How to bring up ferritin level fast

[tommyg130]

If you’ve tanked your ferritin with too many blood donations when already living an anti iron lifestyle how do you get it back up ?

I have Heme iron supplements. It’s straight hemoglobin from grass fed spleen.

What I can’t get an answer for is where copper comes in.

Would using additional copper sulfate, help raise iron in conjunction with direct iron supps. That’s what I’ve gathered but I’m not sure. Copper will help raise iron because it helps mobilize it?

It’s not like a copper zinc situation Correct? Copper won’t lower or antagonize iron?

Any other ideas to get ferritin back up?
Fatigue and hair loss and cold symptoms are prominent.

I assume most are against iron and copper supps , as I would for most situations, and don’t plan on using this long term by any means. Thank you

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Ray Peat says pairing vitamin C foods with high iron foods will help the body absorb three times more of the iron.

 

[TheSir]

In general, there is no 'fast' when it comes to mineral repletion. It is going to take months. Copper might help, but it is better to use chelates instead of sulfate.

 

[tommyg130]

Ray Peat says pairing vitamin C foods with high iron foods will help the body absorb three times more of the iron.

 

[tommyg130]

In general, there is no 'fast' when it comes to mineral repletion. It is going to take months. Copper might help, but it is better to use chelates instead of sulfate.

Got it . I just want some symptom resolution. Not asking to me perfect you know? Chelates okay. So by no means will copper lower iron

 

[Peatness]

Have you tried eating red meat and limiting milk intake for a while?

 

[tommyg130]

Have you tried eating red meat and limiting milk intake for a while?

I always ate red meat, however I always had coffee or cheese w it on purpose to block iron. Now I am having vitamin C and no milk or coffee

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Also keep your calcium away from those high iron foods.

 

[Peatness]

I always ate red meat, however I always had coffee or cheese w it on purpose to block iron. Now I am having vitamin C and no milk or coffee

In that case it should come back up pretty quickly. @tankasnowgod has a post about b6 and anemia. I came across it recently.

 

[tommyg130]

In that case it should come back up pretty quickly. @tankasnowgod has a post about b6 and anemia. I came across it recently.

Trying to find it, b6 could help someone w low iron? I actually have p5p. Maybe I should take some

 

[tommyg130]

Trying to find it, b6 could help someone w low iron? I actually have p5p. Maybe I should take some

It makes sense because whenever my iron goes low my prolactin sky rockets. Implying there may be some b6 depletion going on?

 

[Peatness]

Trying to find it, b6 could help someone w low iron? I actually have p5p. Maybe I should take some

Sorry not just b6 but b complex. Here is the post

Calling on anemia / iron utilization experts

Trying to help a 73 yo male with chronic low ferritin, hemoglobin, RBC and fatigue even with multiple iron infusions While there is low grade Inflammatory bowel disease, no overt bleeding has been detected. It seems like the iron is taken up by cells and doesn't bind ferritin nor to produce...

raypeatforum.com

 

[JudiBlueHen]

What is your ferritin level currently? in ng/mL

I had the opposite issue. Mine jumped to 603ng/mL when I had COV with tachycardia (NOT RECOMMENDED!). Now it is down to 149, so in the normal range of 8-252 (per hospital lab). Where did all that excess ferritin come from? Breakdown of red blood cells?

 

[redsun]

If you’ve tanked your ferritin with too many blood donations when already living an anti iron lifestyle how do you get it back up ?

I have Heme iron supplements. It’s straight hemoglobin from grass fed spleen.

What I can’t get an answer for is where copper comes in.

Would using additional copper sulfate, help raise iron in conjunction with direct iron supps. That’s what I’ve gathered but I’m not sure. Copper will help raise iron because it helps mobilize it?

It’s not like a copper zinc situation Correct? Copper won’t lower or antagonize iron?

Any other ideas to get ferritin back up?
Fatigue and hair loss and cold symptoms are prominent.

I assume most are against iron and copper supps , as I would for most situations, and don’t plan on using this long term by any means. Thank you

There is little point in taking other vitamins and minerals especially if you get plenty in your diet otherwise. Its iron that you need. Take the iron for like a good month. If it is heme it will absorb very well and you will get iron back into your system quickly. You do not need to supplement copper alongside it if you have good sources because we really do not need that much copper daily. Iron we do not need much daily either unless you are depleted. Only thing that is going to fix your iron depletion is iron. Nothing else will work so its not worth your time considering other things because its clear what the issue is. Too much blood donation = severe iron depletion = iron deficiency related issues. Sooner you replete iron the sooner those symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss, feeling cold will subside.

 

[MayaPapaya]

If you’ve tanked your ferritin with too many blood donations when already living an anti iron lifestyle how do you get it back up ?

I have Heme iron supplements. It’s straight hemoglobin from grass fed spleen.

What I can’t get an answer for is where copper comes in.

Would using additional copper sulfate, help raise iron in conjunction with direct iron supps. That’s what I’ve gathered but I’m not sure. Copper will help raise iron because it helps mobilize it?

It’s not like a copper zinc situation Correct? Copper won’t lower or antagonize iron?

Any other ideas to get ferritin back up?
Fatigue and hair loss and cold symptoms are prominent.

I assume most are against iron and copper supps , as I would for most situations, and don’t plan on using this long term by any means. Thank you

Check your Thyroid first.

 

[Dainis Spainis]

Look in to hepcidin. It could be elevated because of infection. If hepcidin is elevated ferroportin and DMT-1 (both are mineral transporters) could be inhibited. Those are also inhibited in lack of Vitamins D and A. If inhibited iron and some other minerals are not absorbed: copper, manganese, selenium, cobalt, zinc, molybdenum. All those are related with antioxidant enzymes SODs and gluation normal functions, thyroid etc. -> ROS elevated... I dont really understand iron-copper relation, but copper as part of copper superoxide dismutise can help with elevated ROS in mitochondria. When ROS are controled in crebs cycle enzymes akg-dh and sdh are working properly -> more energy, more NAD and FAD is returned from NADH and FADH2 -> normal energy levels and NAD controls better inflamation status -> which turns down hepcidin, which allows normal mineral absorption.
So there is a loop as you see. I think liposomal minerals and/or humic/fulvic acids in form like shilajit/mumijo or other industrially made supplements could help as those are using different mechanisms to get minerals in to cells. Probably humic/fulvic acids can balance minerals from different organs where minerals have accumulated to those where the mineral is in absent quantities. Tho forcing iron while you have infection could worsen situation. Also there are some special cases like mangenese is used by lyme bacteria.
So in case of humic/fulvic acids. I am using 2 kind of humic/fulvic supplements with mineral supplements - probaly in this way minerals will be absorbed better. Probably humic/fulvic alone will be great.

 

[tommyg130]

T

Look in to hepcidin. It could be elevated because of infection. If hepcidin is elevated ferroportin and DMT-1 (both are mineral transporters) could be inhibited. Those are also inhibited in lack of Vitamins D and A. If inhibited iron and some other minerals are not absorbed: copper, manganese, selenium, cobalt, zinc, molybdenum. All those are related with antioxidant enzymes SODs and gluation normal functions, thyroid etc. -> ROS elevated... I dont really understand iron-copper relation, but copper as part of copper superoxide dismutise can help with elevated ROS in mitochondria. When ROS are controled in crebs cycle enzymes akg-dh and sdh are working properly -> more energy, more NAD and FAD is returned from NADH and FADH2 -> normal energy levels and NAD controls better inflamation status -> which turns down hepcidin, which allows normal mineral absorption.
So there is a loop as you see. I think liposomal minerals and/or humic/fulvic acids in form like shilajit/mumijo or other industrially made supplements could help as those are using different mechanisms to get minerals in to cells. Probably humic/fulvic acids can balance minerals from different organs where minerals have accumulated to those where the mineral is in absent quantities. Tho forcing iron while you have infection could worsen situation. Also there are some special cases like mangenese is used by lyme bacteria.
So in case of humic/fulvic acids. I am using 2 kind of humic/fulvic supplements with mineral supplements - probaly in this way minerals will be absorbed better. Probably humic/fulvic alone will be great.

Thank you very much for this

 

[Hans]

If you’ve tanked your ferritin with too many blood donations when already living an anti iron lifestyle how do you get it back up ?

I have Heme iron supplements. It’s straight hemoglobin from grass fed spleen.

What I can’t get an answer for is where copper comes in.

Would using additional copper sulfate, help raise iron in conjunction with direct iron supps. That’s what I’ve gathered but I’m not sure. Copper will help raise iron because it helps mobilize it?

It’s not like a copper zinc situation Correct? Copper won’t lower or antagonize iron?

Any other ideas to get ferritin back up?
Fatigue and hair loss and cold symptoms are prominent.

I assume most are against iron and copper supps , as I would for most situations, and don’t plan on using this long term by any means. Thank you

Ferritin might be low, but check transferrin saturation, serum iron, UIBC, and ceruloplasmin as well. As you supplement iron, transferrin saturation might remain low due to low copper. I've also seen very low ferritin but high UIBC and transferrin saturation. So you want to see the whole picture.
Testosterone enhances iron absorption, so make sure that's high.
As others mentioned, limit inflammation from infection (which will reduce iron absorption) and eat a nutrient-dense diet.

 

[Dainis Spainis]

Yes, testosterone also inhibits hepcidin -> improves mineral absorption in gut.

 

[tommyg130]

Ferritin might be low, but check transferrin saturation, serum iron, UIBC, and ceruloplasmin as well. As you supplement iron, transferrin saturation might remain low due to low copper. I've also seen very low ferritin but high UIBC and transferrin saturation. So you want to see the whole picture.
Testosterone enhances iron absorption, so make sure that's high.
As others mentioned, limit inflammation from infection (which will reduce iron absorption) and eat a nutrient-dense diet.

My ferritin actually rose from 31-87 now in just two weeks w no supplements. All I did was stop coffee and milk short term bc they block iron. Serumn iron actually went lower? Idk why . That fluctuates day to day and hour to hour I think.

My uibc is middle range, trans Sat I don’t have months ago it was low at 18% .. iron Sat is also pretty low at 15%. So maybe I need some more copper to help me absorb the iron. The pic attached my ferritin is at 87 now, not shown in that pic.

2 weeks ago my “iron” was at 75. So my iron fell below the range , while my ferritin tripled. Either infection , faulty lab result , or I fixed my issue removing coffee and milk after iron meals