Low Iron Problem

[marsaday]

Can anyone give me some advise about my wife's low iron levels?

She has had some recent blood tests done as follows:

UIBC 60 umol/l (20-62) This is high in a person if they are low in iron usually

Iron 10 umol/l (6-34.5)

Transferrin Saturation 14.3 % (15-45)

Ferritin 19.7 ug/l (13-150)

Reading what Ray Peat says about iron, he thinks it is down to low thyroid problems. She does take 50mcg T4 and has a TSH of 1 and FT4 15.75 (12-22). Vit D is 81 nmol/l.

She has been using liquid iron, but stopped a few weeks before this blood test.

Her problem is one of absorption rather than not getting enough iron in the diet. She eats meat and veg rich in iron and does not have heavy periods. She has been taking the iron supps with vit c as well to help the absorption.

So does anyone know how a person can solve this absorption problem ? If it is thyroid related, what other course of action could she take ?

 

[marsaday]

I have been doing some reading and on the stop the thyroid madness website it says someone low must take approx 150-200mcg iron per day for two months to get levels up. Then go onto a maintenance dose.

I thought my wife was on plenty, but it turns out she has only been taking 20mcg per day. So this looks like the reason she is low. So we are going to up the level to 60mcg per day and see how she gets on.

 

[tara]

I'm no good at reading iron lab results, but what here makes you think they are problematically low? Are there associated symptoms?
Are you sure she is only supplementing 20 mcg? Not mg?

 

[marsaday]

I always get the units muddled up. Basically what ever we normally need to take. STTM website say you need 150-200 mg or mcg units to up the iron.

She is healthy, but can have periods of tiredness and can be pale. So i know the iron is a problem, but i understand why now. She is not going to supp as much as the recommended amount, just take a 20mcg /mg tablet 3 x a day.

 

[Mittir]

Reading what Ray Peat says about iron, he thinks it is down to low thyroid problems. She does take 50mcg T4 and has a TSH of 1 and FT4 15.75 (12-22). Vit D is 81 nmol/l.

You did not mention if your wife is anaemic or not. RP mentioned that if one is
not anaemic then iron level is not a big issue.
I have read in a CDC article that less than 50 percent of female has iron deficiency anaemia.
That would mean rest of the 50 percent anaemic patient has anaemia without iron deficiency.
RP was talking about hypothyroidism being possible cause of anaemia without iron deficiency.
He is not talking about hypothyroidism causing iron deficiency.

Only taking T4, especially for female, can worsen hypothyroidism.
Female hypothyroid patient often have problem converting T4 to T3
due to liver function resulting from excess estrogen. Measuring total T3,
reverse T3, temperature and pulse can give a good idea about thyroid function.

Iron level is low and it is possible your wife has Non-anaemic Iron Deficiency.
Proton pump inhibitor and antacids can impair non-heme iron absorption.
http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/non-ana ... deficiency

 

[messtafarian]

If your wife is anemic -- in other words if there is something wrong with her Complete Blood Count, then it might not be iron that is the problem. Deficiencies in B-12, B6( I think), copper and folate can all show up as anomalies in normal bloodwork. If copper is low then it can show up as "iron deficiency anemia" because iron and copper work together --- the cells will try to use iron instead of copper for energy.

I have really low iron and did for years. I always showed a low hemoglobin count and very low iron which I am supplementing now. My iron levels, even now, are actually lower than your wife's.

However I am no longer clinically anemic -- even with very low iron -- after supplementing with all b vitamins and copper. I frankly do not feel much better but my bloodwork is good :).

 

[marsaday]

Hi, sorry for not replying sooner, but just noticed i have some replies.

It is interesting what you say about the copper, b12, b6 as a possible cause for lower iron problems.

She doesnt have out and out anaemia, but the GP has recommended she take iron supplements. She took iron also while she was pregnant 1 1/2 years ago.

Can you both not tell if she is anaemic from the results i have posted ? Is anaemia not determined by looking at an iron blood test panel ? Please let me know how you measure anaemia. Is it something to do with blood cell size etc ?

She is high in B12 = 773

Folate is lower at 7ug/l (4.6-18.7)

We have some other blood results which look at the platelets etc, so please ask which info you may need

 

[Blinkyrocket]

This post by Haidut is interesting and maybe helpful: viewtopic.php?f=75&t=5751

 

[Mittir]

Can you both not tell if she is anaemic from the results i have posted ? Is anaemia not determined by looking at an iron

Most commonly blood hemoglobin is used to determine anaemia. RBC and cell size are also used.

 

[marsaday]

Thanks for the vit A link. Maybe worth looking into using it.

Her haemoglobin was 140 g/l (120-150) so this looks ok.

RBC was 4.61 (3.8-4.8), so this also looks ok.