Hi, Ive been trying to get my iron/ferritin levels up for some time now and am confused by new results. Ferritin has increased but iron has decreased. Here are my previous results from
May 2024:
Iron 14.7 (10-30)
TIBC 61.9 (45-81)
UIBC 47.2 (13-56)
Transferrin Saturation 23.7% (25-45)
Ferritin 24.20 (30-207)
January 2025:
Iron 9.6 (10-30)
TIBC 55 (45-81)
UIBC 45.8 (13-56)
Transferrin Saturation 17% (25-45)
Ferritin 32 (30-207)
TSH 0.289 (0.27-4.2)
T3 4.9 (3.1-6.8)
T4 18.1 (12-22)
B12 has gone from 99.5( 37.5-188) in Nov 24 to 125 (>37) in January 2025
Vit D has gone from 50.5 (>50 sufficient) to 65.
Currently take 100mcgs levothyroxine 6 days a week and 75mcgs on 1 day.
Thank you in advance
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feethead
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Goodness your ferritin is still very low, mine went under 40 and my hair was falling out and I struggled to get up stairs.
I chose to supplement with Heme Iron after trying all sorts, eating liver twice a week etc, Three Arrows Simply heme daily for 3 months for me to 100.
Mine was low due to heavy bleeding, so you know the cause of yours?
Veggie? vegan?
The way I remember how it works is ferritin is the store cupboard of iron that is drawn from when HB iron is getting low. So your HB iron is low and the stores are also low, so when you supplement it’s getting taken up for the HB and isn’t being replaced in sufficient quantities to raise ferritin stores. Supply isn’t yet above demand, it’s not replenished quickly enough.
Thanks for your reply. My folate result says: 13.0 (folate result between 7-13 may indicate a possible folate deficiency.) I will increase to 100mcgs every day - I always take Vencamil. I am mostly gluten free but have been eating more of it recently - will stop that! Have put on an awful lot of weight since my diagnosis in October 2023.
I take a Spatone drink daily and 3 sprays of holand and barrett iron every day. I also eat black pudding regularly. I also take Vitamin D spray every day. It is impossibel to speak to my GP has been for ages now - I get bloods done privately.
Igennus B complex popular option. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose and may need separate methyl folate couple times a week
Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B complex that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule) Thorne can be difficult to find at reasonable price, should be around £20-£25. iherb.com often have in stock. Or try ebay
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 5-7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg)
I take a Spatone drink daily and 3 sprays of holand and barrett iron every day
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
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.
I am mostly gluten free but have been eating more of it recently - will stop that! Have put on an awful lot of weight since my diagnosis in October 2023.
How much do you weigh in kilo
You probably have room to increase dose Levo higher once vitamin levels improve
Gluten free needs to be absolutely strictly GF to be effective
Dairy free may be beneficial too, especially with weight
yes i will be strictly gluten free from now on - Im 66 kilos. I hate meat - i make myself eat black pudding even tho I hate it! will try to introduce some other type of meat too and will eat lots of other foods containing iron too. thanks for all the advice
Hi, ferritin results can vary a bit as ferritin rises if you’ve been fighting off any infections (as most of us have at this time of year). So you can’t read too much into the rise along with the fall in haemoglobin.
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