Low iron levels in blood test

[RosamundG]

Just had a call from A&E who gave me a blood test last night to say my iron levels were low and I should make an appt with my GP as soon as possible. Very perplexing because I take a daily B12 supplement and eat a varied diet which is cooked from scratch. Could this be related to my under active thyroid?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Absolutely yes it can

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

What were most recent TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 results

ALWAYS Test thyroid levels early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Being hypothyroid results in low stomach acid and poor nutrient absorption and low vitamin levels as direct result

Are you vegetarian or vegan

Exactly what vitamin supplements are you taking

B12 is nothing to do with iron/ferritin

[RosamundG in reply to SlowDragon]

Dear SnowDragon,

First of all thank you for replying to me so quickly.

Interesting you say that regarding blood testing because that's what I have always been told and have always done but that was when I was treated privately. However my NHS GP was adamant that it was unnecessary because the results should reflect my current dosage of T4 and T3. She also told me that the NHS just test for T4 and only test for T3 if the T4 levels are low and they don't test for antibodies. I have a GP appointment this morning because I can't have the blood test results until I've seen the GP!! I did ask for a full set of tests so it will interesting to see what in fact I get.

In answer to your question re diet I eat grass fed meat, fish, seasonal vegetables, dairy, nuts & wholegrains. I take fish oil capsules, VitC, Zinc, B12, Biotin, VitD3, MgCitrate and two different probiotics. I drink mainly water and black coffee, a couple of glasses of red wine about twice a week and the odd G&T.

On the whole I'm very healthy, the only medication I take is for my Thyroid and HRT but this past 5 months I have had a bad chest infection, gout for which I didn't take anything other than paracetamol for the pain and it seems to have left me with a swollen ankle and calf which has impaired my walking and was the reason I sought medical help which took me to A&E with a suspected DVT which of course I didn't have.

Will let you know how it all pans out this morning.

Best regards

Roz

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to RosamundG]

How much levothyroxine are you taking

which brand and do you always get same brand at each prescription

You are likely to need to get tested privately

NHS rarely tests more than TSH…..Ft4 if you’re lucky

Poor gut function means we struggle to absorb nutrients from diet

List of private testing options and money off codes

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

[Hidden]

You don’t say why you were in A&E but do you have any GI issues?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Iron and ferritin

Are you pre or post menopause

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency.

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...

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, 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

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing Three Arrows as very effective supplement

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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...

Good iron but low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron

healthline.com/nutrition/he...

Heme iron v non heme

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin range on Medichecks

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

We have received further information the lab about ferritin reference ranges. They confirm that they are sex dependent up to the age of 60, then beyond the age of 60 the reference range is the same for both sexes: 

Males 16-60: 30-400 ug/L

Female's: 16-60: 30-150

Both >60: 30-650 

The lower limit of 30 ug/L is in accordance with the updated NICE guidance and the upper limits are in accordance with guidance from the Association of Clinical Biochemists. ‘

[RosamundG in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon,

Been to see my GP who was very helpful. Again I questioned her about fasting before thyroid and she said it wasn't necessary. I decided not to argue about it because it wasn't the main reason why I was consulting her.

My latest test result is

Serum TSH level 0.09 -- flagged up as abnormal

Serum free T4 level 17.7 -- flagged up as normal

But she's reduced the dose of my T4 from 100 mcg to 75 and kept the Liothyronine as is which I think is 20

I did point out that my T3 levels hadn't been tested and she has made a special request that they do so. We'll see what happens about that.

She's prescribed me Ferrous Sulfate tablets and I see in Thyroid recommendations that this should be taken with a Vitamin E supplement -- would give me an idea of what strength as there is no recommendation of how much this should be. And I'm not sure whether to continue taking Magnesium Citrate.

In addition, they've given a bowel test kit and I am having a chest X-ray as well obviously because they don't know why my iron levels are so low and feel they have to rule out all possibilities.

Sorry to lumber you with all this information and I really do appreciate your advice which obviously I will take!

Best regards

Roz

[serenfach]

I am just so impressed that someone in the medical profession read the results and acted on them!

[RosamundG in reply to serenfach]

Yes and it was A&E dept at St. George's Hospital!