Low Ferritin again!

[Mugs19]

I am at my wits end with this. Please try to help. I have been in pain and trying to be patient for months. Also I haven't had time to get my wits together and ask for help on here as my family commitments have been many and stressful. My son now has CRPS again and his doctors are being useless and obstructive. I was home schooling my granddaughter till March 8 which left me little time to see to myself. I haven't followed posts on here which always helps as I learn from advice given to others. To cap it all I developed a stress fracture in my lower leg six weeks ago and it took three weeks to get anyone to take notice and find out. Now I have an airtech boot on which I have to keep for another four weeks.

I have been using Pennyannie's recipe for liver pate and having a daily dollop. Also dark(90%) chocolate, two squares each evening. Unbelievably my ferritin level is the same as it was in December, no improvement at all. I seem to be a sinkhole for nutrients: my vitamin D levels were consistently falling on 3000iu daily so I upped the dose to 5000iu.

I am gluten free and lactose free. I am currently taking 112mcg liquid levothyroxine daily, reduced from 125 mcg on 9 Feb, following my January appointment. Also taking 600mg Etodolac(Lodine) K2 90mcg, Gopo (rosehip +vit C), Magnesium glycinate 200, Acidopholus Extra 10, 1 daily, selenium 200mcg. Turmeric 400mg x 3 daily.

Test Results: 10.12.20

Ferritin: 31 (10 - 291)

19 Jan 21

TSH 0.15 (0.35 - 5.5) , FT3 5.4 (3.5 - 6.5), FT4 24.9(10 - 20)

29 March

TSH 0.08 , FT3 5.6, FT4 22.2

Ferritin 31 (10 - 291), Folate 10.8 (more than 4), Vit D 130.3 (50 - 125),

Vit B12 459( (211-911)

I need to reduce my Vit D as it is now over range.

According to the last thyroid results I should be feeling very well but I don't: Constipated, cold ,exhausted, insomniac, tinnitus and deafness worsening, pain everywhere, Suspect damage now done to right shoulder and knees is permanent - the longer it goes on the less likely I am to have remissions or that they will be complete. Makes it difficult to be patient, but I had agreed in Jan with my lovely doctor, and following advice frequently given on here, not to change anything till my next appointment,

I have hung on in agony, hoping something would change and that maybe I could reduce Levo and add in a little T3, but I suspect my iron is too low and it would go wrong again. Doc said he's been letting me take the lead but now I don't know what to do he would have to go with the numbers of my last results sad say keep thyroid meds the same. He can't help me with my iron problem as supplements upset me too much and I end up with more pain. He doesn't think I'm anaemic because results of bloods done FBC etc on Oct 30 show my haemoglobin was 138g/L (115 - 165) which should be lower if I were Iron deficient>

I have since got a printout of these results and RBC was 4.84 (3.8 - 5.8) which is 52% through range BUT MCV was 87.1(84 - 105) 14% through range.

On 10 Dec Haemoglobin was 144 and MCV 86.8.

This doesn't really help me. I am totally bewildered and brain fog is hampering my processing all this. I am now experiencing periods of depression as well which I just cover up in front of my family. My long-suffering husband is showing the strain as he has issues of his own - he has had teeth extracted and dentures fitted and has wrenched his shoulder which isn't responding to physio. He has trouble sleeping too. Feel like putting a sign up over the front door, NESSUN DORMA, Next appointment with endo 18 May.

[pennyannie]

Hey there again :

I'm sorry things aren't getting ay better for you.

I believe you're ferritin was around 50 odd when we last spoke.

I think I mentioned then that I built up my ferritin from 22 with Solgar Gentle Iron + Spatone + eating liver twice a week and when " up " and at around optimum for me which seems to be at around 100 I maintain with the Asda chicken livers.

I don't know about blood RBC, FBC and MCV to understand why your ferritin has dropped, nor the interaction between your other medications.

The accepted conversion ratio when on T4 only is 1 / 3.50 - 4.50 T3/ T4 with most people preferring to be at around 4 or under:

So if I divide your T3 into your T4 I get 4.60 in January and then 4.0 in March :

Whilst your T4 is still slightly over range in March your conversion of T4 into T3 is slightly better on paper, though doubt enough to make a significant to you.

I think since you have had RAI in the past and your thyroid disabled you would probably do better on a T3/T4 combo or switching to full spectrum thyroid hormone replacement.

[Mugs19 in reply to pennyannie]

Thankyou for your kindness in trying to help me.. I tried spatone but it didn’t help. It didn’t upset me either but that might be because there is only 5 mg in each dose. I will look at solgar and try eating liver at meals more often. Best wishes, it is encouraging that you have got it right.

[pennyannie in reply to Mugs19]

Yes, of course, Spatone alone isn't the answer, and as I said before I was taking a combination of three different supplements when my ferritin was low and it took over a year to build up from 22 to around 70.

I'm sorry i haven't more knowledge to share with you :

[humanbean]

So, can you give us a list of the iron supplements you've tried?

I agree with you that Spatone is unlikely to raise a low level very far, or at all.

There are quite a lot of different types of iron supplement. I described as many as I could think of at the time in this reply to someone else :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Mugs19 in reply to humanbean]

Thankyou for this information. I will try to digest it all tomorrow when I get chance. I can’t tell you what I have had in the past, only that it was what doctors have prescribed for me and usually in 200 mg pills or capsules. Does the addition of vitamin C help to make it more tolerable as well as better absorbed? When I have reacted badly , most doctors just tell me to eat more dilates and iron rich foods.Thankyou again for your information and at this time of day. You are all amazing

[Mugs19 in reply to Mugs19]

Should read more folates.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Mugs19]

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[minus]

Turmeric takes iron from the body and can make you anaemic.

[Mugs19 in reply to minus]

Thankyou for alerting me to this. Such a long time after my original post as well. Looking into it ASAP.