Quick question around Serum Ferritin and B12

[Auntbessy]

Hi I just wanted to check whether people thought my results were low or OK?

Serum Ferritin is 21ug/L range is 10-300

B12 is 251 range is 180-1000

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Obviously both are very low

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

When were thyroid levels tested?

[Auntbessy in reply to SlowDragon]

My thyroid levels seem to be good TSH 0.4

I've started taking ingennous B12 and B vits as the other brand I was taking didn't seem to do anything really. I've been exploring whether I have Pernicious Anemia but the GP doesn't think I have it. I have raised MSH and my MSV is in the upper range. The intrinsic factor antibody test came back negative.

I am usually on iron supplements but the GP said I didn't need them anymore as my levels were good. I had to stop taking them back in December as my blood results revealed I had reached iron saturation. I argued they were pretty low but I just wanted to check with someone else before I start supplementing again!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Auntbessy]

So you need FULL iron panel test ...it’s possible to have high iron and low ferritin

@humanbean is mine of info on iron and ferritin

[Auntbessy in reply to SlowDragon]

I imagine I will need to do this privately as the GP doesn't believe there is an issue?

[humanbean]

Serum Ferritin is 21ug/L range is 10-300

Your ferritin (iron stores) result is approx 4% of the way through the range. I try to keep my own ferritin level at around 50% of the way through the range. There is no way that you have reached "saturation" with that level.

The problem with treating a ferritin level is that iron exists in the bloodstream too, separately from ferritin, and to feel well people need both serum iron and ferritin to be right for them. It is not safe to have an extremely high ferritin level, nor is it safe to have an extremely high iron level. Both iron and ferritin are poisonous in very high levels because they can deposit iron in places it was never intended to be.

In a healthy body with no iron or ferritin issues the body moves iron backwards and forwards between iron and ferritin as needed. So, if you had a good level of serum iron then any iron you took in (from your diet) should end up in ferritin. If you have a period (for example) and need more serum iron your body would take it from your ferritin and put it into serum iron. As far as I'm aware the movement of iron into and out of ferritin goes on as necessary all the time.

For info on iron and ferritin, please read this thread :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

For info on optimal levels of iron and iron-related measures :

rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...