These are my iron lab results today 🙏
Thoughts please & what supplements you recommend?
Serum iron level
10.7 umol/L Normal (range 10.7 - 32.2). Looks low to me??????
Serum transferrin
2.41 g/L Normal (range2.0 - 3.6)
Serum TIBC
55 umol/L Normal (range 45 - 75)
Transferrin saturation index
18 % Normal (range N/A)
Serum ferritin
60 ug/L Normal (range 11.0 - 306)
Katikoo,
Your iron levels are too low.
Every results corresponds to having insufficient iron. In an ironic way your results are good because everything should raise/lower inline with iron increases. For example some poor members have high iron but low transferrin, etc, which means getting iron to work properly is difficult no matter how adequate they gain their levels.
I don’t supplement iron but my answering your post will move it to todays Daily Feed where it will hopefully attract members comments who have experience of supplementing iron.
Have you had tests to eliminate anaemia?
Thank you for replying- I went back to my GP when I got these results to say although in range they look low to me but was told it’s all fine - so thought I’d come on here. Funny you should also say about anaemia because I have also checked my eyes and they looked a bit pale to me. I’ve been losing hair so had asked for these bloods. I’ve never had low iron before so needed guidance on supplements. Thank you again for bumping my post x
Serum iron level 10.7 umol/L Normal (range 10.7 - 32.2). Bottom of range
Serum transferrin 2.41 g/L Normal (range 2.0 - 3.6) 25.63% through range
Serum TIBC 55 umol/L Normal (range 45 - 75) 33.33% through range
Transferrin saturation index 18 % Normal (range N/A)
Serum ferritin 60 ug/L Normal (range 11.0 - 306) 16.61% through range
Optimal levels are described in this link :
rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...
Iron - Optimal is described as
55% to 70% of the way through the range, higher end of that for men.
55% - 70% of the range (10.7 - 32.2) would give optimal results of (22.5 - 25.75). You need more iron.
Transferrin and TIBC - Optimal is described as :
Note - TIBC = Total Iron Binding Capacity
• Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron
• High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron
Yours are fairly low in range suggesting that you don't have the capacity for more iron.
Transferrin saturation index - Optimal is described as :
• optimal is 35 to 45%
• higher end for men
Yours is well below optimal at 18%. You need more iron. It's bizarre that no reference range is given for this.
Ferritin -
• Low level virtually always indicates need for iron supplementation
• High level with low serum iron/low saturation indicates inflammation
or infection
Your ferritin at 16.61% of the way through the range is far too low showing that you need more iron. Optimal is variously quoted as mid-range i.e. 159 with your range, or a little bit over, say up to 220. So, your ferritin is much too low showing that you need more iron.
As you must have noticed your results are contradictory, serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation percentage are saying you need more iron, but transferrin and TIBC are indicating that you don't have the capacity for it. This is actually a common finding, and crops up on the forum quite often. This is what my own results were like before I started treating my own iron. Eventually my TIBC partially righted itself and did improve although it has never been optimal.
I have found that I can raise my ferritin (very, very slowly) but my serum iron is quite poor and won't rise as much as I'd like. This is also common, but I just have to live with it. The higher ferritin makes a huge difference to how well I feel, even if my results aren't perfect.
You might find these links of interest in regard to iron :
Info on results you might get with different forms of anaemia :
irondisorders.org/wp-conten...
Info on possible dangers of supplementing iron without full info from an iron panel :
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Info on iron supplements available in the UK, no prescription required :
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
When you decide which iron supplement you want to try (I have always gone for ferrous fumarate 210mg but you might prefer one with lower levels of iron per pill, say ferrous gluconate 300mg) remember to take each pill with vitamin C because it helps with iron absorption.
Thank you for your reply I’ll go through it carefully.
They changed my HRT a while back as they assumed I was menopausal, and I’ve been having random bleeds often a week or so. I suspect this has impacted. They’ve once again changed my HRT and I’m still having random bleeds.
My Vit D is low too -
Combined total vit D2 + D3 lvl
49.0 nmol/L Normal
range 50 - 150
never had any issues before 🤷♀️
Here is my FBC FYI 🙏
Haemoglobin estimation
Result
137 g/L
Normal
(range 115 - 164)
Total white cell count
Result
7.0 10*9/L
Normal
range4.0 - 11.0
Platelet count
Result
205 10*9/L
Normal
range150 - 400
Red blood cell (RBC) count
Result
4.26 10*12/L
Normal
range3.90 - 5.60
Haematocrit
Result
0.407
Normal
range 0.36 - 0.47
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
Result
95.6 fl
Normal
range 78.0 - 96.0
Mean corpusc. haemoglobin(MCH)
Result
32.2 pg
Normal
range 28.0 - 34.0
Mean corpusc. Hb. conc. (MCHC)
Result
337 g/L
Normal
range320 - 360
Combined total vit D2 + D3 49.0 nmol/L Normal 50 - 150
FBC
Haemoglobin estimation 137 g/L (115 - 164) Approx 45% through range
Total white cell count 7.0 10*9/L (4.0 - 11.0) Approx 43% through range
Platelet count 205 10*9/L (150 - 400) 22% through range
Red blood cell (RBC) count 4.26 10*12/L (3.90 - 5.60) Approx 21% through range
Haematocrit 0.407 (0.36 - 0.47) Approx 43% though range
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 95.6 fl (78.0 - 96.0) Approx 98% through range
Mean corpusc. haemoglobin(MCH) 32.2 pg (28.0 - 34.0) 70% of the way through range
Mean corpusc. Hb. conc. (MCHC) 337 g/L (320 - 360) Approx 42% through range
Your vitamin D is too low. Optimal is variously quoted as 100 - 150 nmol/L or 125 nmol/L. Personally I try to keep my own level at about 100 nmol/L because I get no benefit from it being higher than that, but I know of others on the forum who feel best with it at 150 so, as always, it is personal preference.
To calculate the dose you would need to raise your level to optimal and then maintain it there is a vitamin D calculator available here :
grassrootshealth.net/projec...
Your Full Blood Count...
This link is very helpful when working out what results of an FBC mean :
labtestsonline.org.uk/tests...
The only one that would concern me if they were my results is the almost top of range for MCV. This tells you the average size of your red blood cells, and as a general rule, if they are small (i.e. low in range or below range) then iron and/or ferritin are likely to be low. And if they are large (i.e. high in range or above range) then vitamin B12 and/or folate are likely to be low.
If both iron/ferritin and B12/folate are low then MCV is not so informative or reliable. But I would suspect, given that your iron and ferritin are low that your B12 and/or folate might be even worse - but I'm not sure - I would need numbers.
Thank you so much for this comprehensive review. You are right re my MCV. It’s always been high and mostly above the range in fact and I am given B12 injections. My B12 results are meaningless now due to this - my folate however, I just checked back to a few months ago and it was 264. So also low.
Oh my word I have no idea where I got that figure from???? Thank you for checking
My folate a few months back was 10.8ug/L (3.89-26.8)
I’ve just been to GP and he has agreed to a course of Ferrous Fumarate 210mg. So thank you for information.
Am on T3 only 3 x per day
waking 20,
13:00- 15,
18:00 - 15.
Any advice as to when to take the Fe greatly appreciated.
Confusing iron panel results
Iron Blood Test Results
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