Hello again,
Having been advised that my ferritin level of 30 ug/L indicated deficiency, I have now had an iron function test through Medichecks and would be grateful for some guidance on the results:
Iron 22.6 umol/L (10-30)
TIBC 67.5 umol/L (45-81)
UIBC 44.9umol/L (13-56)
Transferrin Saturation 33.5% (25-45)
Ferritin 68ug/L (30-332)
All were marked as normal and the Medichecks GP says my iron is fine, but my energy levels are less than optimum. I would appreciete some advice on this please.
Serum iron is 63% of range. According to the rt3-adrenals link rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...
• 55 to 70% of the range
• higher end for men
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 result is 62% of range.
Transferrin Saturation :
• optimal is 35 to 45%
• higher end for men
At 33% your result is only marginally below range.
Ferritin result of 68 isnt too low although could be improved to 90-100 for best use of thyroid hormone. Suggest you focus on increasing dietary rich iron food sources.
Link with ideas for dietary iron:
Have you had your vit D checked yet? Most people are deficient and we need all 4 key vitamins at optimal for thyroid hormone to work well.
Also look into adding T3.
Hello Jaydee, Thank you for taking the time to reply, and for the very helpful link, which I shall study in detail when I have the time. (I must admit I am rather daunted by how complicated it all is!)
I have ordered a vitamin D test and am waiting for it to arrive. The GP Practice has arranged an appointment with the pharmacist to discuss my latest NHS results as TSH was suppressed and T4 at top of range, so I will tell her my T3 result from Medichecks and broach the issue of reducing T4 and introducing T3.
I am trying to increase dietary iron but it's not easy as I have severe IBS and can't tolerate any leafy veg or lentils or beans, and have been told by the practice nurse not to eat red meat as my LDL cholesterol is (very slightly) above range. But I guess it's amatter of weighing up risks and benefits, and I have been eating red meat lately anyway, as I'm not convinced by the cholesterol hypothesis.)
We usually have more iron than we need. And a blood test means absolutely nothing, because excess iron is stored in the cells and not in the blood.
For a lack of energy, taking small quantities of T3 during the day and T3/T4 at bedtime, with food to slow down absorption, will provide energy to each cell.
Have you tested your T3?
Hello Hidden, Thank you for that advice. I'm not on T3 at present, though I'm considering asking for it as my latest Medichecks test showed above range T4 (27 with range 10-22) and optimum T3, suggesting poor conversion I think. However, the NHS test done 5 days later gave T4 as 22 (range 12-22). They didn't test T3 of course. Another point to consider, which I've just found out from a link Jaydee sent me, is that estrogen replacement can cause T4 to rise, and I'm using transdermal estrogen prescribed by the gynaecologist (I know I know - not good! That's anotherdiscussion to be had when I can face it.)
Hey Val, when a user name is “Hidden” it means the original poster has deleted their account.
I’ll just point out that it is completely incorrect to say that “we usually have more iron than we need” and full iron panels absolutely mean a lot.
It is true that a single iron- related measure is entirely insufficient to gauge your iron profile. But a full iron panel takes us a very long way in determining a complete picture of your iron health. It is also true that understanding and managing iron is an incredibly nuanced effort.
But we can tell from a complete iron panel enough to say if you can safely supplement (you should not), or if you are iron toxic (you are not), and most relevant to you - your iron panel shows “good” enough (not too over and not too under) - and so the route to take as a first step for your iron as I noted below is increasing your iron-rich foods in your diet.
It is also true - as you have already noted in your responses that managing your total thyroid health (ie, ft4, ft3) is a related but separate endeavor, and same goes for your sex hormones. It sounds like you are in the right track investigating! I didn’t want you to be thrown off by the above, especially since the OP has deleted themselves anyway.
Hi. Just to make you aware that I and others have found Medichecks returned higher ferritin levels than GP results, even when taken just days apart.
Me too…I had ferritin at Drs on 10th June, it was 37, just had one at Medichecks it was 86! I’ve only been able to take 1 iron tablet a day,( have been awaiting heme iron to arrive) & one of those wks I stopped taking prior to test. No signs of infection on CRP, can’t see it possibly rising that quickly,/as much as I’d like it to!! I asked for help on PA site and a clever scientist on there pointed out there are many different ranges/types of ferritin testing so best not to try to compare companies…I’ve contacted Medichecks who’ve asked for my recent Drs results, so await to see…
Hi Jo, very interested to see what Medichecks tells you - about different results days apart!
I hope you’ll update us when they get back to you!
Hi Fallinginreverse, sorry prob didntbexpjain that very clearly. My b12 jab not quite working magic yet! I had the Drs one 10th June & medichecks recently, so few weeks between. My ferritin has never risen that quickly before, so yes will be interested to see what's said, and yes will report back here. Have an iron panel to complete too with them, so interesting as to how that turns out too...sorry to confuse!
All good… that actually makes more sense. As with ferritin there isn’t typically a units of measurement issue and even if ranges are different it usually isn’t by much - and isn’t ad important as with thyroid test range differences.
I think for you - especially with your B12 shots - that’s more likely the issue. That being said - mixed anemia between b12 and iron has even more variables than just assessing an iron panel! Which is very nuanced to begin with!
That’s of course why our mantra is “change one thing at a time” … otherwise analysis and action planning gets muddled like this!
Keep notes like that with all your iron panels. No one number tells the whole story, and no one point in time does either.
Share your full iron panel when you get it!
Thanks…yes all very confusing isn’t it! ‘Ive needed iron & b12 so trying to get those right first. I’ve been really unwell most of this yr agn with so many symptoms including quite severe neuro ones which had returned after being swopped from monthly jabs to tablets(functional b12 defic),so it’s hard to decipher what’s what. My ferritin was mid80’s last yr, but has obv lowered again. It’s been much lower,11 at times in past, with no instruction from Dr, but I don’t fancy being much iller! I’ve been given another loading dose b12 & every 2mnthly is the best I can squeeze out of them at mo!.
I’ve been waiting for 4mnths since loading dose to recheck MCH levels as they were raised as I’ve been told it can take that long for them to lower. If they’re normal agn, can presume it was the b12 defici that was causing it & not folate too? I have the medium methylator gene but don’t want to over do folic acid if I don’t need to as I eat plenty of folate rich foods daily. Then it seems thyroid levels not as they should so if they’ve not improved by then, will look into that. As u say, it’s a case of bits at a time & trying to work out what is causing what!
Thank you I will post iron panel on here, fingers crossed it works, last few attempts last year just didn’t!
Hi. ..Well iron panel failed except for ferritin which has apparently jumped up another 25 in a wk, no supplementation to 110! I've never had this happen before it takes so long for a small raise. Contacted medichecks who don't see it as a problem and advise not to compare providers.So now I've 3 arrows sitting here and darent take! Have a chance to do retest but worried same will happen again. On other hand though, if I do another it may give me an indication of if ferritin risen further ad that part of test seems to work. Thanks...
So you paid for a test that failed? You get a re-do I assume? CRP-hs would be helpful about now.
However, the full results in your original post tell me you shouldn’t be supplementing anyway.
Ferritin jumping is obviously not how ferritin usually behaves when your iron panel is pretty close to optimal, and you say you’ve changed nothing about your iron intake. I also have zero info on the scale that vit B can impact it. Certainly out of my depth except your need to find a reliable and consistent provider for a full iron panel, or a hematologist if you think there is actually a concerning underlying trend of increasing iron.
Too many unknowns, keep digging!
Thanks FallinginReverse...CRP they did is normal,both times, it always is though even if I've had it checked by them or nhs when I've been pretty unwell and deemed as having some kind if infection.Yes, I get another go! A little annoyed I paid postage to have ut there by 1, it arrived before 10, yet wasn't marked as received by lab until the next day mid aft,so that delayed testing.
Were u thinking Valtals posts at top are mine. .I jumped into conversation! I haven't had iron panel results for a while, tried few times last yr but cldnt get results, praps I shldve learnt lesson!
My Dr won't give me an iron panel. So I now have choice of redoing pinprick, or looking into having a nurse come in and pay extra, except I'm bit worried if it's the posting of the test and delay, it could haemolyse anyway.
It just seems odd to be rising so quickly, in and this last fortnight not taking any iron! Ho hum, yes, keep.a delving, story of our lives
Thanks again...
Yeah - the challenge of jumping someone else’s thread. Start a new post when you have the whole story : )
Test error
Iron intake/ enhanced
B12 impact
Inflammation
Iron disorder ??
What else??
ps start your own post : )
Thank you. Yes I will start a new post when I get retest results then....do you mean that's what I've got to include in it, all those pointers?
Reasons I can think why your ferritin result dramatically jumped.
EDIT - just scanned a previous post. Very important to always point out you are not on Levo… and I assume not diagnosed hypo? Or? No one on the board has lived experience managing iron while not hypo. Makes a difference.
Thank you, bit slow off the mark at mo no, not on levo. I asked Dr abt it when tsh went up to 6 at one stage, but then it improved and lowered after starting b12 inj last time around. Dr did suggest after then trying levol,but didn't seem to give a reason, looking on notes now, it was written as the type that's caused by antibodies, except I'd not had antibody tests via him? I was concerned abt lactose in it, due to been diagnosed with dairy intolerance and getting temperatures and infections after retrying it, plus wondered why when thyroid results had improved, that I needed it? So that was that.
My freeT4 on this test is lowest its been...12, range of 9-19 I think,so greygoose suggested I may have pituitary type thyroid prob?
Thank you...I will start a post abt ferritin
Thank you…have put a post on with recent ferritin & other results & bit of shortened history
Hi, I contacted Nedichecks who've just said not to try to compare different labs to each other. Plot thickens, did iron panel I'd already bght last wk, and didn't work apart from ferritin which has jumped up another 25 on a wk with no supplementing, to 110? Really not sure what's going on...I'd like to think its good, but it seems a lot in a small amount if time?
I do feel for you as I'm in exactly the same position. The person on PA Society forum really knows their stuff, but with GP's refusing to accept there's even an issue with low ferritin (I had exactly the same problem), it's tough to know where to go if they're not prepared to do the tests.
Medichecks told me also I shouldn't compare tests with different providers, but seem to be avoiding the fact that their range starts at 30, which they say is in line with NICE recommendations though. That would suggest this is an 'accurate' reading, but doesn't in any way explain the discrepancy. It all feels very arbitrary.
At the moment, I'm working on the fact my Medichecks showed 'X' reading at the same time as my GP one and this is my baseline. Mine is slowly rising, but I already knew this from my symptoms. I'm still supplementing, but not overdoing it, but as you say, this is a constant worry as to whether I'm having 'enough' or 'too much'.
I'd love to hear if you find any better providers of tests. It would be great to find a reliable one I can stick to.
ThanksKBird01, sorry yre having problems too, if only the Drs wld do iron panels. Surely it'd give them more accurate information than just ferritin! I've explained to various Drs over yrs that even if my ferritin reads 50+ iron profiles*when they used to seem to work!) Showed I quite badly needed to supplement, but they show no interest.Yes, yre right. I'd think Medichecks is very similar range anyway. I'm not saying their reading us wrong, it's now been retested and even higher so can only assume its something within me happening? Theyve offered to do both tests again, will check how soon it needs to redone as could try one ASAP, then leave the thyroid/ferritin a little while as a back up.
Glad yve got a baseline and yours is steadily rising as it should. I've got a nicevpit of three arrows sitting here waiting to try and not sure I'm going to need it at this rate. No pleasing some us there, lol, I've complained for years at how slow my ferritin is to rise, now its potentially whooped up and I'm still not happy! Yes it us a concern though as u say, abt taking too much. If mine continues at 25 a wk, I'll be looking for ways to extract it! Take xare. I'll.kp in touch with findings!
Your results are good so that your first step should be increasing eating foods that are rich in iron.
What’s your diet like now regards to iron?
You should not supplement with those levels.
Fluctuating ferritin is most often due to inflammation, so in the future make sure to include a CRP-hs test in the same blood draw.
Although a ferritin between 30-60 can cause symptoms for sure, given the good results in the rest of your profile I would recommend also optimizing thyroid and key vitamins at the same time. It’s unlikely but not impossible that these iron results are the root cause.
But I haven’t looked at any of your other posts or results. Is your thyroid and your vitamins optimized already?
Hello FallingInReverse (what a great username!), thank you for taking the trouble to advise me.
My diet as regards to iron: I was on a mainly vegan diet until a few weeks ago, when I began to think it might not be good healthwise, especially as I have severe IBS and can't tolerate leafy veg, beans or lentils and have cut out dairy for ethical reasons. I'm now eating red meat and dark chocolate so hope this will help.
Thyroid and Vitamins: I'm in process of getting vitamins tested. Latest thyroid tests show high T4 with just optimum T3 but I'm using estrogen replacement, which I've just discovered can raise T4 levels, so that may need reviewing. I have an appointment with the GP practice pharmacist on Monday, so will discuss all these issues.
I appreciate your input.
Was that iron test done when you were eating vegan?
No, it was done on 31st July, a few weeks after returning to eating meat.
Do you have any numbers done while vegan?
Only ferritin, which was 30, and Jaydee said that is considered deficient bt NICE guidelines.
Eyebrows have started growing again : )
Need Advice Please 
Increased anxiety…
Menopaused. Would starting HRT mean reducing NDT? Has anyone experience of this please?
I’m fine. Really?
