eat land-based creatures, so for me 50 mg is likely a maintenance dose of iron bishlycinate.

[Sus64 in reply to RockyPath]

Does the nutritionist tell you to go off the iron for 1 week prior to testing or do you test to see how much of the supplement seems to be working? I don't understand why you should go off the iron for testing. I'm trying to raise my ferritin and not having much success.

[RockyPath in reply to Sus64]

The only place I’ve heard a suggestion to stop ahead of testing was here.

The nutritionist had no opinion, and referred me to my physician.

I asked the endocrinologist I last saw and she only asked for me to avoid biotin. She wasn’t concerned about supplemental iron skewing the results.

I’m really not sure how much anybody knows. It seems to be a lot of guessing.

🙄

[Sus64 in reply to RockyPath]

Ok, thanks very much for your input.