High blood iron but normal ferritin levels?

edoos

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Jan 10, 2021
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Hi guys,

I have done a blood test and saw that my iron level is way over the range something like 364 with an upper range of 200.

I know that I use to have high iron level in the blood since I’m young but it vary. Sometimes in it’s on the top range and sometimes way over it.

My doctor told me there is not issue because my ferritin level is normal.

but I’m wondering if having free iron in the blood isn’t bad per say even if my ferritin is normal.

Would love to have your opinion @Hans

Thanks for your help.
 

youngsinatra

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Hi guys,

I have done a blood test and saw that my iron level is way over the range something like 364 with an upper range of 200.

I know that I use to have high iron level in the blood since I’m young but it vary. Sometimes in it’s on the top range and sometimes way over it.

My doctor told me there is not issue because my ferritin level is normal.

but I’m wondering if having free iron in the blood isn’t bad per say even if my ferritin is normal.

Would love to have your opinion @Hans

Thanks for your help.
I‘d get a „full monty iron panel“ to get a accurate picture.

I think serum iron and ferritin are pretty meaningless, when looked at them just by themselves.
 

rr1

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Nov 16, 2019
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Hi guys,

I have done a blood test and saw that my iron level is way over the range something like 364 with an upper range of 200.

I know that I use to have high iron level in the blood since I’m young but it vary. Sometimes in it’s on the top range and sometimes way over it.

My doctor told me there is not issue because my ferritin level is normal.

but I’m wondering if having free iron in the blood isn’t bad per say even if my ferritin is normal.

Would love to have your opinion @Hans

Thanks for your help.
What is your ferritin level? The range for ferritin is huge, but the ideal number is a the lower end of that range.
 
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edoos

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What is your ferritin level? The range for ferritin is huge, but the ideal number is a the lower end of that range.
As I remember I’m 3/4 of the range. I need to double check
 

Don

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How do you tan in summer ? if you get lots of light brown spots and patches on your skin you very well could be high iron, its lipofuscin going on. I would consider donating blood and work on eating high copper foods, like gf beef liver, shellfish and bee pollen. doing these things even if your not high iron is not bad for you, and if you are will help.
 
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edoos

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Hi guys,

Thanks for your answer, here is the sum up of those levels (it's in french so let me know if you don't understand).
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Thanks for your help
 

Mito

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Hi guys,

Thanks for your answer, here is the sum up of those levels (it's in french so let me know if you don't understand).View attachment 27523View attachment 27524

Thanks for your help
“On the full iron panel you want your transferrin saturation to be between 30% and 40%, probably your ferritin between 60 and 150 in American units.”

“So let’s compare ferritin and transferrin saturation here. In terms of sensitivity, the reason that ferritin increases in response to too much iron status is because on a mechanistic level, elevated transferrin saturation communicates through HFE to hepcidin to downregulate iron absorption and to increase storage of iron and ferritin. So transferrin saturation is much more sensitive than ferritin is because transferrin saturation is the cause of ferritin elevating in response to too much iron, and that’s consistent with my own story where my transferrin saturation was going out of the reference range while my ferritin was way, way, way within it. In fact, when ferritin is used to diagnose hemochromatosis, then it may be the case that they won’t recommend that you get a liver biopsy until your ferritin reaches 1000 nanograms per milliliter, and you could probably catch all of those people with hemochromatosis if you just screened everyone who has transferrin saturation over 45%.”
Why You Need to Manage Your Iron Status and How to Do It
 
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edoos

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So would my current result mean that I have haemochromatosis?
 

yerrag

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Optimal range for ferritin, based on Dr. Weatherby's functional medicine chart, is 33-236.

So ferritin is above range as well.

Your doctor follows a looser range, which is typical of the standard of care of conventional medicine.

I personally don't follow the standard of care, as they often give false negative and keep patients from acting on warning signs, and a developing disease gets worse. This is considered good business practice by the medical establishment, but bad for the health of the patient.
 

Hans

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Hi guys,

I have done a blood test and saw that my iron level is way over the range something like 364 with an upper range of 200.

I know that I use to have high iron level in the blood since I’m young but it vary. Sometimes in it’s on the top range and sometimes way over it.

My doctor told me there is not issue because my ferritin level is normal.

but I’m wondering if having free iron in the blood isn’t bad per say even if my ferritin is normal.

Would love to have your opinion @Hans

Thanks for your help.
Serum iron is more of an immediate result of eating an iron-rich meal. But it can also be high if other things are wrong. But based on your other markers, your iron (ferritin and transferrin saturation) is too high. What's your diet like?
 
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edoos

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Serum iron is more of an immediate result of eating an iron-rich meal. But it can also be high if other things are wrong. But based on your other markers, your iron (ferritin and transferrin saturation) is too high. What's your diet like?
Thanks for your reply. I have those levels since my 20-year-old, first time I test them, I'm now 34 and my doc also told me it's okay your ferritin is in the range nothing to worry even if you saturation is over the range... It sometimes lower a bit but overall stay like this. I also have high haemoglobin near 18 and haematocrit 50-52% I think it's a result of high iron. I never tested for haemochromatosis and not sure if I need to do something now to test iron overload in organs as I'm scared on developing disease like cancer of liver/heart problems. I got bad palpitation recently and went for to a doc who said everything is normal but yeah overall I'm not happy with those levels and would like to do something. I started curcumin and green tea who seems to lower iron overload form organs. Not sure what else I can do....
 

Motif

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Hi guys,

I have done a blood test and saw that my iron level is way over the range something like 364 with an upper range of 200.

I know that I use to have high iron level in the blood since I’m young but it vary. Sometimes in it’s on the top range and sometimes way over it.

My doctor told me there is not issue because my ferritin level is normal.

but I’m wondering if having free iron in the blood isn’t bad per say even if my ferritin is normal.

Would love to have your opinion @Hans

Thanks for your help.
Do you know your copper and zinc levels ?
 

tankasnowgod

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So would my current result mean that I have haemochromatosis?

The way Hemochromatosis is currently defined...... no. But, with Ferritin over 200, you would fall into the "High Normal" category, which has seen an increased level of heart disease, and other degenerative diseases. If you look at the Zacharsky studies, there are benefits to keeping ferritin lower than 90, with maybe around 40-60 being "ideal."

If you are male, iron just tends to keep accumulating as you age (and may indeed be one of the causal factors in "aging" itself). Hemochormatosis patients often have incredibly high ferritin numbers, in the high hundreds to well over 1000. 1000 is usually though of as the "critical point," as that is when serious liver damage becomes more likely, and harder to reverse. But there's no need to wait until it gets critically bad to undertake an iron lowering strategy. Lowering "High Normal" Ferritin and then keeping it in the lower end of the range can bring about both short and long term benefits.

I'm sure your doctor doesn't know much about the dangers of high iron, in general. Or even the benefits of keeping iron near the lower end of the range (I think the lab range goes too high, personally). I would ask him if he's familiar with the Zacharsky studies, or if he ever read E.D. Weinberg's excellent book, "Exposing the Hidden Dangers of Iron." Personally, I lowered iron from a starting ferritin of 444 down to near the 20s, and noticed a huge improvement in mood, energy, and ability to handle carbohydrate.

Donating blood reliably lowers ferritin, and that's something you can likely easily and safely do to lower iron levels. There are many other methods discussed on the forum, including aspirin and IP6.
 
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edoos

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The way Hemochromatosis is currently defined...... no. But, with Ferritin over 200, you would fall into the "High Normal" category, which has seen an increased level of heart disease, and other degenerative diseases. If you look at the Zacharsky studies, there are benefits to keeping ferritin lower than 90, with maybe around 40-60 being "ideal."

If you are male, iron just tends to keep accumulating as you age (and may indeed be one of the causal factors in "aging" itself). Hemochormatosis patients often have incredibly high ferritin numbers, in the high hundreds to well over 1000. 1000 is usually though of as the "critical point," as that is when serious liver damage becomes more likely, and harder to reverse. But there's no need to wait until it gets critically bad to undertake an iron lowering strategy. Lowering "High Normal" Ferritin and then keeping it in the lower end of the range can bring about both short and long term benefits.

I'm sure your doctor doesn't know much about the dangers of high iron, in general. Or even the benefits of keeping iron near the lower end of the range (I think the lab range goes too high, personally). I would ask him if he's familiar with the Zacharsky studies, or if he ever read E.D. Weinberg's excellent book, "Exposing the Hidden Dangers of Iron." Personally, I lowered iron from a starting ferritin of 444 down to near the 20s, and noticed a huge improvement in mood, energy, and ability to handle carbohydrate.

Donating blood reliably lowers ferritin, and that's something you can likely easily and safely do to lower iron levels. There are many other methods discussed on the forum, including aspirin and IP6.
Thanks for your reply, I’m currently starting curcumin and green tea and it’s now more than 12 years that I have those levels so hope damage is reversible so far (I’m 34y old). I’m bit scared of blood test so not sure I’m able to donate blood since I quite faint on a blood test, but would like to start supplements to lower it.
 

tankasnowgod

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Thanks for your reply, I’m currently starting curcumin and green tea and it’s now more than 12 years that I have those levels so hope damage is reversible so far (I’m 34y old).

All damage to the body can be reversed. And the damage I was referring to in my earlier comment were for those who had ferritin levels at or above 1000. "High Normal" ferritin isn't nearly as dangerous.

I personally don't know much about the effectiveness or curcumin and green tea. To establish what effect (if any) it has, and what doses to use, you would have to monitor ferritin regularly, maybe every couple months or so.
 

yerrag

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I also have high haemoglobin near 18 and haematocrit 50-52%
That's a red flag for low blood volume.

With low blood volume, practically all blood concentration - based markers are high.

I don't know why doctors don't ever adjust readings to account for blood volume, but I do it with my blood tests.

If you post your CBC, I will humor you with my interpretation of your CBC markers. At the very least, you will be entertained since it's not 'evidence-based.' It may be considered at the level of reading tarrot cards.
 
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rr1

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Thanks for your reply. I have those levels since my 20-year-old, first time I test them, I'm now 34 and my doc also told me it's okay your ferritin is in the range nothing to worry even if you saturation is over the range... It sometimes lower a bit but overall stay like this. I also have high haemoglobin near 18 and haematocrit 50-52% I think it's a result of high iron. I never tested for haemochromatosis and not sure if I need to do something now to test iron overload in organs as I'm scared on developing disease like cancer of liver/heart problems. I got bad palpitation recently and went for to a doc who said everything is normal but yeah overall I'm not happy with those levels and would like to do something. I started curcumin and green tea who seems to lower iron overload form organs. Not sure what else I can do....
Milk and vitamin E
 

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