Can someone please help me understand my iron numbers?!

Moments like these are when I feel overwhelmed by the DS upkeep. My iron has always been borderline low but, with the DS, it tanked. I just got back an interim set of 5-month results that I can't interpret.

Ferritin is higher (went from 39 to 77), but Iron (37 to 35) and TBC (302 to 296) have dropped a bit and Saturation has not improved (12%).

In addition, HGB (12.6 to 12.5) and HCT (41.2 to 40.3) have dropped a bit more. Also, the immature Reticulocytes are way above normal (.28).

I've been taking 300/day of the recommend forms of iron with C and copper, per Vitalady.

Any explanation for why the Ferritin has increased but the other numbers haven't would be welcomed!

Thank you, MM

Perhaps Larra will chime in with better info but I think the ferritin going up is a good sign and the other markers will catch up.  One thing I did add to Vitalady's basic 300mg recommendation was an additional Proferrin tablet at bedtime. It's heme iron and I did much better with my iron when I added a combo of Vitalady's carbonyl iron and heme iron. Good luck!

-gina

I hope you're right!  I was reading something about "Anemia of Chronic inflammation"  and according to the link below it could be some kind of chronic condition as well.  Won't see the doctor for a month so I was hoping to put my mind at ease until then...

https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/tibc/tab/t est/

I've got some Proferrin on order.  

Thanks for chiming in!

I like the idea of adding a heme iron to the mix. I was always frustrated that things didn't seem to go up in nay specific order for my iron related tests. While you correctly identify as having lost ground on the tests most of them are so close that you could as easily say they are statistically the same and just differences in the lab tech / machinery putting out the results.

I think having the ferritin going up is a good first step and should lead to better results in at least some of the others over more time. At least that is how it worked for me with regards to total iron. TBC, and saturation.

Hemogobin and heamatocrit seem to stay at the low level of normal (just above and just below the bottom ranges). I started to see a hematologist and she wasn't concerned as long as they remained steady over time. I figure at least someone is watching so I can catch if things go really south.

I am interested though, as someone who hasn't ever really seen higher numbers what your comparisons are when you say your numbers tanked. If you don't mind how much higher were your numbers?

Good luck,

Pete Apostle

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your response.  To answer your question, right before my DS which was 5 months ago, I got tested.  Here were my results:

Iron 80

TIBC 382

% saturation 21

HGB 14.2

HCT 43.2

Ferritin 38

Weird that now, 5 months later, the Ferritin has gone up but the rest have gone down!