Ferritin level

[fosterkit]

I was diagnosed with secondary hypothyroidism 2 years ago and have finally got my t4 and t3 to a decent level. Low vit D and B12 have increased thanks to supplements but ferritin is a problem. Mine was 22 last year (range 12-290), the year before that 28. Now after taking iron supplements for 7 months it has zoomed all the way up to 34. Wow! My endo seems to think that's ok because it's within range, but I'd like it to be optimal. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding iron supplements?

[humanbean]

What type of supplement were you taking and at what dose?

[fosterkit in reply to humanbean]

Ferrous sulphate ( I think it was 200) for 3 months prescribed by endo and since then ITC ferroglobin which I take with chewable vit C.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to fosterkit]

I have always thought that it is vitamin C as ascorbic acid that helps with absorption of iron. At least some chewable vitamin C products have one of the salts of ascorbic acid (e.g. sodium ascorbate) which just might not have the desired effect.

I'd be delighted if anyone knows for sure if that is the case would please respond?

Also, how much iron does feroglobin contain? I suspect much less than the ferrous sulphate.

[fosterkit in reply to helvella]

Thanks, helvella, I didn't know that. Might try a different form of it.

[humanbean in reply to fosterkit]

Mine was 22 last year (range 12-290)

Now after taking iron supplements for 7 months it has zoomed all the way up to 34.

How many tablets were you taking per day?

The British National Formulary has information telling doctors about dosing iron supplements (and other prescribed drugs). But it seems to have become ridiculously mean about iron supplements since I last read it.

bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-s...

bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/ferrou...

The above link suggests that you be prescribed one ferrous sulfate tablet per day for prophylactic use - which means it is intended to maintain the level you currently have. To increase the level of iron in your body you would need the therapeutic dose which is dosed at 1 tablet two or three times per day. It specifically mentions iron-deficiency anaemia as being a prerequisite for prescribing, thus suggesting that only anaemic people would ever need to raise their iron, which is absolute nonsense.

You might find this helpful :

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

...

I had below range iron, and ferritin which was just above the bottom of the range, several years ago. I got one prescription [for ferrous fumarate 210mg, one tablet three times per day] from my doctor then started treating myself with supplements I bought without a prescription, although they were the same product my doctor originally prescribed. This one :

waltonpharmacy.co.uk/images...

I had to take the equivalent of 207mg pure iron per day for 21 months, in three divided doses, to get my ferritin up to mid-range. I continue to do my own iron testing fairly regularly, and I take a maintenance dose to stop my ferritin dropping like a stone.

Now that I've read the current instructions to doctors for low iron, and seen what your levels are, and how long you supplemented for, I doubt you will ever get a sufficiently generous prescription for long enough to improve your iron. So, you would have to make a decision to test and treat yourself, or continue to have low levels of iron permanently.

[fosterkit in reply to humanbean]

Thanks for the links. I'm beginning to think that self-treatment and self-testing is the way to go when it comes to supplements, especially iron. I was prescribed one tablet a day and the result showed that that did little more than maintain an already low level. If I hadn't taken an OTC supplement I doubt if my level would have gone up at all. I don't understand why doctors seem happy to settle for the lowest possible level - I bet they wouldn't if they were on the receiving end! Just checked the Walton Pharmacy link and I have one question - do you know which is more effective, ferrous sulphate or ferrous fumarate?

[humanbean in reply to fosterkit]

do you know which is more effective, ferrous sulphate or ferrous fumarate?

Whichever one you can tolerate best, is the honest answer. I can't tolerate the sulfate, but can cope with ferrous fumarate. Some people are the other way around.

[fosterkit in reply to humanbean]

Thanks humanbean. And thanks for your time. I've had so much more help from this forum than I have ever had from doctors!

[humanbean in reply to fosterkit]

You're welcome.

[Serendipitious in reply to humanbean]

Yes same here. Sulphate caused constipation whereas Fumarate I could manage.

A lot of people in the Hashimoto’s 411 Facebook group say that conventional iron treatments are harmful especially at high doses and many of them recommend something food based like Blood Builder by Mega Food:

MegaFood, DailyFoods, Blood Builder, 90 Tablets amazon.co.uk/dp/B000F4ZRCC/...

I’ve only just started taking this so cannot say if it’s effective. My Ferritin is also around 20. I tested in December 2019.

[humanbean in reply to fosterkit]

Don't forget, if you start self-treating you must test every 6 - 8 weeks at least until you know how well you absorb the iron. Iron is poisonous at high levels.

[fosterkit in reply to humanbean]

I will, I'll use medichecks.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

fosterkit

Were your iron tablets prescribed?

How many?

Are you taking them with Vit C to aid absorption?

A good way of raising ferritin is 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...

I raised mine from about 39 to 119 by eating approx. 120-140g liver per week, it took a few months but it's a good way to do it, liver contains other vitamins as well, it's a good, all round, superfood.

[fosterkit in reply to SeasideSusie]

I was prescribed 3 months of ferrous sulphate by the endo and then I took OTC feroglobin for 4 months which I took with vit C for absorption. I eat liver a couple of times a month but will try increasing it because increasing ferritin from 39 to 119 is impressive! Trouble is I think I'm the only one in the house who really likes it. Anyway, thanks Seaside Susie - you've given me hope!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

No, it doesn't have to be beef liver, which I think is one of the stronger tasting ones. I use lamb's liver but chicken liver has a bit more iron content than lamb's liver from what I've read.

Some people cut it up into small, tablet size pieces and freeze it, then swallow them like tablets. I suppose you could cook it first then freeze it, or freeze it raw if you fancy trying to cut raw liver that small. If you did that then I'd say take 20g daily, that would give 140g a week and that's the amount I used to raise my ferritin level.

What I find tastiest is to do a sort of stir-fry - onions, peppers, any other veggies you fancy, thin strips of liver (certainly no bigger than your little finger), cook all that in one pan, only takes a few minutes. Cook some rice and maybe some peas, add them to the pan, lots of colour and flavours in one big messy meal with lots of different flavours.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to SeasideSusie]

You can also buy dessicated liver tablets

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Yes, I tried some desiccated beef liver capsules, unfortunately they didn't do much to help my level so I went back to eating liver (liver is cheaper too )

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to SeasideSusie]

I remember them being very fart-inducing, too