Just Had Blood Tests Results And Their Terrible

[Josh]

GUYS, probably the most important post i'm gonna make in this group.. and i;d so appreciate all your help because i come to you guys before i do searches online..
Had my blood tests done last monday, fasted at like 9:10AM.. Last time having food was like 19:00pm night before..

As you can all see there are a few higher ranged ones like moncyte, total white cell amount, platelet count, eosinophil count.. i have no idea what any of these mean!! Overall if any of you can help me out with these letting me know whats considered high/too low etc..


Then obviously the most worrying one is the iron..
Last year around this time i had the same iron blood tests and my results were:
-Ferritin = 230.
-Serum iron = 19.
-Serum transferrin = 2.4.
-Saturation = 31.5%.
So this big increase is down to the fact that i eat way to much red meat.. eating nearly everyday since end of 2017 time.. HOW CAN I GET THIS DOWN? Obviously first thing im going to do is stop eating red meat and just stick to cheese, Gelatin and cod and prawns.

(I'm 20, 5ft9, 148 pounds)

.

 

[Ella]

Are you on steriod medication like predisolone? High WBCs, monocytes and eosinophils is a common result in individuals on cortiosteroid medications.
It may also be a sign of infection but if this was the case we should see low iron with the high ferritin. Clearly this is not the case in your situation.
High eosinophils usually parasitic, however parasitic infection associated with low iron not high.

The cortisol is probably elevated in trying to resolve an inflammatory process which is backed by elevated ferritin and elevated platelets. Steriod medications will also increase platelet counts.

Ferritin is normally elevated in conditions of inflammation, infections and liver disease. Ferritin levels > 1000 ng/l is suggestive of liver damage from cirrhosis and fibrous and clearly this is not your situation at this point in time. I don't know your age and if you are young, then you need to take precautions with managing iron.

However the transferrin saturation index is a sensitive marker for liver disease. The fact your transferrin saturation is over the range indicates trending towards hemochromatosis (iron overload). High transferrin saturation is the earliest evidence of hemochromatosis.

In males, > 60% is highly sensitive for homochromatosis. You are not there yet and if you are young, you may be trending towards this area. I would have dr test for HFE gene mutation for hemochromatosis. If you test positive then you should have other family members test for the gene as they will be at high risk of liver disease.

You should also donate blood regularly to prevent the accumulation of iron. Look at diet, perhaps include more dairy with iron rich meals or milk/coffee combo.
Increased storage of iron in liver results in decreased vitamin D levels. You should monitor your Vitamin D levels. You want to keep your Vitamin D between 50 - 80 ng/ml as optimal vitamin D levels protects against inflammation and much more. Optimal may be specific to the individual, I would ask dr to monitor PTH level to find the optimal level for you. You may find 80 being optimal for you rather than 50; it depends on the individual circumstance. Has dr checked your calcium and phosphorus level? Blood draws alone have been shown to increase Vitamin D levels due to the reduction in iron. Low serum 25-OHD concentration in patients with hemochromatosis is directly related to the extent of iron loading and it is improved by venesection therapy.

 

[Josh]

Are you on steriod medication like predisolone? High WBCs, monocytes and eosinophils is a common result in individuals on cortiosteroid medications.
It may also be a sign of infection but if this was the case we should see low iron with the high ferritin. Clearly this is not the case in your situation.
High eosinophils usually parasitic, however parasitic infection associated with low iron not high.

The cortisol is probably elevated in trying to resolve an inflammatory process which is backed by elevated ferritin and elevated platelets. Steriod medications will also increase platelet counts.

Ferritin is normally elevated in conditions of inflammation, infections and liver disease. Ferritin levels > 1000 ng/l is suggestive of liver damage from cirrhosis and fibrous and clearly this is not your situation at this point in time. I don't know your age and if you are young, then you need to take precautions with managing iron.

However the transferrin saturation index is a sensitive marker for liver disease. The fact your transferrin saturation is over the range indicates trending towards hemochromatosis (iron overload). High transferrin saturation is the earliest evidence of hemochromatosis.

In males, > 60% is highly sensitive for homochromatosis. You are not there yet and if you are young, you may be trending towards this area. I would have dr test for HFE gene mutation for hemochromatosis. If you test positive then you should have other family members test for the gene as they will be at high risk of liver disease.

You should also donate blood regularly to prevent the accumulation of iron. Look at diet, perhaps include more dairy with iron rich meals or milk/coffee combo.
Increased storage of iron in liver results in decreased vitamin D levels. You should monitor your Vitamin D levels. You want to keep your Vitamin D between 50 - 80 ng/ml as optimal vitamin D levels protects against inflammation and much more. Optimal may be specific to the individual, I would ask dr to monitor PTH level to find the optimal level for you. You may find 80 being optimal for you rather than 50; it depends on the individual circumstance. Has dr checked your calcium and phosphorus level? Blood draws alone have been shown to increase Vitamin D levels due to the reduction in iron. Low serum 25-OHD concentration in patients with hemochromatosis is directly related to the extent of iron loading and it is improved by venesection therapy.

Hi Ella!
Nope I’m not on steroids or anything..

I am only 20, so yeah lucky I’ve found this out now, I’ve been eating too much red meat so I’m going to cut that right out now and give blood ASAP!

Doc has not checked calcium / phosphorus levels..

Thanks so much Ella.. I know high iron can cause damage to organs so got me worried..

 

[Josh]

I’ve just booked in for blood to be taken tomorrow.. also @Ella what is PTH levels?

And based on the fact it looked like it’s an infection or somewhat, what else do I need to test to find this out? Stool etc? I do have bad eczema which I’ve been getting really badly infected a few times already this year, I would say I’m prob constant fighting Infections from that

 

[Josh]

Question regarding taking blood to get iron down: looking it up now it seems that if the reason for the blood to be taken is to get iron down doctors can do a certain type of blood taking where it is done more regularly I think?

I’ve now just booked in for a general blood take which is one of them only can have it done every so often, the one where the blood goes to a good cause etc .. is that good enough for now? Shall I still do this one now and then look into the more regular one ASAP?

 

[TeaRex14]

Coffee and calcium are really good at inhibiting iron. Drinking 4-5 cups of coffee would be a great first step. Improving your copper status will help too, so eating oysters, shrimp, and cacao frequently will be good. Lowfat dairy, like reduced fat cottage cheese, is packed with protein and calcium and can be a great replacement for red meat. Blueberries, because of their high antioxidant and polyphenol content, is excellent at inhibiting iron and oxidants in general.

 

[Josh]

Anyone suggest any further blood tests I should try for ?

 

[dreamcatcher]

GUYS, probably the most important post i'm gonna make in this group.. and i;d so appreciate all your help because i come to you guys before i do searches online..
Had my blood tests done last monday, fasted at like 9:10AM.. Last time having food was like 19:00pm night before..

As you can all see there are a few higher ranged ones like moncyte, total white cell amount, platelet count, eosinophil count.. i have no idea what any of these mean!! Overall if any of you can help me out with these letting me know whats considered high/too low etc..


Then obviously the most worrying one is the iron..
Last year around this time i had the same iron blood tests and my results were:
-Ferritin = 230.
-Serum iron = 19.
-Serum transferrin = 2.4.
-Saturation = 31.5%.
So this big increase is down to the fact that i eat way to much red meat.. eating nearly everyday since end of 2017 time.. HOW CAN I GET THIS DOWN? Obviously first thing im going to do is stop eating red meat and just stick to cheese, Gelatin and cod and prawns.

(I'm 20, 5ft9, 148 pounds)

.View attachment 12788View attachment 12789

Listen to Chris Masterjohn's iron- and copper status videos on YouTube. There might be some inflammation in your body since your ferritin is high. The blood platelet abnormality is linked to copper status as well, as far as I remember but those two videos by Masterjohn should clear all confusion. All the best.

 

[dreamcatcher]

Are you on steriod medication like predisolone? High WBCs, monocytes and eosinophils is a common result in individuals on cortiosteroid medications.
It may also be a sign of infection but if this was the case we should see low iron with the high ferritin. Clearly this is not the case in your situation.
High eosinophils usually parasitic, however parasitic infection associated with low iron not high.

The cortisol is probably elevated in trying to resolve an inflammatory process which is backed by elevated ferritin and elevated platelets. Steriod medications will also increase platelet counts.

Ferritin is normally elevated in conditions of inflammation, infections and liver disease. Ferritin levels > 1000 ng/l is suggestive of liver damage from cirrhosis and fibrous and clearly this is not your situation at this point in time. I don't know your age and if you are young, then you need to take precautions with managing iron.

However the transferrin saturation index is a sensitive marker for liver disease. The fact your transferrin saturation is over the range indicates trending towards hemochromatosis (iron overload). High transferrin saturation is the earliest evidence of hemochromatosis.

In males, > 60% is highly sensitive for homochromatosis. You are not there yet and if you are young, you may be trending towards this area. I would have dr test for HFE gene mutation for hemochromatosis. If you test positive then you should have other family members test for the gene as they will be at high risk of liver disease.

You should also donate blood regularly to prevent the accumulation of iron. Look at diet, perhaps include more dairy with iron rich meals or milk/coffee combo.
Increased storage of iron in liver results in decreased vitamin D levels. You should monitor your Vitamin D levels. You want to keep your Vitamin D between 50 - 80 ng/ml as optimal vitamin D levels protects against inflammation and much more. Optimal may be specific to the individual, I would ask dr to monitor PTH level to find the optimal level for you. You may find 80 being optimal for you rather than 50; it depends on the individual circumstance. Has dr checked your calcium and phosphorus level? Blood draws alone have been shown to increase Vitamin D levels due to the reduction in iron. Low serum 25-OHD concentration in patients with hemochromatosis is directly related to the extent of iron loading and it is improved by venesection therapy.

@Ella, C Masterjohn thinks transferrin saturation should be between 30-50% which is considered optimal.

 

[Ella]

Hi Ella!
Nope I’m not on steroids or anything..

If you have been an eczema sufferer, you may ave been using steroid cream to keep it at bay. It is important to leave no stone un-turned.

I am only 20, so yeah lucky I’ve found this out now, I’ve been eating too much red meat so I’m going to cut that right out now and give blood ASAP!

Males quickly accumulate iron and if you drink alcohol like beer, iron absorption increases. Red wine with your red meat also greatly aids the absorption of iron as does foods rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin C supplements. So you want to keep fruit and sugar away from red meat. You want to rule these out along with the reduction of red meat. I don't know what too much red meat consumption is for you, but if you are not pairing calcium rich foods with the red meat, then iron absorption will be high. It is very hard to excrete iron, however running is one way of excreting it or going into a bloody battle which I don't recommend.
The niacin, zinc and b-vitamins from red meat is beneficial for eczema, so if you reduce red meat you need to substitute other foods which are rich in these minerals. @TeaRex14 has some good suggestions in getting some copper rich foods into diet which compete with not only the iron but also the high zinc from the red meat. Zinc is great for males and for skin conditions but like iron we don't want to be storing too much in the liver. Again it is highly suggestive that copper maybe the mineral which keeps both iron and zinc from misbehaving.

Unfortunately, we don't have a sensitive marker for zinc overload as we do with iron.
Doc has not checked calcium / phosphorus levels..
Red meat is high in phosphorus and if the diet is low in calcium-rich foods, the high phosphorus will be inflammatory. Gelatin will help balance the inflammatory amino acids in red meat. Phosphorus is naturally high in grains, seed and beans and ensuring you have plenty of calcium and fruit in the diet will help to address the proper ratio of calcium to phosphorus.

You should find plenty of posts on this forum to gain further understanding on the calcium to phosphate ratio. Reducing red meat maybe a prudent strategy. You are very young and your ability for protein synthesis and maintaining lean muscle mass is highly efficient unlike older people who may benefit from little more red meat + gelatin. If you reduce your red meat, you may want to replace with shellfish which are high in all trace minerals including iron. Drinking milk or a milk coffee will chelate the iron from high iron foods.
Thanks so much Ella.. I know high iron can cause damage to organs so got me worried..

You are fortunate to have landed in the right place to learn about the dangers of high iron at your young age. Resolving your iron problem may be as simple as optimising your diet and it may even turn out that you don't carry the gene mutation. Still you don't want to wait until transferrin saturation is >60% for sure. It is one of the most common gene variants in the Western world, something like 1 in 300 people of Northern
European descent. Not typically found in African, Asian or Middle Eastern populations.

@Ella, C Masterjohn thinks transferrin saturation should be between 30-50% which is considered optimal.

Your right @cinderella, @Josh is > 50%, his iron level is at the upper end of the range and haemoglobin also at the higher end of the range and his ferritin is elevated. Copper certainly stands out for investigation.

https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2017/01/27/need-manage-iron-status/
https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2017/03/22/know-youre-risk-iron-overload/
https://chriskresser.com/nutrition-...optimal-health-macronutrient-ratios-and-more/

@Josh, Chris Masterjohn has the hemocromatosis gene defect (maybe more than one) and he still eats red meat but also liver and shellfish for the copper and trace minerals.

Chris Kresser has a large hemochromatosis patient base and has taken a special interest in the condition.

 

[Ella]

I’ve just booked in for blood to be taken tomorrow.. also @Ella what is PTH levels?
PTH stands for parathyroid hormone. I am not sure if your dr can order this test as you may need to be referred to an endocrinologist to order it for you. Speak to your dr about getting it tested. If it is elevated, then it means you need to increase your calcium intake to suppress it. PTH is also an inflammatory marker. Vitamin D is also required to suppress it. If you have iron dysregulation, you will also have blood sugar dysregulation. Optimising your Vitamin D and calcium will help to address these issues.

And based on the fact it looked like it’s an infection or somewhat, what else do I need to test to find this out? Stool etc? I do have bad eczema which I’ve been getting really badly infected a few times already this year, I would say I’m prob constant fighting Infections from that

If you have been battling with infected eczema; what have you been using to calm it down? Have you been using corticosteriodal creams? Dr must have given you a prescription to help with the infection??

Do you experience any gut issues or pain? It may be you are eating lots of red meat but not digesting it completely due to lack of stomach aid, pancreatic enzymes, bile etc. Meat which is not fully digested becomes food for gut bugs. I don't like stool tests and find them highly variable. I suggest doing a urinary acid test instead. This tests for nutritional markers, metabolites which are only produced by certain gut bugs and yeasts and neurotransmitters.
If you are dealing with dysbiosis or overgrowth of certain species, it is a more useful test.
Unfortunately, your regular dr may not be familiar with it this test. I have provided the link below. I think it would be beneficial to you in trying to resolve the eczema and uncovering other issues.
Organic Acids Test — The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc.

I think those are the basics which I would work on - I don't want to overwhelm you nor worry you unnecessarily. Work with your dr to get on top of what is driving the high iron and hopefully get some resolution with the skin issue.
Best,

 

[Luk3]

One blood donation and one month on lactoferrin, and my ferritin dropped from 230 to 60.

 

[Josh]

Thanks all really really helpful !!

So I’m going to donate blood tomorrow, and then two hours later i have a party where I’ll probably drink alchohol (have not drunk in like 4-5 months) ..

After I’ve given blood is it okay to go and drink alchohol ??

 

[Josh]

@Luk3 @Ella @cinderella

 

[Luk3]

Thanks all really really helpful !!

So I’m going to donate blood tomorrow, and then two hours later i have a party where I’ll probably drink alchohol (have not drunk in like 4-5 months) ..

After I’ve given blood is it okay to go and drink alchohol ??

Definitely not. My friend did this years ago, and was very ill for a week.

 

[Peatful]

One blood donation and one month on lactoferrin, and my ferritin dropped from 230 to 60.

@Luk3
Regarding Lactoferrin-
300mg or 600mg per day?
Just for 30 days or did you continue a maintenance dose?
If continued, what dose and how often?
Thx

 

[Luk3]

@Luk3
Regarding Lactoferrin-
300mg or 600mg per day?
Just for 30 days or did you continue a maintenance dose?
If continued, what dose and how often?
Thx

500mg a day. Just for 30 days.

 

[Kratos]

It would be best for you to never touch alcohol again.

 

[Arnold Grape]

Some goods tips for reducing iron (above) are donating blood, but I've heard that coupling higher doses of vitamin c with b-vitamins is an alternate approach. Eating a copious amount of cilantro is also helpful.

 

[Ella]

It would be best for you to never touch alcohol again.

Yeah, the best thing you can do to save your liver is to never touch alcohol again. Do you know the fastest growing disease among young people in last 30 years is fatty liver disease - liver transplants!!! This was a condition only seen in old people - WTF??? Alcohol is toxic to liver cells. Not only does it damage liver cells, alcohol depletes nutrients like b-vitamins, results in Vitamin A dysregulation. Vitamin A is extremely important for a young bloke. Your markers are alerting you that your liver is experiencing inflammation and there is much oxidative stress going on. It is not as simple as getting blood draws and problem fixed. You need to change your lifestyle habits to support liver health and the health of the whole organism. Don't try to poison it when it is in a compromised state. After a blood draw you should give the body supportive and nourishing foods to rebuild healthy blood volume. Quite a bit of blood is taken, so saturating your blood with alcohol is a sure way to end in the hospital emergency department.