Does anyone know about connection between low ferritin levels and thinning hair?

[harrogatespring]

After an extended period of diffuse hair loss, I had my bloods done.

My serum ferritin level is abnormal/ridiculously low - 4.9ug/l (the range should be 13-150). My iron levels are also very low - 7.5umol/L (the range should be 5.4-28.6)

Has anyone had this? What can i do to - as naturally as possible - raise the ferritin levels? I have a good diet, lots of green veg, less meat etc. And as soon as possible. Any supplements worth taking?

Thanks very much

I have very low ferritin. My hair loss increases as my ferritin does. You need iron tablets, and lots of vitamin c to increase your absorption of iron.

Do you have heavy periods? Have you been pregnant or breastfed recently?

Hi - yes, me too! I ended up having a ferritin infusion which made me feel like a new person but I had low b12 too (on injections for that). My ferritin was 3 for almost a year before that and I lost a lot of hair and what regrowth I had was very wispy and didn't seem to grow much (still the case).

I have read on the internet that hair starts growing back when ferritin is over 60. I hope this isn't true because I doubt mine will ever get that high, but am passing it on to you.

Are you being investigated for WHY your irons are so low?

Thanks both. Pickled - is this correct? 'My hair loss increases as my ferritin does' - or do you mean as ferritin decreases?

Ferritin infusion? Wow. That sounds full on. Did your doctor arrange that?

I don't know why my iron is so low. Should I be investigating it? I had a baby 2 years ago. I am perimenopausal but still have periods, and they're not overly heavy.

Do you think I should be only taking prescribed iron pills? That there won't be enough iron in alternative stuff?

So, can you give me hope? That my hair might stop falling if I sort the iron and ferritin?

And did the iron tablets make you feel sick?

Anaemia DEFINITELY cause hair loss. Childbirth, diet and heavy periods can all lower your ferritin. You can build it up with diet but the body finds it more difficult to absorb iron from plant sources (green leafy veg and the like) than it does from red meat. Vitamin C can help absorption so if you have a load of spinach, make sure you have some orange juice too! May be a bit quicker to take supplements though!

Try to find out why your iron is so low. Did you have a thyroid check and was tsh under 2? Do you have celiacs or might you have it? And di you also get your b12 tested?

Try to find out why your iron is so low. Did you have a thyroid check and was tsh under 2? Do you have celiacs or might you have it? And di you also get your b12 tested?

They didn't test my B12. My Tsh was 2.71mu/L. Is that poor? I don't think I have celiacs. Wouldn't I have quite full on symptoms with celiacs?

I should probably go to the doctor and take some supplements.

I have this every bloody year. My hair is fine anyway and every damn 12 months it thins and comes out. I panic constantly that I'm going to lose it. And right now I'm in a cycle of hair loss.

Folic acid helps. I was low in folate so took folic acid tabs last year and my hair stopped falling out within weeks - maybe coincidental?

Right now I am taking folic acid, B vitamins and some hair, nail and skin supplement although I think I'll book a fasting blood test with the nurse and see if I am low in iron.

It's such a pain

I don't think you need to fast Dear John, I didn't

Low ferritin means that your storaged supply of iron is low (most likely because you've been depleting your reserves by bleeding, low dietary intake, etc.)

Red meat is a much better source of iron than veggies. More steak, liver etc is a natural way of slowly boosting your iron reserves. I eat flash-fried calf liver with sage every week... Don't take your dietary iron with milk products/ anything high in calcium - calcium inactivates iron. As someone else said, lots of vitamin C boosts iron pick-up.

But you may need real iron tablets - perhaps worth talking about them with a health professional, as it's a long term project (getting the iron storages full again will take months) and quite many of them can upset your stomach.

Try Spatone. It's gentler on your stomach than iron tablets and is more easily absorbed by the body.

Thanks, such great advice here.

I took Spatone when I was pregnant as I was bordlerline then. It was good. But has it got enough iron?

I feel like I need to really make a big improvement as quick as poss

The iron level in supplements won't be high enough to boost your ferritin quickly.

Have you been prescribed iron tablets? I take three a day when I can be bothered, and then I stupidly stop taking them when I feel better. My ferritin has never been above 11.

They can make you feel sick, constipated or have diarrhoea. Eat regularly and take a softener if you need to.

Do you know what your hamaglobin (Hb) is or your MCV levels? If these are low then you may need further investigation. In women our age heavy periods are the most common cause of anaemia but there are other reasons too which should be ruled out.

Def. go to your doctor. I don't want to freak you out but I was investigated for internal bleeding/bowel cancer/pernicious anemia/all sorts - unexplained anemia can be a really big deal.

My doctor did arrange the iron infusion, but it was a last resort. It has worked though! My ferritin levels are holding steady much higher than they were (though still not great, but within the bounds of normal).

Go to the GP. You will need control lab work anyway some months down the line to see how your situation is progressing. Your TSH is within the normal range.

Your body gradually shuts down nonessential regenerative processes if you are lacking core nutrients. The most common reason to low ferritin & Hb is iron deficiency (which is extremely common, especially among women) and that should corrected, but a GP will be able to keep an eye on the more rare causes too.

I'm generally very healthy but after my 2nd pregnancy I felt physically drained and depleted - building and feeding the babies drains your resources and building them up again takes some time. Talk to the doctor, some iron and perhaps a multivitamin supplement (& possibly extra calcium, unless you drink a lot of milk, taken at a different time of the day) will probably sort you out.

You will not necessarily have full on symptoms if you have coeliacs. I was anaemic a few years ago, it was my only symptom but the cause did turn out to be coeliacs. I have just had another period of very low iron which seems to be down to a sudden increase in exercise and in particular running and am back on iron tabs.

Low Ferratin here too but have never had a prob with thinning hair! Weird - and in my case desirable! I take FloraDix for iron levels, it got my hb count up but not been back to get F levels rechecked yet.

Thanks all. Some really top advice and I really appreciate it.

I don't know my HB levels. I'll go and see my doctor and take this further.

I hope it's rectified. Hairs just dropped all over my son's lunch

Oh god it's awful isn't it. I think there is/was a thinning hair thread somewhere... maybe it's died.

I hate finding my hairs in food and cleaning the hair out of hairbrushes/the drain makes me cry. I had highlights put in my hair which has helped give the illusion of more volume but really want it to just grow back.

Liquid iron supplements like spatone and floradix work differently from iron tablets, your body actually absorbs more of them than the conventional tablet and they are certainly a lot more gentle on the tummy. However before you start taking iron supplements speak to your GP. From personal experience blood ferritin levels can be a tad misleading, IMHO some GPs can be too quick to prescribe iron tablets, there are other types of anemia / conditions that can cause low iron and ferritin and vica versa, its really important to get it looked at properly. Too much iron in your diet can be just as bad as too little.

Very interesting, a couple of my friends have had this issue so will pass the info on about iron. When i was anemic I took Floradix and it was amazing in terms of making me feel amazing (energy wise) again. I recommend it to any pregnant friends.

Spatone does the trick for me.....I notice a difference within a month of taking it.