Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
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
Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron
'what vitamin supplements do you normally take' I was taking B12 because my levels were low a couple of years ago, however my last 2 private tests were high active B12, so I stopped them back in June.
I was taking vitamin D supplements, due to a deficiency again 2 years ago, but only take them occasionally now (did suspect D levels may be poor again, in spite of my being outside a lot)
I am post menopause, stopped periods 4 years ago, and had a hysterectomy 3 years ago. Use Estradiol gel once a week.
I'm not vegetarian or vegan. Am having problems with iodine high foods, as these give me palpitations/ and high pulse rate after consuming them.
So my Ferritin levels are low? Could this account for my numerous symptoms?
This would be considered iron deficiency, and not anaemia?
I had already upped my iron foods - liver pate, red meat dark chocolate etc in recent months so I can't really improve on that.
Should I try and speak to my GP to see if he advises ferrous fumurate, or am I wasting my time?
Should have said - I have been on a gluten free diet for a while now, before I knew I had an autoimmune problem.
Thing is with gluten, for years I had this blistering rash on my scalp, that was extremely painful. Also alongside this I developed neurological symptoms.
Isaw a neurologist who said it was shingles/migraines, and a Dermatologist who agreed with shingles.
However this went on for years, then I read something somewhere that suggested I give up gluten - I did and the 'shingles' disappeared! Plus some of the joint pain and nerve pain improved.
Mentioned this all to my GP recently who insisted that gluten only causes stomach problems.
He then made me resume gluten so as to test me for celiac.
I did say I don't care if I have celiac or not, either way gluten clearly doesn't like me so I have no intention of eating it again - but he insisted.
So I had the celiac test last week with the other above tests, but results not due for another week.
So having resumed gluten after a long spell not eating it, I am feeling rubbish, and am pretty sure that scalp rash the GP clearly thinks I am imagining is back!
Thank you for your advice SlowDragon, I will organise a vitamin D test.
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