Iron. So confused.

[Ebx_design]

Hi all, I'm going crazy with trying to understand what is going on with my iron levels right now.

I recently got a NHS iron panel test that came back high - suggesting iron overload to which my GP panicked, but critically they missed off serum ferritin as there was a national reagent shortage. Following this I asked a full panel be taken, so 23 days later they re-tested and the results are quite different (see above). I did have a period between these dates and they do tend to be on the heavy side.

I've not taken any iron supps since Jan, and my GP has advised against restarting, but my ferritin is low again. This despite taking iron supps ( have tried fumarate and stearate) for nearly a year and a half previous and eating meat and offal meats regularly. I'm not sure I'm absorbing it really at all. My TSH T4 and T3 have been pretty good recently, but I still have what I'd call low iron symptoms - breathlessness, fatigue, hair loss, palpitations, confusion, memory loss brain fog. Oh and my B12 at the min is 521 ng/L [211.0 - 911.0] so GP doesn't think that is the issue either.

I'm really confused now. Is my iron an issue or not? I no longer know what to approach my GP with when it comes to my symptoms, as they continue to say it is in range, but also to advise I don't take supps either.

confused.com over here.

[radd]

Ebb_design,

Iron can fluctuate hugely. Hence it is suggested as a fasting bloods test, as even a steak and red wine supper the night before with artifically elevate levels. This is why the various mechanisms of iron are also tested, eg the transferrin protein carriers and ferritin storage to offer a greater overview. 

Your serum iron levels are fine but ferritin is low, and this phenomenon is commonly seen on the forum. As you can't supplement iron without risk of overloading serum levels, the advise is always to eat iron rich meals in the hope this will encourage the various stages of iron to start working better and raise ferritin.

[Ebx_design in reply to radd]

Hiya radd thanks for explaining this a bit for me, so it is the case that I can no longer take supplements to try raise ferritin? And, I'm presuming I'd never be given an iron injection with these labs either?

[radd in reply to Ebx_design]

No, because your serum iron and the correlating transport proteins transferrin match.

[Spangle15]

I have worked out over a period of many years that my calcium levels directly effect my iron. When my calcium drops below range then my iron levels go over range. If my calcium goes back in range (it is an ongoing issue for me), then my iron levels drop and go back in range. (I also have ongoing low ferritin, and it is frustrating because of the fluctuating calcium meaning I can't take iron). But I am working on this problem currently my increasing my calcium intake via food and supplement.

[Ebx_design in reply to Spangle15]

Hey Spangle15 that's interesting, not heard that before. My calcium is ok atm, so wonder if it was down when my iron spiked... Do you know what causes that relationship?

[Spangle15 in reply to Ebx_design]

No, when I queried it to my GP and ends before they were dismissive of the idea, but I have been keeping a track of bloods and there is definitely a correlation. I know that calcium inhibits iron absorption so perhaps the opposite is true, if I am not getting enough calcium then I maybe absorb too much iron.