Ferritin test results

[Poppy_cat]

Ferritin test results serum ferritin level 7 ug/L (12.0 - 233.0) what does it mean?

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

It means that your ferritin level is deficient. I see your doctor has already started you on iron tablets.

Take your iron tablets with orange juice or something containing vitamin C to help it absorb better.

It can take many months to raise you level, its very slow to improve.

Have you also had your other vitamin levels tested yet as per this reply to you?

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

You might find my iron document of some interest:

helvella - Iron Document

This is a summary of what I have read up and found out about iron supplements over the past few years. I am not in any way medically trained. You are strongly encouraged to check every detail before making any decisions for yourself.

Last updated 27/03/2024

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Note that the more recent advice from NICE says that the bottom of the reference interval (range) for ferritin should be at least 30. Not 12 as your lab seems to be using.

That should make it even clear how low 7 is.

Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test that 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.

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

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Any obvious reason for anaemia (apart from possible hypothyroidism)

Are you vegetarian or vegan

Heavy periods?

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

Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test

Stop iron supplements 5-7 days before testing

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

Great replies from @FallingInReverse

re ferritin and Three arrows

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu......

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great reply by @fallinginreverse

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron patches

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...

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...

Iron deficiency without anaemia

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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...

Really interesting talk on YouTube, link in reply by Humanbean discussing both iron deficiency and towards end how inflammation can also be an issue

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Inflammation affecting ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Updated reference ranges for top of ferritin range depending upon age

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:

Females 18 ≤ age < 40. 30 to 180

Females 40 ≤ age < 50. 30 to 207

Females 50 ≤ age < 60. 30 to 264l

Females Age ≥ 60. 30 to 332

Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442

Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518

The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven years. This is the most extensive study on ferritin reference ranges, and we hope to achieve journal publication so that these ranges can be applied more widely.

[Poppy_cat in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated. Just to say that I'm neither vegan nor vegetarian plus post menopausal (I also had an endometrial ablation for heavy periods over ten years ago)

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Poppy_cat]

So then more likely anaemia linked to low thyroid levels

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You need vitamin D, folate and B12 levels tested too

Add results if you have them

Retest FULL thyroid levels 2 months after starting on iron supplements

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested

Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once to see if your hypothyroidism is autoimmune

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high TPO and/or high TG thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

Significant minority of Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG antibodies (thyroglobulin)

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test

If GP won’t test get tested privately

[FallingInReverse]

Hi Poppy_cat

Just piping in here to say that me and my daughter both started with Ferritin in the single digits also… I think I was 5 and she was 7… about… 6 months ago maybe? That’s too low!!

All excellent advice above, definitely have a close read and let us know if you need any more guidance on exactly what next steps you should take.

Bottom line - by all measures that ferritin is virtually non existent. In all likelihood you’ll need to come up with a supplementing and frequent testing plan for the long haul to address. BUT you do need to have full iron panel results before supplementing. Excess iron over time is toxic and causes permanent, irreversible organ damage.

[Mixteca]

I agree that it's best to get a full iron panel done to get an overall picture, then take your results to an iron expert who'll be able to advise you since GPs lack expertise.