Iron levels

[littlemissmonday]

To ask if anyone can help me with understanding my iron levels. I've had chronic anemia, over ten years.

I've had a few bouts of taking iron tablets, iron injections but nothing seems to raise it and so it's always sat at at around 8. I've always managed and it hasn't bothered me too much until now. Over the last month I've been feeling exhausted, rather than just day to day tired. I've also been experiencing really bad heart palpitations for the last year. My blood results are back and are now down to 6.

Should I be concerned, worried? Ive starting back on the iron tablets. I'm just really unsure of what it means to have dropped to 6.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

So I've been back to my GP surgery this week to have another set of bloods taken.
The nurse told me my ferritin levels were 6 and should be over 50 but she's not concerned and I shouldn't be either.

I made it clear again about the heart palpitations but she didn't say anything about it. Told me my diet is the reason for my anemia.

My GP whom I spoke with last week certainly didn't seem like he wasn't concerned about my levels. So I was confused when the nurse said she wasn't.

She told me to eat more spinach (I almost laughed thinking about the comment on here about how much spinach you'd need to eat)

It was almost seemed like a joke to her.

The nurse sounds thoroughly unhelpful.

I just thought it was slightly strange.

I did tell her I'm the one who made the appointment (the first one) as I'm now feeling the effects of being anemia, after she said there would only be concern if I had symptoms. But then didn't say anything other than diagnose my diet as the reason and tell me to eat more spinach.

Just got my celiac tests back and they've come back normal.
I've got myself all worked up into unhelpful frenzy about these iron results.

So another update...

Ive just had my blood results back for the bloods that got taken this week....all normal! No anemia, no abnormalities, at all!

So here's the things, I only picked up my prescription for iron tablets yesterday and have not started them, nor had I stared them when I had my bloods redone.

My husband thinks the results are not my results and I've been read someone else's and I'm inclined to think he's correct.

I just don't think it's possible to jump from levels of 6 to the normal range (as in not even borderline). My GP actually said I no longer had to continue with the iron tablets.

So the conversation briefly changed as we discussed my celiac results and before I knew it the call was over before I had the chance to say I hadn't taken anything....I've since phoned back and I'm due the GP phoning me back to ask if that's normal about the rise with me not taking or doing anything.

Does this sound normal?

It sounds so strange to me that I've never had my levels up and given that I've done nothing I'm unclear as to how they would possibly rise??

It does sound highly unusual. I’d be inclined to think they aren’t your results either.

You mentioned having a wheat intolerance - does that mean you aren't eating much wheat at the moment? You do need to be eating a reasonable amount of foods that contain gluten in order for a coeliac blood test to detect the antibodies to gluten. Otherwise the test will come back negative, whether you have coeliac or not.

So I do avoid wheat but I ate wheat the day before my blood tests for the celiac tests.
Maybe a day wasn't enough?

I'm so fed up with this

I'd ask for a print out of your results if I were you. On the print out that I'm given it highlights any results that show concerns even if only slightly below normal.

Op, I'm currently off work as my ferritin level is 6 and feeling dreadful. I asked for a print of my results which gp did yesterday. My in is only borderline, 114 I think so I'm not pushing for iron infusion, but taking as much fumarate as I can tolerate (610mg). Dh is a Dr and said they give infusion when hb under 70.

Sorry, autocorrect, my hb is 114

According to Coeliac UK, you need to eat gluten in at least one meal per day for 6 weeks before the blood test. Gluten is also in rye and barley - would you have been eating enough of those? Otherwise the test wouldn't have worked.

Just went to the surgery for a print out of the results.

So there is 13days between the bloods and at no point have I taken any iron supplements.

1st set of results - white blood count 3.3
2nd set of results - white blood count 5.0

Red blood count - 3.87
Red blood count - 4.01

Haemoglobin- 108
Haemoglobin - 112

I also didn't have my period during the first or second set of bloods

115 is threshold for hb, so you are below.

I'm not convinced the 2nd lot of results are mine to be honest. I just don't see how I could improve, whilst doing nothing 🤷‍♀️

It’s not a massive improvement to be honest. The differences could be down to hydration levels. How’s your ferritin levels?

No mention of my ferritin levels on this set of bloods but on the previous it's 6

Might be an idea to have a tests for an iron related genetic disorder ?

My family heritage (as you might guess) is from Italy - very south Italy. For years my DB kept showing up as anaemic (routinely turned away from giving blood). He didn't suffer any symptoms as such, and was eating a pretty good diet so (luckily) didn't bulk up on supplements.

Eventually he was found to have Beta Thalassemia Minor - which is more common the closer you get to Africa in terms of genetics. As far as I know, it's not really caused him any problems, but it's definitely not treated with iron supplements which could actually cause him problems.

When he was tested I was, and I don't have it - neither does our other brother ...

It might be significant that it wasn't diagnosed in the UK, but US as part of a health insurance package ?

Thanks I'll have a look into it. My GP didn't phone back today so it will be tomorrow when I speak to him and ask about this. I have a few things I need to ask about as well as the celiac test as I don't think I was 'gluten' prepared for it!

Agree, it's only a few percent different and still below expected. I'm sure it's pretty rare to mix up results (although a lab did misdiagnose me with something during pregnancy- had daily injections for 6 months - then apology they got it wrong)

Crickey that's awful they did that!

It's just in less than a week my GP has said iron 3xdaily to now not longer required.

I also never even had these levels when I was taking iron whilst pregnant or when I was receiving iron injections.

I'm finding it hard to believe without me changing anything miraculously I've improved although I've has chronic anemia for over a decade 🤷‍♀️