Ferritin and depression anxiety!

[ThyroidObsessed]

Does anyone have any experience or opinions on the link between low ferritin and depression and anxiety!

It seems I have had my thyroid levels optimal for a while now… me being me thought that because I had raise my ferritin from 40 to 80 that it would stay there with a measly maintenance dose of 20mg of iron… I was very wrong as a year later my ferritin has plummeted back to just over 40 😩

My diet has also drastically changed I now eat whole foods fresh red meat and veg and also do not eat processed foods anymore I thought this would help my ferritin levels but again I was wrong! Clearly us hashi sufferers cannot absorb iron very well it seems..

I also avoid dairy and try my best to avoid gluten I eat sourdough bread or rye bread…

My anxiety and depression is now back and I am sure it’s the low ferritin level!?

I am going to now go back on the 210mg of ferrous fumarate…:

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Adopting a GF diet massively improved my anxiety levels (in addition to having optimal thyroid bloods and key vitamins). I would try total elimination of gluten for 3 months to see if this benefits you.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you for your advice 😊 I’m kind of gluten free at the moment it’s hard!

But I have already gone completely gluten free for 4 months and I didn’t notice one single improvement… in fact I felt worse 😩

I know dairy is a problem for me so I avoid dairy at all costs…

I do think currently it may be my low ferritin levels causing my symptoms….

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

I found this link helpful when trying to improve ferritin

dailyiron.net/

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

I eat sourdough bread or rye bread…

You would need to avoid ALL sourdough, rye, barley and wheat

[humanbean]

I suffered from depression and anxiety when my iron and ferritin (iron stores) were low. It took me nearly two years to raise my ferritin to mid-range with one tablet three times per day of ferritin fumarate 210mg, and then I took a maintenance dose to keep my ferritin where it was.

I continued to do an iron panel with private testing (Medichecks) on a regular basis - every 4 months or so - and depending on my ferritin results I took one tablet of ferrous fumarate 2 - 5 days a week. My serum iron stayed low and I was on a maintenance dose for my ferritin for about five years. Then my serum iron started to rise so when I thought my serum iron and my ferritin were okay I decided to stop supplementing.

I still test an iron panel a couple of times a year, but so far my iron and ferritin are doing okay, although I would start taking iron again if I thought I needed it.

But what I wanted to point out is that I ended up taking iron for seven years. If you are like me and simply don't absorb it well then you have no choice but to keep taking it at a dose which keeps your levels reasonable, and also testing regularly is essential.

Once my iron and ferritin had improved my anxiety disappeared, and my depression reduced a lot.

In future if I decided I needed iron supplements again I would do a trial of taking a heme supplement like Three Arrows. If it works for me then great, but if it didn't I would go back to the ferrous fumarate 210mg.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to humanbean]

Thank you funny enough I remember u replying to me a good few years ago and I have been trying to find your reply in my posts but to no avail, as I remember your talking about how ferritin helped your depression and anxiety but couldn’t for the life of me remember your username or the post it was on 🤦🏻‍♀️

It doesn’t take as long as it does you to raise my ferritin to be honest I was taking 210mg of the ferrous fumarate for less than a year and my level raise from 40 to 79!

It’s taken a good few years for it to drop again but Iv only been taking 20 - 40mg of the gentle solgar iron and not been religious with it as I thought by changing my diet and cutting out dairy eating more whole foods and fresh meat would help but clearly I don’t absorb it from food very well …

I’m seeing my doctor on Tuesday (he’s very understanding) and gonna explain why I want to raise my ferritin and how I feel and hopefully he will be kind enough to prescribe some ferrous fumarate for me 🙏

[humanbean in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

You can buy ferrous fumarate 210mg in packets of 84 tablets without a prescription, in the UK in pharmacies. This was the only reason I could raise my iron/ferritin. If I'd relied on doctors they would have stopped my prescription within about three months based on what happened in earlier years.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to humanbean]

yes I used to buy them from pharmacies, I just meant I’m seeing the doctor anyway so may aswell try to get a few for free! To get me started! 😂

Just to add I was only taking 1 of the 210mg a day to reach a ferritin of 79 in less than a year so think that’s quite good I suppose 🤷🏻‍♀️

[MARI-424 in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

I don't tollerate NHS iron tablets ....I take 2 sachets a day of Spatone with vitamin C ..excellent (from Boots Pharmacy) 3 at the price of 2

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to MARI-424]

Thanks but these wouldn’t cut it for me as there’s only around 7mg of iron in them which is a very tiny amount and wouldn’t raise ferritin at all

[humanbean in reply to MARI-424]

There are three different kinds of iron supplements that doctors prescribe. They almost always go for ferrous sulfate first because it is the cheapest. But it is also the one that the fewest people tolerate. I couldn't tolerate it - it was like swallowing a glass of acid every time I tried.

The one I tolerated (but only with food) was ferrous fumarate 210mg, which can be bought in boxes of 84 from pharmacies.

There is another one that I've never tried called ferrous gluconate 300mg. It seems to be rarely prescribed so I can't remember anyone reporting how tolerable they found it.

You should find this useful :

bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-s...

.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to humanbean]

Thank you yes I buy the ferrous fumarate from the pharmacy 210mg it seems I can tolerate this one with a little food 😌

[BreatheHelen]

When I was low in ferritin, Dr Sarah myhill advised a high dose of vitamin C to take to help absorption. I use Lambert's supplements in the main.

I supplemented with I think 2000mg, or sometimes more, throughout the day. I also suffered constipation too so the vitamin C helped with that too.

Hope you find a solution.

Helen

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to BreatheHelen]

Is this with foods or just with the iron supplements?

[BreatheHelen in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

Vitamin C when taken with iron supplements aid absorption of the Iron. Iron needs to be taken away from thyroid meds iirc.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to BreatheHelen]

thanks I already take 2000mg a day of vitamin c and always with my iron tablets and iron rich food too 😊

[Ruby1]

Are your B and D vitamins optimal? I believe these can affect mood.

I've recently got into making sourdough bread and have been fascinated to read of the health benefits - less phytic acid, much lower gluten and much easier to digest. Phytic acid is one of the iron inhibitors that stop you absorbing iron. I find making it therapeutic too.

If I remember rightly, it's best not to drink tea near having a meal and to take vitamin C to help absorb iron .

Sorry, a bit of a ramble - you probably know all this already.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Ruby1]

Hi I don’t drink normal tea but I do drink peppermint or herbal teas with a meal to help digest food…

Yes I have also heard of the health benefits of sourdough bread I stay away from any white breads or processed foods now, I buy a sourdough bread with only the required ingredients from the bakery I don’t have time to make my own although I may do some day!

I take vitamin C the chewable 1000mg I also have it added in my other supplements too 😊

[Ruby1 in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

All sounds good. I think I could change my name to SourdoughObsessed now 🤣 Once you've got a starter it takes minimal effort, but you leave it fermenting for around a day, so it takes a lot of time in that sense.

I've been listening to Zoe podcasts and the gut biome one was interesting. The host said that even a year after taking antibiotics, his gut biome hadn't recovered fully. It made me realise things can happens slowly when we change our diet.

I hope you feel better soon.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Ruby1]

I’m now very convinced and excited to buy a bread maker!!

[Ruby1 in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

I think it is massively better than shop bought bread, but if you get chance, give sourdough a try. I've not been feeling quite well since Christmas and I've found the whole process hugely therapeutic.

I've had a machine for 4 years now - haven't bought a loaf since getting it actually, and my favourite is a 50% rye 50% wholemeal loaf.... however, since getting into sourdough I've barely used the machine. Sourdough only uses flour, water and salt, plus starter - whereas the machine also uses olive oil (or butter) and sugar, plus commercial yeast in most, if not all recipes.

There are some recipes for bread machine sourdough, but most still use a bit of commercial yeast and also yoghurt I think in their starter (which is developed overnight). My starter is purely flour and water and took 10 days to develop. I tried a bread machine recipe online that had no yeast but I'm afraid it was my worst effort. It might have been better if I'd let it ferment for longer. I may try again.

Your local bakery might give or sell you some starter. I am going off now to try and find you a link for the overnight, no knead sourdough 🤣

Sorry for the long post... but I am obsessed 😆

Edit : A link... culturedfoodlife.com/recipe...

I haven't made this but it sounds very similar to one I make - I use less water - 325g. It depends on the flour you use and I think American flour is mostly more absorbent. Also in the morning I'd just stick it in a tin.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Ruby1]

Thank you for your advice!! Experience is key and u seem to have that so I will be practising your methods word to word… I won’t bother with the bread maker then! I will check your link out! Thank you again!! 🙏☺️

[Ruby1 in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

Bread maker is better than shop bought for sure, but the sourdough is not too time consuming in terms of hands on. It won't be perfect first time, but will be tasty. I'll shut up about it now 😂 other than to say there is a very supportive facebook group on the subject with recipes and starter info in their 'guides' facebook.com/groups/4204602...

I hope you can enjoy as much as I have

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Ruby1]

Amazing 🤩 thank you!!! 🙏

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Ruby1]

my Bs and D are optimal yes 🙌

[joydot]

iron is toxic to me- wasn’t official for second pregnancy when nhs peons insisted I take ferritin as was GASP 36. Pregnancy was terrible compared to no.1 so was unimpressed to find after missing out a few days as soon as I took a ferritin tablet I felt nauseous - threw them away. been aenemic yet super healthy all my life except when the nhs is trying to kill me. Iron is not one size fits all.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to joydot]

Iron is definitely not toxic our bodies need it, u was just given a form of iron your body couldn’t absorb properly that’s all, which then made u nauseous u would probably do better on a different form of iron.

Yes we are all very different our bodies are very different in how we accept forms of supplements.

This is written from the training and experience I have had with iron 😊

[catrich in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

Iron can certainly be 'toxic'. raypeat.com/articles/articl...

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to catrich]

If u take to much then u actually need then yes!

[joydot]

I take methyl occasionally. Hoping Menopause will end issue. I don’t understand why so many docs are determined to give same to everyone 😵‍💫

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to joydot]

Because doctors tend to give the cheapest form 🙄

[joydot in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

Killing the patient is not their leading concern.

[Pripa2]

Hello, there is research showing that iron related anemia can trigger a panic disorder. I also get anxious and grumpy when I have anemia, and it gets better like a miracle after I get some iron in my system. So you are not alone, it gets better after you learn how your body works, and from.my experience it is cyclical. So next time you will recognise the problem faster.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Pripa2]

Thank you! It seems my blood count comes back normal it’s just my ferritin that’s lowish but still in range? And without testing my ferritin a doctor would say I’m fine🤷🏻‍♀️

[Pripa2 in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

I am the same, but since I had all the symptoms, I saw a hematologist and she said that the numbers can be high because of the inflammation in tje body. So in my case it was a hidden anemia and she gave me an IV with iron and I felt better

[joydot in reply to Pripa2]

Interesting

[BreatheHelen]

Hi, the other thing I would suggest is to take a daily dose of magnesium in the evenings. This is very good for the nervous system, amongst other things.

A friend of mine felt as though she was having a breakdown during last year despite her life going well.

After a few months, she realised the only change she'd made was she had stopped her magnesium supplements. Within one week of re starting them, she told me she'd stopped crying daily, and after a month of being on the magnesium again, she felt her usual happy self.

I mention this incase it's something you might want to try.

Let us know how you get on. All the best, helen

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to BreatheHelen]

Aaaw bless her and yes I already take magnesium glycinate on an evening with my vitamin D 😊