Ferrous Fumarate or Ferrous Gluconate?

[nellie237]

Hi,

I finally managed to get all my old blood results from my GP. I've only had ferritin tested X3 over the years, Range hasn't changed from 10-291ug/L

Nov 2007 24 (this was at Hashi's diagnosis)

Dec 2015 16

Jan 2021 15 (this was requested by me after coeliac diagnosis)

Dire aren't they?

The latest result is the only time I have ever been prescribed Iron supplementation, and was given Ferrous Fumarate 210mg X 2 per day. I took these religiously for 6 weeks, but then had to stop because of what the Acute Kidney Injury did to my gut. I asked my GP for an iron panel, but he would only agree to FBC.

FBC 15/03/21

Total White Cell Count (Range 3.2 - 10.5) 5.5

Red Blood Cell Count (3.6 - 4.9) 3.75

Haemoglobin Est (110 -153) 127

Haematocrit (0.32 - 0.44) 0.36

MCV (81 - 100) 96.4 (this is good verses history - taking folic acid 5mg)

MCH (27.3 - 34.8) 33.8

Platelet Count (120 - 400) 370

FBC 12/11/20 ( All my historical results look just like this

Total White Cell Count 4.4

Red Blood Cell Count 3.7

Haemoglobin Est 125

Haematocrit 0.38

MCV 98.7

MCH 33.9

Platelet Count 303

I am a bit of a carnivore, but now have to cut down on red meat (and no offal) due to the AKI.

After reading that Ferrous Gluconate is recommended by Thyroid UK as being kinder on the gut, I have asked my GP to prescribe instead of Ferrous Fumarate - and also said that I need to get the level up to between 70-90 (he mumbled about some conditions requiring it so I don't think he was particularly happy)

I have not seen much mention of Ferrous Gluconate on here, and am now wondering if I have been a bit hasty? Any comments appreciated.

humanbean

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Suggest you read posts and replies by humanbean on improving low ferritin

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first

Post discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Why low ferritin needs improving

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Obviously all your vitamins were being badly affected by undiagnosed coeliac disease

It will take at least a year for gut to recover once on absolutely strictly gluten free diet

Likely to need high levels of vitamin supplements.

See previous post has very low vitamin D

So presumably you are now supplementing vitamin D and magnesium

What about folate and B12 results

Are you currently taking any B vitamins

[nellie237 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon, Yes I'm sure that I'm deficient in everything its possible to be deficient in.

I took 40,000iu vit D for 5 weeks (then had to stop due to gut). I bought Magnesium Taurate 600mg + Vitabay K2-MK7 100mcg . I only managed a couple of the K2 because I was adding slowly.

Folate in Jan was 2.3 (range 3.4 - 12.2ug/L) and I've almost completed 2 mnths of 5mg folic acid. I can see that this has improved by my MCV results above. My historical folate results are even worse than the Iron.

B12 in Jan was 284 (range 211-911ng/L), I have been having injections at the surgery every 3 weeks.

I've got a blood form to re-test these 4 in 3 weeks.

I intend to start Igennus super B complex after the blood test. I need to halve the magnesium supplement (any suggestions very much appreciated), and take only a small amount of K2-MK7 (vit K is a bit of a rock and a hard place - its needed but can build up in the kidneys with ckd). Vit D - think I'm going to need quite a bit - am hoping that the GP will be helpful here, although I won't hold my breath.

My kidney function has improved from what would be stage 4 to stage 3a - so won't get to see a nephrologist (testing again next week), but is likely to drop again over the next 14 months apparently. I want to do all that I can now, but I need to be a bit cautious at the same time.

The only thing that really seems to have moved on the FBC is the platelet count. If anybody has experience of this I would be very pleased to hear.