new results after iron transfusion-help pls

[Emuflea]

Hi

I’ve had an iron transfusion and retested. My ferritin has gone from rock bottom to beautiful. I’d like help with the rest of the results. I’m taking levo AM 150mcg. The usual protocols were followed for testing. I no longer take T3.

Thank you

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Emuflea

Your CRP is over range indicating inflammation, it's a non-specific inflammation marker so can't indicate where the inflammation is. It's likely that the cause is your Hashi's.

Bear in mind that when inflammation is present this raises ferritin level so although your ferritin level is good it could be showing higher than what would be a normal level. I have no doubt it's excellent compared to last time you tested, just be aware that it might be showing falsely high. It would be worth trying to maintain your new ferritin level through diet, ie by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet

bda.uk.com/resource/iron-ri...

everydayhealth.com/pictures...

Folate is getting there, it's advised to be at least half way through range so you're looking at 35 plus with that range. Are you taking a B Complex with methylfolate?

B12 is higher than their equipment measures suggesting that if you are taking a B12 supplement you no longer need it, just taking a B Complex will maintain your good level. So if you're taking B12 there's no point, you're just wasting your money.

Vit D level could be better. The Vit D Council, Vit D Society and Grassroots Health all recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L with a recent blog post on Grassroots Health recommending at least 125nmol/L. Do you supplement with D3?

I'm sure you're aware that you have Hashi's, as confirmed by your raised antibodies. Your current thyroid results suggest that you are undermedicated. The aim of a treated hypo patient on Levo only, generally, is for TSH to be 1 or below with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well. Your TSH is too high and your FT4 is only 29% through it's range.

When did you stop taking T3?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

I was also going to say your results suggest still under medicated

Get dose increase up to 175mcg and 150mcg alternate days

Which brand of levothyroxine are you taking

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

As you have Hashimoto’s are you on strictly gluten free diet and/or dairy free diet ?

Exactly what vitamin supplements are you currently taking

In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg)

[humanbean]

Having had very low ferritin in the past (and I'm guessing it has been a long-term problem for you based on your post history) it is likely that you will find your ferritin dropping very rapidly, despite the transfusion.

I would suggest you ask your doctor for a full iron panel as soon as possible. If the GP refuses, it is possible to get iron panels done privately (from Medichecks) and in an ideal world they would be done every 6 - 8 weeks in your situation, so you can get an idea of how quickly your levels are dropping. Once you get an idea of how quickly this is happening you should start to take iron supplements to try and maintain your levels at a good place rather than dropping back to the level of under 30 again.

I've struggled with low iron / low ferritin / anaemia nearly my entire life. Once I deliberately pushed my ferritin up to 170 (top of range was 150) with iron supplements. My serum iron was still well below mid-range. I stopped taking iron supplements completely for four months and my ferritin dropped to 80 in that time. So, a drop of 90 points in four months was rather a lot as far as I was concerned and I did what I could to keep my ferritin at mid-range by taking a maintenance dose of iron.

I think you will need to find a supplement that keeps your ferritin as close to mid-range as possible. I'm assuming that you have low serum iron as well, by the way. If this isn't true then you may have other problems apart from poor iron absorption.

If you have high serum iron along with low ferritin then there are better approaches to improving your iron levels than taking iron supplements. In fact iron supplements could drive your serum iron very high while making little difference to your ferritin, and in that scenario iron supplements should be avoided, and you should ask for more help from the forum.

[Emuflea in reply to humanbean]

the clinic that did the transfusion is managing the after care. The low ferritin is caused by pregnancy/child birth/life time of heavy periods.

[humanbean in reply to Emuflea]

So are the doctors from that clinic suggesting that if your ferritin drops very low again that you either have another transfusion or that you just put up with it?

[Emuflea in reply to humanbean]

That’s not what I said. They will prescribe supplements etc if needed. Hopefully diet alone will keep me topped up. What I was saying is that they are monitoring the situation and therefore it’s all in hand.