posted
I think I have iron deficiency now, my transferrin and TIBC are high, % saturation is low, ferritin is low but not flagged as low(it is at the lowest end of the lab range) iron is 79...wondering if I should take iron supplements? or is the deficiency because of having chronic lyme and I shouldn't supplement?
Posts: 287 | From somewhere | Registered: Oct 2011
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nonna05
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33557
posted
Great, just read something negative about that.... Cause I was starting to take supps...now can't remember why it could be not so grat.. .Maybe Abx mix, may be how this infection runs,,,,,but my food intake really is not great and I think I need it and Pottasium...
Posts: 2563 | From Denver,CO | Registered: Aug 2011
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posted
ok, so taking a multivitamin with iron should be fine, but maybe not just supplementing with iron only,....that could be at a higher dose than with the multivitamin?
any recs for a really good multivitamin that isn't huge?? I have a hard time swallowing large pills but I think I can manage the size of a prenatal vitamin.
Posts: 287 | From somewhere | Registered: Oct 2011
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
Yea there was that vitamin study that said iron increased mortality rate in subjects (something along those lines). However, you can't pay too much attention to that if you're iron deficient. Iron can be toxic to healthy people because levels go to high. Iron can also feed infection and promote cancer when used in excess.
For those that need it, there are many benefits. For one, it's vital for proper thyroid metabolism.
The key is ferritin. If it's already in a good range 70-100ish, no need to supp.
I'm a male and have been using iron for a few months now because my ferritin was tanking in the thirties. I've read that mean ferritin for men is roughly 125.
I feel the benefit. My weight lifting repetitions have doubled. It has also helped my hair.
Iron is simply very important for the body but you must closely watch ferritin so you don't spike too high.
One problem for me was tea. I drink about 8-10 cups a day and the tannins can block both iron in your food and iron that you supp.
Anyone with hypothyroidism will want adequate iron stores.
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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As Lymeorsomething suggested with drinking tea, your diet can be key to your iron being out of balance. Tea inhibits the absorption of non-heme iron. Calcium on the other hand inhibits the absorption of heme iron (red meat). Vitamin C taken with a meal will help with the absorption of iron.
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