PSA on Iron.. don't be stupid like me!

[Deleted]

Don't take iron w/o getting your ferritin levels checked regularly! I was very dumb about this, didn't use my brains..

My prev labs were showing low-end range serum iron/hemoglobin and other markers, but ferritin wasn't pulled at that time.. so I went about my merry way popping a Vitalady Tender Iron a day like I had been.. mistake!

I requested all my tests this time specifically by name and got my full panel back with a very HIGH ferritin (335) and just out of range (high) hematocrit, with mid-range iron (90).. and normal (but high side hemoglobin).. I will be donating some blood, a few times to get this down into the normal range since I do not malabsorb, so I won't be able to just spend it down by omitting iron for a while.

On the good side, I got the D up from 32 to 89! and everything else looks spot-on.

[Deleted]

Jo don't go all out on lowering your ferritin to quickly. I had one of mine come back high and the next one was way low (6 months difference). I was told the high was probably a bad test result. I do malabsorb though and it probably played a small part in the situation.

[nextchapter]

Wowzer that is high. Thanks god there is an easy fix and it can benefit others.. I have high iron because of iron overload (hemochromatosis). How much vitamin D do you take?

[Brandilynn]

Thanks for sharing your lesson! Will you put it on the iron thread down in the labs, mz Jo? My ferritin longs for some of your ferritin! :}

[Deleted]

thanks for posting, Jo.

I finally had my "3 years" labs drawn (it was 3 years in August!) and have the results but have yet to do more than glance at them. I don't even know if I had ferritin done! and, I haven't been taking iron since my last multi ran out.

I need to pay attention.

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2012 8:00:57 GMT -5 @multipepetmom said:

thanks for posting, Jo.

I finally had my "3 years" labs drawn (it was 3 years in August!) and have the results but have yet to do more than glance at them. I don't even know if I had ferritin done! and, I haven't been taking iron since my last multi ran out.

I need to pay attention.

If I was just sticking to my Centrum alone, I would have been fine.. and that reminds me, need to buy Centrum silver (no iron) until this is fixed!

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2012 2:05:29 GMT -5 nextchapter said:

Wowzer that is high. Thanks god there is an easy fix and it can benefit others.. I have high iron because of iron overload (hemochromatosis). How much vitamin D do you take?

*calculates* ... about 7000iu a day aprox (sometimes maybe 8000iu), between my cal/mg/d3 and my D3 5000iu capsule.. I've been on 5000-7000ish since May till now to get it to go up like that. I was happily surprised.

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2012 3:17:39 GMT -5 Brandilynn said:

Thanks for sharing your lesson! Will you put it on the iron thread down in the labs, mz Jo? My ferritin longs for some of your ferritin! :}

What has yours been staying at and have you seen a pattern of dropping? I really didn't expect to have it so high, that's for sure..

[Deleted]

Jan 25, 2012 22:23:09 GMT -5 @cajungirl said:

Jo don't go all out on lowering your ferritin to quickly. I had one of mine come back high and the next one was way low (6 months difference). I was told the high was probably a bad test result. I do malabsorb though and it probably played a small part in the situation.

I have a feeling mine won't fall fast due to lack of malabsorbing.. I won't be letting them drain me dry.. just want to get this closer to maybe 200 or so, then just monitor it from there a little closer on my own with directlabs... fun stuff this lab-learning.

[anna]

Wow. I've been taking TWELVE Tender Irons a day for three years and my ferritin still hasn't climbed out of the thirties.

[Deleted]

Jo - there was some mineral/s in multis that I became worried about and now I can't remember why.

well, the why is hearing or reading something concerning about them. but what was it...

but I need to address it - iron and so forth confuses me, frankly.

[jillybean720]

Maybe try switching to the heme iron (Proferrin)? I was on it, and while it kept my serum iron, hemoglobin, and hematocrit normal, it did NOTHING to boost my ferritin. It sounds like you would have been in trouble with these other factors outside of ferritin had you not been supplementing at all.

[mizdel]

I have never supplemented with iron and have never been low.

If you have never been anemic or had a problem with low iron, I wouldn't supplement. Iron has such nasty side effects.

If you are eating plenty of animal protein, you are probably getting enough through your diet. Iron is the type of thing that is much better to get through diet.

[Deleted]

Jan 28, 2012 19:11:07 GMT -5 jillybean720 said:

Maybe try switching to the heme iron (Proferrin)? I was on it, and while it kept my serum iron, hemoglobin, and hematocrit normal, it did NOTHING to boost my ferritin. It sounds like you would have been in trouble with these other factors outside of ferritin had you not been supplementing at all.

Thank you! As I monitor, if those markers fall again and my ferritin is good, I will switch to the heme. Tender Iron was totally side-effect free for me, save for the exhaust pipe burps.