My ferritin is 52 and I’ve just gone 12 months without a period. Also, I have hashimoto’s and a year ago my antibodies were >1000.
Shouldn’t my ferritin be high as I assume I have inflammation because of hashimoto’s? A year ago my ferritin was 48, haemoglobin 134 and iron panel fine.
Hi, you need to put up your iron panel results on a new post, I know you say it’s fine, but all my levels were in range, but when you look at it as a whole it was pointing to an iron deficiency, since then I’ve been on iron treatment. They’ll give you good guidance on here regarding your iron panel results.
Hope this helps
Tjqui00,
'Shouldn’t my ferritin be high as I assume I have inflammation because of hashimoto’s?'
Not necessarily. It just depends upon your immune system as ferritin is an acute inflammatory marker but not necessarily a marker of chromic inflammation.
Haemoglobin of 134 (even without ranges) looks as if iron levels are adequate enough to support good erythropoiesis. However, if you want further comments on your iron levels you will need to post your iron panel results.
Thyroid antibodies of over 1000 seem very high and likley causing chronic inflammation. Many of us (post) menopausal have benefited from replacing insufficient sex hormones through HRT which positively influences chronic inflammation.
So is it ok my ferritin is only 52 if I have chronic inflammation from my antibodies being so high?
Tjqui00,
No, as well as being an acute inflammatory marker, ferritin is also a storage of iron. In healthy people it is considered a good indicator for iron levels and how iron is being utilised within the body. In people with autoimmune disease the level can become distaughted but not necessary through inflammatory issues but iron absorption problems .
Chronic inflammation is always bad news. Your low ferritin result just means it is not being influenced by your chronic inflammation but other inflammatory markers will be. However, we can usually tell if we have damaging chronic inflammation by aches and pains or swellings, or if things just are not working as well as they should.
I thought I didn’t need to worry how high my antibodies were. I don’t have any aches and pains or anything.
Tjqui00,
TGAb is only representative of the extent of the autoimmune attacks, but TPOAb has been shown as a contributor by attacking thyroid gland cells through cytotoxic mechanisms, so increasing probability and extend of autoimmune attacks. It is also a driver of chronic inflammation by causing oxidative stress and cell death. Therefore, it is generally beneficially to try reducing TPOAb.
I feel quite worried now. How do I try and reduce my antibodies?
Read ‘The Root Cause’ by Isabella Wentz.
I reduced mine by usual methods: optimising thyroid hormones and Vit D levels; supplementing selenium, fish oils, curcumin; adopting a gluten free diet; etc. I also had a huge zinc deficiency that needed addressing.
Do I have chronic inflammation? I’m very worried now. I’ve had an under active thyroid since the birth of my first child 28 years ago and have only had antibodies checked once which was a year ago.
Tjqui00
Of course. Autoimmune disease is all about unwanted inflammation.
An acute inflammatory response is usually helpful (think of a cut finger, sore throat, etc) but the chronic inflammation associated with years of autoimmunity can be very damaging.
TPOAb are known to encourage release of further damaging cytokines (chemical messengers) that provoke further inflammation, eg it is self driving, and it is the failure to prevent this further inflammation or bring resolution that defines it as ‘chronic’.
I like this paper that clearly explains autoimmunity. Although it refers to Lupus, Crohns, MS, etc they all contain similar/same irregularities as Hashimotos and these conditions often also cross over with a TPOAb mix.
autoimmuneinstitute.org/art...
How high were your TPOAb’s and how much did you manage to reduce them?
Tjqui00,
I can’t remember as it was years ago. My thyroid has atrophied to nothing so most antibodies have left.
However, I do remember feeling so much better after following an anti-inflammatory protocol. Many members say the same, particularly the gluten free suggestion. It also helps meds work better (I even had to reduce mine) as these damaging inflammatory cytokines can interfere with conversion to FT3, etc.
My conversion of T4 to T3 is good and for the past year my T4 and T3 have been over range so I’m having to reduce my thyroxine. I’ve reduced it again now but not by as much as my doctor wants me to.
Sounds great 👍 as if you (or your body) already have any chronic inflammation under control. Also the reduction of the perimenopausal unopposed oestrogen can have positive impact on autoimmune issues.
I’ve never taken any HRT or anything for menopause.
Do you think I need to worry too much about my iron and ferritin levels? I worry there’s a reason other than diet (which I’ve read is unlikely to cause low iron) for low iron as I no longer have periods? Post menopausal women are meant to have higher ferritin.
Tjqui00,
Hypothyroidism is synonymous with gut issues and low iron absorption, and iron deficiency is common on the forum.
Reading back through your posts you seem to have a constant worry regarding your ferritin levels being artificially raised by inflammation, but here you say you don’t feel inflamed. Thyroid antibodies are indicative of the thyroid attacks but can also remain raised through ectopic thyroid tissues and other means. Although iron is slightly low, it appears to be working well. Have you had a full blood count? health of RBC's will give further indication of your irons status.
Also your TFT's given to klr31 below show over range labs. If you tested as per forum timings protocol you are likely over dosing thyroid meds.
My full blood count taken a year ago didn’t indicate low iron or anemia.
I don’t have symptoms of inflammation I don’t think, but I thought the very high antibodies meant I had inflammation.
I’ve reduced my thyroxine since those results. My FT4 and FT3 started going over range just over a year ago and I’ve been gradually reducing my dose since then and it hasn’t made any difference. At one point, my FT4 went up even higher after reducing my dose,
Well, thats good news Tjqui00!
NICE states a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms a diagnosis of iron deficiency, so just keeping eating an iron rich diet so iron can continue to work well and levels can continue building.
It sounds like your thyroid hormones are awfully unstable. Do you feel unwell when thyroid hormones are high?
My ferritin only went up 4 in a year and i avoided drinking tea near meals and took a vitamin C supplement sometimes with meals.
I feel fine. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping but that could be menopause and it’s usually if things are on my mind. I’ve always had anxiety so it’s hard to tell if it’s thyroid. I don’t think it’s got any worse.
What are your TSH, T4 and T3 results?
Karen
TSH <0.01, FT4 18.4 (range 7.9-14.4), FT3 6.6 (range 3.8-6).
Doctor originally wanted to reduce me from 100 to 75, but I agreed to 100 2 days, 75 on 3rd day. My TSH has been suppressed over 10 years even after reducing my dose. I’m only on t4 medication.
these are my iron tests from May 2023:
TRANSFERRIN Change in method from 10/01/23, please note new reference ranges.
Serum iron level 19.5 umol/L [11.0 - 32.01
Transferrin 2.37 g/L |2.0 - 3.6]
Transferrin Saturation 33 % [16.0 - 40.0]
Iron is only 32% through range and could reduce significantly should iron consumption drop. And if you don’t have much iron in ferritin storage to draw from, you incur a high risk of eventually becoming anaemic. Good T/S result shows the amount of iron transporters (transferrin) is well balanced with the amount of iron, and so working well.
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