Iron - test results - advice please

[Rambling9]

Hi - In a nutshell I'm hypothyroid with a lot of stomach issues - gastritis amongst other things - plus poor converter (I have the dud deiodinase enzyme - test done privately)

I mentioned to the GP that I also get a bit out of breath - when I read about 'air hunger' on here it really struck a chord. So he's had bloods done as above - it's all come back as 'normal' but I know 'optimal' is really what I'm looking for!

part 2 of test is in reply section below

Any thoughts?

[Rambling9]

Screenshot no.2

written test results

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Rambling9]

Iron results:

Serum iron : According to the rt3-adrenals link rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...

• 55 to 70% of the range

• higher end for men

Given that your result is 19% through the range and you are female I would say your result is too low.

TIBC (total iron binding capacity) or Transferrin

• Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron

• High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron

Your TIBC is 11% through the range and your transferrin is 10% through the range, both of which are in the lower half of the range. This suggests that you don't have the capacity for more iron.

The range your lab have used for ferritin includes males. Optimal for ferritin is said to be around 90-100 and your result is not far off.

I would say that you don;t have capacity for additional iron from supplements and should focus on adding iron rish foods to your diet - chicken livers a few times a week, extra red meat.

Your other vitamins are good.

Your August results showed a bottom of the range FT3 so likely the issue lies there.

[FoggyThinker in reply to Jaydee1507]

Jaydee1507 that's interesting, so capacity for supplemental iron is likely to increase once FT3 increases? anything known about how long this might take once optimal please? Sorry for the thread hijack but hopefully this is useful for Rambling9 too

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to FoggyThinker]

What I meant was that the issues of air hunger and stomach issues were likely linked to low FT3.

I didn't intend to imply that supplemental iron and low FT3 were linked.

[FoggyThinker in reply to Jaydee1507]

Ah I see, sorry for the misinterpretation and thanks for explaining :)- I just got excited about a possible way forward!

[Rambling9 in reply to Jaydee1507]

Thank you Jaydee - my goal is to get a trial of T3 - just going the long haul GP route to save pennies but I suspect I will have to fork out in the end! I have details of a couple of T3 friendly endos who also work in the NHS so that's looking to be the most likely solution.

My GP when I mentioned the 'air hunger' said he was reluctant to put everything into 'the thyroid basket' - hence the bloods to see if I'm anaemic. He's only just taken on board that hypothyroidism = low stomach acid so the PPIs I was on aren't the best plan - I've moved onto Gaviscon which is probably only marginally better

I'm vegetarian although I do eat fish - I tried forcing down chicken liver pate - got a really decent one from M&S but I really struggled with it. I've done a bit of research this morning and apparently fish paste is quite high in iron (mkuh.nhs.uk/patient-informa... ) and I already have vitamin C with iron rich food so onwards and upwards tweaking my diet!

[Hidden]

Have you been taking iron supplements?