Can someone please help me understand these labs?

[apr]

Hey. I am having a hard time understanding labs concerning iron/saturation/ferritin etc. and when is it recommended to supplement iron, even though Peat was against it. This is for someone who is looking to get pregnant but wants to sort this out before trying.

hemoglobin 12.5 (12-16) *low

iron 99.8 (33-193)

transferrin 228 (265-497) *low

saturation percentage. 43.77 (20-55)

ferritin 19.6 (13-150) *low

Is the important thing here to raise ferritin or transferrin? How? Or take iron sups?

Thank you to anyone who understands this!

 

[apr]

Hey. I am having a hard time understanding labs concerning iron/saturation/ferritin etc. and when is it recommended to supplement iron, even though Peat was against it. This is for someone who is looking to get pregnant but wants to sort this out before trying.

hemoglobin 12.5 (12-16) *low

iron 99.8 (33-193)

transferrin 228 (265-497) *low

saturation percentage. 43.77 (20-55)

ferritin 19.6 (13-150) *low

Is the important thing here to raise ferritin or transferrin? How? Or take iron sups?

Thank you to anyone who understands this!

Anyone? Do these labs warrant a dr visit? Or should supplementing iron be the answer. Thank you.

 

[Hans]

Anyone? Do these labs warrant a dr visit? Or should supplementing iron be the answer. Thank you.

What's your diet like? How much protein do you eat?

 

[TheSir]

Low ferritin typically signals the need to supplement iron no matter what the other values reveal. Lactoferrin or a combo of lactoferrin and iron will work better than iron alone.

 

[youngsinatra]

Iron deficiency would show up in low serum iron, low total-iron-saturation, low ferritin & high transferrin.

I‘d check out other potential causes of anemia like B vitamin deficiencies (B2, B6, folate, B12) and potentially copper deficiency. (serum copper and ceruloplasmin)

Low thyroid (high TSH) can also disrupt iron/copper metabolism.

 

[apr]

What's your diet like? How much protein do you eat?

I eat fruits, vegetables, eggs, protein freely. Do not eat gluten or dairy or grains (except rice). Dairy causes skin issues for me. I could do with more daily protein intake.

 

[apr]

Iron deficiency would show up in low serum iron, low total-iron-saturation, low ferritin & high transferrin.

I‘d check out other potential causes of anemia like B vitamin deficiencies (B2, B6, folate, B12) and potentially copper deficiency. (serum copper and ceruloplasmin)

Low thyroid (high TSH) can also disrupt iron/copper metabolism.

Thanks!

So in essence even through ferritin and transferrin are low, this is not indicative of iron deficiency and the anemia could be cause by the other causes mentioned. If that is the case, would eating or supplementing with liver not really address the anemia?

Also, I know low ferritin is better by Peat standards than high ferritin, but in this case is there a thing as too low? This seems borderline outside the range.

I have tested folate and B12 recently and they are in the higher part of the range. I have been B2 deficient in the pst but have not tested recently. I have never tested B6. Serum copper is at 90 (70-175 mcg/dl). I have not tested ceruplasmin.

Currently a little hypo and working on treating that.

 

[apr]

Low ferritin typically signals the need to supplement iron no matter what the other values reveal. Lactoferrin or a combo of lactoferrin and iron will work better than iron alone.

I know this is the common way of looking at it but I though by Peat standards a lower ferritin was desirable? or is this too low in this case?

 

[youngsinatra]

Transferrin elevates in iron deficiency. :)

I can only speak for myself but supplementing thyroid normalized my low iron labs (low serum iron, low saturation (14%), high transferrin but normal ferritin around 70.

After 1 month on thyroid my serum iron normalized, iron saturation rose to 26%, transferrin normalized and ferritin rose to 100.

 

[TheSir]

I know this is the common way of looking at it but I though by Peat standards a lower ferritin was desirable? or is this too low in this case?

Yeah it's too low. Optimal for thyroid is ~130.

 

[Hans]

I eat fruits, vegetables, eggs, protein freely. Do not eat gluten or dairy or grains (except rice). Dairy causes skin issues for me. I could do with more daily protein intake.

When you say freely, how many grams per day is that? Red meat or white meat? Do you eat liver frequently?