Hi everyone,
I was instructed to get my iron levels checked by you lovely people so here are the results:
Should I look into trying to up my ferritin? If so, how? Just normal iron supplements?
Still yet to to see my doctor about increasing my Levo. Have an appointment 23rd Jan. I have started on the magnesium now too.
Thank you
In more detail
dexterholland91
Just so that you are aware when keeping an eye on your results, optimal iron panel levels according to rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_... are:
Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men - yours is currently 70.38%
Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men - yours is currently 41.6%
Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC): Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron - yours is 48.61%
Hi Susie, thank you for your reply. So, I am on that website now (very helpful). Would you take my ferritin score as low? the website states to start iron supplementation if it is low. I'm just not sure if I'm low enough on ferritin to warrant starting the iron supplementation. But, I am an athlete and vegetarian/vegan so that might warrant the iron supplementation, at least a trial period?
For a male it does seem that your ferritin is on the lowish side but to be honest who knows with ferritin. Ranges differ so much, my surgery doesn't have a male range, it's the same range for everyone which is 15-300. Medichecks use 30-400 if the test is processed by Eurofins County Pathology, if INUVI processes the tests the range is 30-400 for adult males up to age 60 then over 60 it's 30-650.
Another article I have read tells us that the optimal ferritin level for thyroid function is 90-110ug/L.
What you have to be careful of is taking your serum iron and saturation levels too high, you don't want to go into iron overload. Your current levels show serum iron and saturation exactly where they should be (according to the article I linked to) and your TIBC sits nicely mid range. If you take iron tablets you are in danger of increasing your serum iron and saturation. It might be best to try and raise ferritin through diet.
previous post
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
So yes…as vegetarian you’re going to need to work hard on improving low iron/ferritin levels
Ideally with low ferritin, but reasonable iron levels you would do this by increasing iron rich foods in your diet
That’s difficult on vegetarian diet
Heme iron v non heme
hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...
Eating iron rich foods like pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
List of iron rich foods
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
Medichecks iron panel test
medichecks.com/products/iro...
Iron and thyroid link
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Excellent article on iron and thyroid
cambridge.org/core/journals...
Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism
Stopping Iron supplements before a TBIC, Ferritin, Iron blood test
Medichecks blood test, low T4
Low Ferritin & Iron with Hypothyroid
6wk blood test results - MediChecks 
Low Ferritin and raised Iron 
