Please help interpret iron lab results

[Ocean2]

Could lovely people here help interpret my iron lab results?

Is my ferritin too high??

Should I stop supplementing?

*Ferritin is going high while iron is going low since supplementing.

WHY is saturation % going low (down from 25.8 to 18) since supplementing with iron?

P.s. PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENCE IN REFERENCE RANGES AS 2 DIFFERRNT LABS WERE USED.

March 2019 - I was not supplementing iron.

Nov 2019 - I have been supplementing with biocare liquid iron since Aug 2019.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Optimal iron results, according to web.archive.org/web/2018083... are:

Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men

In March it was 39.44% through range.

In November it was 11.67% through range.

Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men

In March it was 25.8%.

In November it was 18%.

TIBC: Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron

In March it was 68.69% through range.

In November it was 47.06% through range.

Ferritin: Low level virtually always indicates need for iron supplementation; High level with low serum iron/low saturation indicates inflammation or infection; High level with high serum iron and low TIBC indicates excess iron; Over range with saturation above 45% suggests hemochromatosis

In March it was 33.58% through range.

In November it was 31.92% through range.

Is my ferritin too high??

No, it's low in range. Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range.

*Ferritin is going high while iron is going low since supplementing.

Ferritin is lower now than the previous test. The ranges are different for each test, when ranges are different you work out the percentage through range your result is and compare that, not the actual result.

Calculator chorobytarczycy.eu/kalkulat...

March 2019 - I was not supplementing iron.

Nov 2019 - I have been supplementing with biocare liquid iron since Aug 2019.

Did you discuss your results with your GP before supplementing?

Did you not retest before supplementing rather than use results 5 months old?

Iron is complicated which is why you'll rarely see it recommended on the forum to take iron supplements.

It doesn't look as though your iron supplement has helped at all. Everything is worse now than before. I would maybe discuss these results with your GP. Be prepared for him/her to say everything is fine because they're within range.

[Ocean2 in reply to SeasideSusie]

SeasideSusie

Thanks so much. Your reply is incredibly useful.

I have had another test done since the last one posted here. Would really appreciate if you could take a look.

27 Jan 2020 - LATEST RESULTS

Ferritin - 85.4 (10 - 291 ng/ml)

iron - 66 (50 - 170 ug/dl)

TIBC - 436 (212 - 535 ug/dl)

Transferrin Saturation - 15 (13 - 45%)

I had stopped supplementing in the meantime since the previous results and the ferritin dropped further. Though TIBC has increased while Transferrin Saturation has further decreased.

Does this result tell you anything?

I was seeing a private naturopath and he suggested I supplement at the time, however I freaked out after seeing a Ferritin of 99 in Nov so I stopped. However I restarted since you pointed that Ferritin is actually low.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Ocean2]

I'm not an expert on iron, I can't tell you any more than the recommended levels I mentioned in my previous reply.

So you can see that your latest results show:

Serum iron is low at 13.33% through range

TIBC is quite high at 69.35% through range

Saturation is low at 15%

Ferritin is 26.83% through range

So your TIBC and Ferritin are suggesting that supplementation is required.

Please remember that I am not medically trained and my reply is based on the information given in the link I provided in my previous reply.

[Ocean2 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Dear SeasideSusie,

I would really appreciate your input on my very latest iron panel. Previously you've helped interpret the last 3 results on this thread so I thought best I post here so you can compare them.

---------------------------------------

18 Aug UK 2020 - UK LATEST RESULTS

Ferritin - 127 (13 -150 ug/L)

iron - 24.49 (5.8 - 34.5 umol/L)

TIBC - 65.79 (45 - 72 umol/L)

UIBC - 41.3 (24.2 - 70.1 umol/L)

Transferrin Saturation - 37.22 (20 - 50%)

CRP HS - 0.32 mg/L - <5

---------------------------------------

Is my ferritin too high now?? I am a bit concerned.

Note; the previous ferritin ranges were between 10 - 291ng/ml. This last one is 13 - 150 ug/L. And different labs were used; this latest one is done in UK by Medichecks whereas the 3 previous ones listed on this thread were done in India.

I have been supplementing with beef liver capsules when things were on the low side last time. I stopped them 10 days before bloods were drawn.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Ocean2]

Ocean2

I'd say Ferritin is good, I've seen it said that a good level for females is 100-130 and for males 150.

My surgery has a different range than Medichecks and I don't understand it as the unit of measurement is the same.

If you refer to the optimal levels suggested by rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_... which I posted above:

Serum iron is now 65.12% through range.

TIBC is now 77% through range.

UIBC is 37.25%.

Saturation is 37.22%.

You have a slightly mixed bag. Your ferritin, serum iron and saturation are good.

As for UIBC, according to rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_... low in range indicates that you may have too much iron in your blood which may be due to iron overload syndrome (hereditary haemochromatosis). High in range signifies iron deficiency. Yours is less than half way.

TIBC suggests supplementation is required.

If those were my results, I'd stop supplementing and maintain my ferritin level by eating iron rich foods.

Please remember I am not medically trained, this is purely my own interpretation based on my own experience and reading.

[Ocean2 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks so much. Always very helpful!