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Ferritin question....

Rand56

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
Last time I had my ferritin tested it was in the 70's range. At the time I was under the assumption that this was even a bit high. According to the info on this site, I was wrong in my assumption....

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ferritin/

"........desirable goal, which appears to be a Ferritin lab result of 70-90. For men it will be higher."

" It’s common to see healthy men with a ferritin over 100."

I "am" low cortisol......

"Even worse, good iron levels are needed in the production of cortisol via the adrenal cortex. This study reveals that an iron-containing protein is present in high amounts in the adrenal cortex and is involved in the synthesis of corticosterone. So by having low iron, you can potentially lower your cortisol levels."

Does anyone know if this information is accurate, and it would be healthier for me if I got my levels over 100? I did not have those other iron parameters, listed on that site, tested the last time I had ferritin tested. Maybe I should.

Rand
 

Rand56

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
hi merylg

Thanks for the link, although I'm not sure what conclusions I can make from this. So they are saying males range is anywhere from 30-300, so me testing in the 70's I would assume is way too low?
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
Hi Rand, some of us dream of Ferritin in the 70's :D I would have thought, if your haemoglobin levels are normal (not anemic) then this level would be ok.
I've been operating on a level of 5 for years (not saying this is good though!)

There can be issues with supplementing iron if its not needed, so i would be wary.
all the best, Justy.
 

Rand56

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
Hi Justy

I should have had the other tests done. I only did Ferritin. Did it on my own and not thru a doc. Yes, and I'm aware of not supplementing if not needed.
 

Timaca

Senior Member
Messages
792
When I was anemic I was working with an iron disorders doctor. My ferritin was 5 ng/mL at that time. He said that any ferritin level less than 50 ng/mL meant that the bone marrow was deficient or depleted of iron stores, no matter what the reference range was of the testing lab. He wanted my ferritin level close to 100 before I quit taking iron supplements just so I'd have a bit of a cushion.

Now I keep an eye on my ferritin level and make sure it stays between 50 and 100.

Your ferritin level appears to be quite fine and I would not see any reason to raise it.

Best, Timaca
 

Sparrow

Senior Member
Messages
691
Location
Canada
I would also suggest a peek at your iron before you do too much. My test results suggested that I actually had plenty of iron floating around but the problem was in processing and storing it. So more iron wouldn't necessarily help me.
 

Rand56

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
hi Timaca

Thanks for your input. I would guess 70's is better than men who are lower but the info on STTM is saying that optimally males should be over 100..although who knows if that information is correct? This is what I'm trying to find out.

hi Sparrow.

Good point and I was actually not going to do anything until I decide to get tested again and this time I will make sure I include for iron.

Rand
 

Timaca

Senior Member
Messages
792
Rand~ It doesn't say that "optimally males should be over 100". It says " It’s common to see healthy men with a ferritin over 100."

"It's common" does not = "optimally" Those are two different categories. From all I know a ferritin level of 70 is just fine. Especially if other iron indices are normal.

Best, Timaca
 

merylg

Senior Member
Messages
841
Location
Sydney, NSW, Australia
hi merylg

Thanks for the link, although I'm not sure what conclusions I can make from this. So they are saying males range is anywhere from 30-300, so me testing in the 70's I would assume is way too low?

70 could be fine OR even if it was 100 you could still have low iron stores IF you have inflammation, liver disease or malignancy, as ferritin rises with those as an acute phase reactant.
In those cases you would need a full "Iron Studies Panel" which includes Iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity, Transferrin Saturation & Ferritin.
You would also need a Soluble Transferrin Receptors test so you could look at the ratio of Ferritin to Sol. Transf. Receptors.
Then a Haematologist to interpret it all for you!

http://rcpamanual.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&Itemid=80
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
I just happened to see this thread. I have discussed this on other threads so I may be repeating myself.

My ferritin was low, my doctor had me on iron supplements but I couldn't tolerate the iron and it wasn't helping that much. Evidently, I don't absorb iron the way I should as I have IBS. My doctor sent me to a hematologist.

Long story short, I ended up getting a nine hour infusion of iron and my ferritin level is quite good. In fact it's high but not so high that I have iron overload. It's been almost a year and I don't need to go back to the hematologist unless my ferritin gets low again when I get my routine bloodtest.

The range considered "normal" can depend on your health. I have Restless Legs Syndrome and for that your ferritin level should be at a minimum 120.

It really helped with the RLS and I was able to get off the medication for that. As far as energy, it did help a bit but not as much as I thought it would. At least my iron levels are now normal.

My regular blood count was normal. Even if you blood count is normal if your ferretin is low you can get the same symptoms as anemia. In fact it's considered a form of anemia.

Hope this helps.

Barb C.:>)
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
My regular blood count was normal. Even if you blood count is normal if your ferretin is low you can get the same symptoms as anemia. In fact it's considered a form of anemia.

Hope this helps.

Barb C.:>)

That's what one doctor I saw in the past said too. I think the lab result too classified it as anemia ..something like that was written at bottom of one of my tests.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Last time I had my ferritin tested it was in the 70's range. At the time I was under the assumption that this was even a bit high. According to the info on this site, I was wrong in my assumption....

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ferritin/

"........desirable goal, which appears to be a Ferritin lab result of 70-90. For men it will be higher."

" It’s common to see healthy men with a ferritin over 100."

I've just got the results of my own test for anaemia and my ferritin is 35, which my doctor said was in the normal range. I was surprised and I asked if this was at the lower end of the normal range and she said it wasn't. My blood cells were a good size and my thyroid levels were normal.

On this NIH site, the normal range is given as 12-300 for men, 12-150 for women:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003490.htm

That's very different from the one on the thyroid site. It's also a huge (suprisingly so) range. I don't know what to make of that.
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
I am not a doctor and I'm just giving my experience here, but 35 is lower than mine was after taking iron. Again, it depends on your health. My nurse practioner was not aware of this as she just read the reference range. I had her call the doctor who knew it was low and she consulted with my neurologist who said it was too low, especially for RLS and the fact that I have IBS, as many of us do, which can effect absorption of nutrients. He was the one who he referred me to the hematologist. My BIL is also a hematologist/oncologist and he says most people need "at least a ferritin reading of 50, but consult your physician". He always puts that caveat at the end as you can't and shouldn't diagnose in isolation.:) I will see him this next week during the Thanksgiving holidays and will run this by him.

Frankly, I would not follow the recommendations in the book StopTheThyroidMadness as IMHO and from what I have read it's not the best resource as much of the information is not up to date. The book recommends dosages based on symptoms and you need a doctor/medical professional to put those symptoms in context. It also recommends the basal temp. reading which is not reliable and the dessicated thyroid medication which is not as effective as the prescription. Even though the prescription does not contain T4 it is better than the dessicated thyroid as it normalizes yourT4. We don't need the same amount of T4 as pigs.:aghhh: If you need T4 that should be determinded my a endocrinologist.

My suggestion would be to see or consult with an endocrinologist. But again I am reporting my experience with my thyroid/ferritin. I can't emphasize enough how dangerous it can be to play around with these medications.

I will look for some references.

Whew, I didn't mean to write this much.

Barb C.:>)
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
I am not a doctor and I'm just giving my experience here, but 35 is lower than mine was after taking iron. Again, it depends on your health.

I'm getting the impression from the little I've read that you're on the money with that - whether your ferritin level is OK depends on what else you've got going on.

I take iron supplements (and have for several years) because of very heavy periods. I was borderline anaemic some years back and my level has come up but with a 'healthy' range that big, who knows what their personal optimum ferritin level should be?
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
I can't take the iron supplements because of IBS so had to bypass the stomach with getting an infusion which worked when the supplements didn't.

You need to not only get the CBC(?) reading but the ferritin as well.

Barb C.:)
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I've just got the results of my own test for anaemia and my ferritin is 35, which my doctor said was in the normal range. I was surprised and I asked if this was at the lower end of the normal range and she said it wasn't. My blood cells were a good size and my thyroid levels were normal.

On this NIH site, the normal range is given as 12-300 for men, 12-150 for women:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003490.htm

Different labs often have different ranges. The one I had my test done throu had the normal range down as 10-150. My result was 13 but thou it was in the labs normal range they still noted that level to be low and further looked into etc. So doctor had to do follow up tests but they didnt show up anything.

I meat binge all the time eatting it 3 times daily (due to my insulin issue...meat heaps stop insulin spikes) in large amounts (600g-1kg per day) and still got that low level. My CFS specialist says my body is using up my iron to repair damage being done to my cells etc.

*Note since my very low D has decided to go up to just in range (without supplements thou my specialist still isnt happy with it) and my ESR (inflammation marker) at the same time went down.. my iron went up some too (Im gettin my test results on Monday so I'll get to see what it is now)
 

globalpilot

Senior Member
Messages
626
Location
Ontario
Hi Rand, some of us dream of Ferritin in the 70's :D I would have thought, if your haemoglobin levels are normal (not anemic) then this level would be ok.
I've been operating on a level of 5 for years (not saying this is good though!)

There can be issues with supplementing iron if its not needed, so i would be wary.
all the best, Justy.

I thought that for years too. It is my doctor that kept telling me that is not true. He said it is needed for energy production and when had a look at some papers on mitochondrial function, sure enough, they mention it as one of the needed nutrients. So, I'm not sure if you can have normal hemoglobin and yet low iron in your mitochondria.