Low Ferritin

[Bling19]

In May of this year my Ferritin level was 11 (range 15-200) and I was given Ferrous Fumarate and told to have bloods done again in a few months. My recent results were 19. I know Ferritin levels are notoriously slow to rise but I was surprised at the very slow progress....Does this seem right?

[FallingInReverse]

Everyone is different, but yes, that is not surprising or uncommon.

I went from 7 to 12 in about that time, and probably twice that long to reach the mid 20s. I’m still working on it!

How’s the rest of your iron profile?

[Bling19 in reply to FallingInReverse]

Thank you for your reply. It's good to know I'm not the only one! The rest of my iron profile is okay although I don't have the results to hand. I can't believe how hard it is to raise your ferritin levels....I've worked so hard!

[gabkad in reply to Bling19]

Is there a reason why you don't use a heme iron supplement? That tends to work better.

Ferrous gluconate every other day also works well.

Also iron should be taken every other day. It takes time for the cells in the small intestine to process it. Taken every day or multiple times per day just means it bypasses the area in the small intestine where iron is absorbed. There is only a 4 inch length of gut where iron is absorbed.

Coeliac disease damages the gut and it is harder to absorb iron. Just mentioning this. I don't know if you have it or not.

I'll assume you are not having a GI bleed? Even small ones add up.

[FallingInReverse in reply to gabkad]

Just a note regards to alternate day dosing. Although there are studies that explore this, they are not conclusive as to whether it is more effective.

It certainly impacts the body’s response and cellular mechanisms for absorption and transport, but not in a way that means everyone should do alternate day dosing.

[FallingInReverse in reply to Bling19]

If your iron panel is just “ok” vs optimal… you may not be taking the right amount of iron.

As gabkad notes below, unless you are a vegetarian, many of us here take heme iron (a brand called Three Arrows). Many benefits above the non-heme irons.

[humanbean]

NHS Info on ferrous fumarate :

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/ferro...

Please note that if you want more ferrous fumarate tablets you can buy them without prescription from pharmacies in the UK.

It took me nearly two years to raise my ferritin from very low in range to mid-range. I was taking ferrous fumarate at maximum dose all that time. I started maximum dose in 2013 when the maximum dose was substantially higher than it is now. I was taking one tablet, three times a day. Once I raised my ferritin to mid-range I had to find a maintenance dose to keep it there because it continued to drop like a stone if I gave up the iron. I was on a maintenance dose for five years. Then my serum iron, which had stayed very low throughout all these years started to rise. Once it was where I wanted it to be I stopped taking iron supplements altogether.

The dose was changed/reduced about 2 or 3 years ago (?) as a result of this research :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If all this had happened more recently than 2013 I would have approached things differently. For a start, I would have tried haem iron tablets rather than ferrous fumarate which is one of the iron salts. And I might have saved up for an iron infusion.

For info on haem iron supplements :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

threearrowsnutra.com/en-uk/...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If you have the money, you could also look into getting a private iron infusion. But beware that they don't last forever and you might end up with low levels of iron again in just a few months. I have no idea how often that happens though.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

you need ferritin, folate, b12 and vitamin D all at optimal levels for good conversion of Ft4 to Ft3

What are your most recent TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 and vitamin results

How much levothyroxine are you taking

Presumably it’s Teva or Vencamil as need lactose free

Are you also gluten free

Once vitamin levels are optimal ….if Ft3 remains low

Private prescription enables access to Thybon Henning lactose free T3

Here’s link for how to request Thyroid U.K.list of private Doctors emailed to you, but within the email a link to download list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologists who will prescribe T3

Ideally choose an endocrinologist to see privately initially and who also does NHS consultations for possibility of eventually getting T3 on NHS

thyroiduk.org/contact-us/ge...