iron related help

[Racheeeel78]

hi there I just received my blood test results and my Haemoglobin, RBC and HCT were slightly lower than guidelines but my full iron panel came back in range. Spoke to GP who said she isn’t worried and to eat iron rich food and a multivitamin & to test again in 3 months. My ferritin is 49 but rest of iron panel seems top of range so a little unsure of how much supplementation would be safe? I also have hashimotos & UAT. I’ll attach results below. Thank you!

[humanbean]

The pattern of results that you have possibly indicates that you have an MTHFR gene problem. I wrote about this a long time ago in this reply to another member :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Do you have results for Vitamin B12 and folate?

[humanbean in reply to humanbean]

P.S. I don't think your GP's advice is very good. We don't recommend multivitamins on the forum, and eating iron-rich food will probably end up raising your iron even further while leaving your ferritin low.

[Racheeeel78 in reply to humanbean]

do you think I should take 200mg iron a day to get ferritin up. It’s raised from 40 to 49 since last test in July by supplementing. Not sure why my RBC, Haemoglobin and hct is low though?

[Racheeeel78 in reply to humanbean]

These as b12 & folate x

White & black

[humanbean]

Your B12 is not too bad, but could be higher.

Please read this link :

perniciousanemia.org/b12/le...

This part of the link is not accurate in what it says about England :

Where 200 is often accepted as a low normal value not needing intervention, Japan and England updated their low normal values to be around 500-550, and consider anything less to be dangerous.

In the UK it is still common to see bottom of range for serum B12 to be below 200, like it is for your test.

Personally, I keep my own serum B12 at 1000+, as is suggested in that link. For Active B12 I like to see it at top of range.

.

Your folate is definitely too low. We suggest that when a proper range is given (i.e. with a lower and an upper level) then optimal is upper half of the range. When there is no upper level we suggest a minimum of double figures.

Personally I try to keep mine in the range 15 - 20, but it is difficult and it fluctuates tremendously.

.

To improve B12 and folate it is suggested that people take a good quality B Complex daily. A popular one is this one :

uk.thorne.com/products/dp/b...

It is important that people take a B Complex containing methylcobalamin rather than cyanocobalamin, and methylfolate instead of folic acid.

If B12 or folate don't rise to optimal with a good B Complex then supplementing with 1000mg methylcobalamin and/or 1000mg methylfolate perhaps just a few days a week as appropriate is a good idea.

For info on folate, and why folic acid should be avoided :

takecareof.com/articles/ben...

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

...

It is possible that improving your B12 and folate with methylated products i.e. methylcobalamin and methylfolate, might actually improve your iron and ferritin levels.

...

I wouldn't suggest that you take any iron supplements at the moment.

Your serum iron and saturation are both top of the range. Your ferritin (iron stores) is low. If you take iron supplements there is a strong possibility that your ferritin will stay low and your serum iron and saturation will get even higher. This is not a good idea because it could end up feeding any undesirable bacteria, viruses, moulds, fungi in your bloodstream i.e. pathogens that you don't want. They need iron to reproduce.and by taking iron supplements with your results it is possible that you might just be feeding them. (Pathogens can't get iron out of ferritin.)

...

Give the B12 and folate time to improve then test them and an iron panel in 2 - 3 months.

[Racheeeel78 in reply to humanbean]

thank you so much for your advice! Crazy my GP said to up iron! I have the folate you suggest and will get the vit B supplements also. I’m really concerned about why my Haemoglobin, RBC and HCT have fallen to anaemic on this blood test when my iron is so high, and folate and b12 have improved since last test..

Thanks for all your advice x