I recently posted that I was anaemic, however it seems I misinterpreted my results and the opposite is in fact true - my results actually suggest iron overload / hemochromatosis. The symptoms of which, can be similar to anaemia apparently (fatigue being a key one).
Below are my results, in effect I’m just outside the range on all but iron itself. I currently take T3 only - could this be a sign that I am taking too much?
could be
Higher ferritin levels are linked to being hyperthyroid…..or in your case possibly over medicated
Will flag radd who might pop along and comment re iron
Thank you.
JonnyA,
Serum iron offers a snapshot of circulating iron bound to transferrin, and reflects total body iron but the test should be fasting as levels are easily influenced by for example, a steak, sweet potato, broccoli and red wine dinner the night before the blood draw as opposed to having a pizza and glass of milk (does anyone?).
TIBC measures transferrin proteins available for binding free iron in the body and elevated indicates iron deficiency (as in too many proteins available for iron to bind to), whilst low indicates iron overload (as in too few proteins available for iron to bind to). UIBC measures the portion of iron binding sites on transferrin that isn’t bound to iron (the difference between TIBC and serum iron).
T/S% measures the percentage of transferrin that is iron saturated (demonstrating how much iron is in transport, how much capacity is left to bind iron and move to appropriate sites such as ferritin). Your result will be warped because is a calculation of dividing serum iron by TIBC, x 100, and rounding to nearest tenth of a decimal place, but is a good indicator of true elevated iron. Anything greater than 45% or 50% is considered too high.
I think I’ve said before I consider your T3 dose too high (but only opinion as I’m in no way medically qualified), so ramped up hepatic function could have made iron mechanisms go a skew. Elevated T3 is associated with increased ferritin levels and this risks triggering other inflammatory responses that are negative in the running of smooth iron functioning such as for example encouraging high hepsiden that risks blocking intestinal iron absorption and macrophage iron recycling, causing iron restricted erythropoiesis and anemia.
However, elevated ferritin and T/S% is usually considered fairly indicative of Haemochromotosis but you will need to consider FBC results and possibly liver enzymes along with folate and VitB12 levels to make an assumption.
Otherwise ask your GP for a hemo referral for genetic testing. Thyroid function can be altered by iron storage in the gland as well the pituitary and other organs, but your levels aren’t particularly high by Haemochromatosis standards as some people have ferritin in the thousands.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive and informative reply. I really appreciate that.
Thank you!
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