Has Anyone Used At Home Ferritin Test

[Sparklingsunshine]

I just wondered if anyone has ever used one of these, you collect enough blood in the little pippette tube, add the blood to a test cassette, add the buffer liquid, wait for 5 minutes. If two lines come up ferritin levels are above 30, if only one line, that suggests iron deficiency. They claim if done correctly they are at least 95% accurate. Can be bought via Amazon.

I've done two in the last 3 weeks and both show deficiency. This isnt unusual for me, prior to menopause I was always on iron tablets. I had ferrtin tested about 2.5 years ago and it was just over 150. But I've had symptoms in the last few weeks, shortness of breath, fatigue, dry skin, shaky legs, appetite loss, palpitations and fast heart rate. My thyroid was tested in December and was all in range except for TSH which is very low ( this is normal for me).

I'm now considering buying an MMH test to check iron, folate and active B12 as I dont want to go to GP. I'm sort of surprised if it is ferritin, but I am a strict veggie so maybe not lol. I guess I just assumed post menopause wouldnt be an issue. I dont want to start taking iron tablets if not genuinely deficient.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

as a vegetarian it’s extremely common to struggle to maintain GOOD iron/ferritin

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

If taking any iron supplements stop 5-7 days before testing

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Presumably you supplement B12 and B complex daily

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to SlowDragon]

I do. And I've increased my jab frequency of B12.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

Next step get FULL iron panel test