A thoughts on these blood results?

[Trippin]

Hi all,

I've been dealing with moderate fatigue for the last 7 years along with other issues. My GP has yet again said everything looks totally fine with my bloods, even though some key things are out of range or not optimal.

I've summarised some of the key results that I think could be related to my fatigue in the attached and I'd like to ask if anyone on here has any input beyond what my GP has said? Sub optimal (as far as I am aware) are shown in red. Many thanks.

 

[wabi-sabi]

Does the lab give a reference range for what the values should be?

 

[Trippin]

@wabi-sabi Ah yes that would have been helpful..

 

[Crux]

Your iron panel, with low transferrin, low TIBC, high ferritin, borderline high transferrin saturation, is pointing towards iron overload.

Most docs would say to wait and see, but I wouldn't . Meanwhile, non-transferrin bound iron, NTBI could be collecting in the liver, heart, brain, etc., causing damage.

Personally, I keep iron regulated by taking : Copper glycinate, low dose Cod liver oil, and low dose B vitamins.
Also, I don't eat a high iron diet, and take small amounts of calcium chelate with meals. Calcium inhibits iron uptake.
I take small amounts of zinc (separate from copper) as it also inhibits iron uptake.

Iron can infiltrate the thyroid and slow its function. Copper and zinc support thyroid function.

 

[wabi-sabi]

I don't think this is iron overload, since your iron levels themselves are in the green zone. My first worry would be liver problems. You are low in both transferrin, which the liver makes and in platelets, which tend to be low in liver disease.

Are you having any problems with bruising, bleeding, blood not clotting when you cut yourself, ore even gums bleeding when you brush and floss?

 

[wabi-sabi]

A GI doc, rather than your GP, is the one who would be able to figure out if you have a liver issue or not.

 

[Crux]

It is my understanding that serum iron is more of an indication of recent intake , such as a meal.

 

[Trippin]

Thanks all. Appreciate the input.

I don't think this is iron overload, since your iron levels themselves are in the green zone. My first worry would be liver problems. You are low in both transferrin, which the liver makes and in platelets, which tend to be low in liver disease.

Are you having any problems with bruising, bleeding, blood not clotting when you cut yourself, ore even gums bleeding when you brush and floss?

No, none of these issues.

Here are my liver results

 

[wabi-sabi]

It is my understanding that serum iron is more of an indication of recent intake , such as a meal.

Yes, I think this can fluctuate more than ferritin does. But since both are in a good range here, I think we can interpret this as iron levels are OK and something else is going wrong. But what? Not sure.

 

[Crux]

I stand by the iron overload, after studying many research papers written by many experts on the subject.

A full body MRI, interpreted by someone trained to spot the iron accumulation would be the most definitive.

Since I don't have the money for it, and I feel massively better since I brought my own iron overload down, I'll stay the course, and recommend it to other people.

 

[Shanti1]

I have to agree with @Crux on this one. Serum iron is highly variable depending on recent diet. TIBC, Transferrin, ferritin and %saturation are all pointing in the same direction. An optimal Ferritin should be below 100-150, higher than that and it is linked to a host of chronic diseases due to oxidation from excess iron. Optimal %saturation is prob around 30. I'm on my phone so can't provide references but if anyone wants them I can post them tomorrow.

Check and see if you have iron in your multi or other sups or, if you are on well water, that it isn't iron rich. Also, avoid cast iron cookware. If you can't find the source of the iron, you may want to see if you carry a gene for excess iron absorption called hemochromatosis.

 

[Shanti1]

Also consider green tea and curcumin to lower iron absorption

 

[Trippin]

Thans for all the input everyone. Just to highlight, my ferritin hasn't always been this high and really crept up in the last few months. Possibly related to inflammation from a bad case of covid I had back in end July.

 

[Shanti1]

my ferritin hasn't always been this high and really crept up in the last few months. Possibly related to inflammation from a bad case of covid I had back in end July.

Yeah, the ferritin can go up in inflammation. It is thought to be a mechanism to sequester iron from the blood since bacteria and viruses use it to replicate, so at the same time, you will see serum iron decrease. But the %saturation seems to still be pointing to excess iron....

 

[xploit316]

[GROUP=]

I don't think this is iron overload, since your iron levels themselves are in the green zone. My first worry would be liver problems. You are low in both transferrin, which the liver makes and in platelets, which tend to be low in liver disease.

Are you having any problems with bruising, bleeding, blood not clotting when you cut yourself, ore even gums bleeding when you brush and floss?

@wabi-sabi In my personal case I have bleeding gums and my iron panel shows high ferritin low iron and also low transferrin. If its indeed a liver issue, what would be the best approach to rectify? Avoid foods that lower iron further? Thanks

 

[Alvin2]

@SWAlexander I have below lower range iron but very high ferritin? Does this point to a fatty/copper overloaded liver?

[GROUP=]


@wabi-sabi In my personal case I have bleeding gums and my iron panel shows high ferritin low iron and also low transferrin. If its indeed a liver issue, what would be the best approach to rectify? Avoid foods that lower iron further? Thanks

I'm wondering if you have a dental infection that is causing anemia of chronic disease?
https://www.1dental.com/blog/gum-disease-anemia/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemia_of_chronic_disease