Doc likes to see levels of iron and vitamin D in the 40-50 range. Mine were iron - 4 and vit D - 6.
Am starting today on a protein-bound iron and 1000mg of D (working up to 5000 a day).
Is this common in Lyme? I read somewhere that huge infection loads can cause anemia. Is this true? What about the D?
Am hoping replenishing my iron and D lightens my fatigue and somehow helps other symptoms, too.
Anyone else found this common in Lyme?
Sarah
Posted by LisaS (Member # 10581) on :
Hi Sarah, Yep I was deficient in both.
Posted by Vanilla (Member # 11155) on :
Babesia if you have it can cause low iron levels.
Posted by HaplyCarlessdave (Member # 413) on :
quote:Originally posted by Vanilla: Babesia if you have it can cause low iron levels.
And Lyme too; after all, both attack the red blood cells. DaveS
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
At various times I've tested low in both.
Posted by von (Member # 8333) on :
Your Iron is at 4? Do you mean your ferritin level?
Ferritin is your iron storage, which is important to measure if your iron/percent saturation is low.
I don't understand it fully, but my doctor was irritated that no previous doctors ran a ferritin test on me when my other 'iron' stuff was low.
At one point my Iron was 39 range 30-150 Transferrin 270 range 190-20 Per Cent Saturation 9.7 (low) range 15-50
But my ferritin was 6. Some labs say the range is 6-250, but my doctor wanted me at least 30.
I had IV of iron last June, and my ferritin went up to one hundred something. Nine months later now, and my ferritin is 31. So I guess it worked.
Good luck! Keep us posted, and make sure to get copies of all your lab work.
Von
Posted by SarahL (Member # 11452) on :
Von, Not sure which level it is, but their "good" range for iron is 40-50 and mine was 4. They're closed today so I can't find out which iron level it was.
They tested me because my routine bloodwork showed I was anemic and they wanted to find out why.
Now I'm on iron but am having all kinds of trouble taking it and my minocin at alternate times. Gah.
Thanks, Sarah
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Babesiosis can cause that!!! Can cause hemolytic anemia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And a low vitamin D level would make you more susceptible to Lyme- dihydroxycholecalciferol is Vitamin D!!!
1: J Nutr. 1998 Jan;128(1):68-72. Links
1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol inhibits the progression of arthritis in murine models of human arthritis.
Cantorna MT, Hayes CE, DeLuca HF. Department of Biochemistry, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] has been shown to inhibit the progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).
Here we tested the possibility that 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol might be therapeutic for another autoimmune disease, arthritis.
Two different animal models of arthritis were tested, namely, murine Lyme arthritis and collagen-induced arthritis.
Infection of mice with Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent of human Lyme arthritis) produced acute arthritic lesions including footpad and ankle swelling.
Supplementation with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol of an adequate diet fed to mice infected with B. burgdorferi minimized or prevented these symptoms.
Mice immunized with type II collagen also developed arthritis.
The symptoms of this disease were also prevented by dietary supplementation with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol.
1, 25- Dihydroxycholecalciferol given to mice with early symptoms of collagen-induced arthritis prevented the progression to severe arthritis compared with untreated controls.
These results suggest that 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and/or its analogs may be a valuable treatment approach to this disease.
PMID: 9430604
Posted by hardynaka (Member # 8099) on :
Yep, me too. Low in both (vit D and iron).
Both under control after getting rid of babesia many months ago (almost a year).
Another common thing: thyroid problems. Dont' ask me if this is in relation to babesia though... Also under control for many months. I guess it's due to a mix of lyme and babesia?
I noticed I spotted more during my worst lyme days, so that could be also one culprit for anemia.
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
Check your thyroid and parathyroid gland. This caused my mother to become anemic and deficient in Vitamin D.
Posted by von (Member # 8333) on :
Sarah, I had a hard time with iron supliments. Already have a paralytic ilius from lyme.....anything that add constipation...
One of my doctors said the easiest way to absorb iron is in red meat, and to take vit. C with it. The vit C helps the iron to absorb.
Also black strap molassas is high in iron. He recommended 1 tablespoon per day.
Thanks, guys! Thyroid's been checked (Grave's disease runs in the family, so I have this checked every year at my physical) and every came back fine. Of course, that's with my pcp who said my iron was just a "tad bit low" and didn't bother to run an actual iron panel. *eyeroll*
The iron supplement seems to be agreeing fairly well with my body - I got one that is protein-bound which apparently takes care of the usual constipation.
I'm still wary of the vitamin D though - isn't it supposed to hide ld from the abx?? I sure as heck don't want to be helping the lyme!
Sarah Today I'm thankful I'm no longer in the dark about my health.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)