Low ferritin

[Mrs. ChanandlerBong]

Throwing my story out there, to get things rolling in here.

In 2011 at a routine physical I had my iron panel was flagged as low. Since it had been just hanging above the cut off for normal for a few years, my doctor decided to do all the iron testing and it turned out my ferritin level was 5. The rest of my iron was normal.

At no point in the resulting discussions with her and the ob/gyn was supplementation discussed. In fact, it was dismissed, saying that it wouldn't work. I was encouraged to get the Mirena IUD or an ablation to slow down/stop my cycles. 

Mirena was placed in early 2012. I had nothing but problems with it, and the kicker was my ferritin didn't improve.

I began to see a naturopath in the fall of 2013. She is the first medical professional to look at everything and not just lump me into the "must eat oreos all night" when I talk about how weight loss has been almost impossible since all this started. Apparently, there is a link between low ferritin and one of the thyroid hormones. As we've brought up the ferritin (with supplements) my thyroid labs have improved. They're not great, but they're improved. We're still working to get things in a good balance with my iron, weight, etc. Working with her, though, has made me see how poorly my case was handled by the "traditional" doctors.

anyway, that's my story. Happy to answer any questions if anyone else is going through something like this.

[Alex]

My ferritin has been flagged for years as "probable iron deficiency" but no doctor has wanted to do anything about it. I also have thyroid disease. I've been considering supplementing on my own. I will be seeing my Endo in a few months and maybe he will want to take it on?

[Mrs. ChanandlerBong]

Aug 6, 2014 21:29:13 GMT -5 Alex said:

My ferritin has been flagged for years as "probable iron deficiency" but no doctor has wanted to do anything about it. I also have thyroid disease. I've been considering supplementing on my own. I will be seeing my Endo in a few months and maybe he will want to take it on?

It's worth asking. It might help your thyroid if you get it figured out.

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ferritin/

Since you are being treated for thyroid problems, I don't know that I'd add a supplement without speaking to the endo about it. My doctor's primary focus has been on my ferritin, since "on paper" my thyroid is fine ( lab results are in the normal ranges, but the ratios of the different components are a little off) which is why I'm on the iron supplements.

If you and your doctor decide to supplement, the one I take has no side effects like other iron supplements can cause.

[Mrs. ChanandlerBong]

Aug 6, 2014 21:40:19 GMT -5 @scottydeux said:

I have low ferritin. It's somehow attached to how I process methyl donors (or, don't), like B vitamins. I don't completely understand it, but once I supplement with special, already broken down forms of B vites, I should start helping by body function better. I think. I'm working with a doc on it. I feel a decent amount of fatigue. I have pretty heavy periods, so I'm thinking that, plus not eating meat for a while (which I can't, even though it kills me, do) made it drop even further. So I eat things like chicken livers.

My heavy periods were why they zeroed in on a treatment that stopped or slowed them down, without looking at any other options. I didn't have a period the entire time I had the mirena ( approx 2 years) and it did nothing to help my ferritin. The only positive is that since having the Mirena removed, my cycles are normal and not the horrific mess they were prior to the insertion.

[polarbearfans]

My ferritin was down to a 5 this year. I had two iv infusions, one each week for 2 weeks, and it got my level back to normal. Levels normal 6 months later. My levels were crazy high a month after the infusions but still within normal levels (112).

Funny thing is I was feeling the best I had felt in years and was surprised when my iron tests came back low and was told I was anemic. Apparently I burned through all my reserves when I had all the heavy bleeding.