posted
My ferritin levels are very low. I want to begin to restore them by eating high iron content foods, but a nurse informed me it is difficult to do via food alone.
I have heard that iron supplements can be toxic and the iron is not absorbed. Please share if you have successfully restored your ferritin levels.
I would greatly value your comments as my levels are very low.
Posts: 515 | From In His Loving Care | Registered: Apr 2009
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
My ferritin level was 5 ng/mL...and that was after 3 months of iron supplements!
So...I really ramped up the iron (taking 200 mg of elemental iron a day). AND, I had blood draws monthly to see if my ferritin levels improved.
They did not. I was checked to make sure I was absorping iron (I was).
So, I ended up with a uterine ablation. It took me 2 years after that, taking the 200 mg elemental iron for my ferritin to get to 100 ng/mL which is where the doctor wanted it.
I still take 65 mg elemental iron 4 times a week to keep my ferritin level between 50-100.
You likely won't be able to get your ferritin level up without taking supplements. Do monitor it monthly to make sure you are making headway.
Best, Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Timaca~ Thanks so much for sharing and congrats!
What is elemental iron? Does it require my doctor to write a prescription?
Is the way to verify absorbing just through blood draws? Thanks for bearing with me with all these questions, I am really interested in getting well and thought this might help.
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Lymeorsomething
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Don't forget to rule out H Pylori infection That stuff will use and abuse your iron...
Yeah, you could probably monitor it by ordering up your own ferritin blood test online...fairly inexpensive...
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
Have been diagnosed with Babesia WA-1 so I thought that might be part of it, but I did not know about H. Pylori. Thanks for that information. Is it tested through a stool sample or blood work?
Posts: 515 | From In His Loving Care | Registered: Apr 2009
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Lymeorsomething
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Morning, you can run the stool test for it just to be sure. I'd try Metametrix if you can. Other tests are not particularly accurate.
Your babs may very well be the culprit but it's good to rule out other factors as well. Otherwise you'll get the double whammy
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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TerryK
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Member # 8552
posted
Be sure to check with your LLMD to make sure that they want you to increase your iron.
Mine was low (don't remember what it was now but it wasn't dangerously low) but my doctor did not want me taking iron because he said it would help babesia.
edited to add: Another doctor who was not an ILADS LLMD but claims to be lyme literate kept telling me to increase my iron supplements and eat undercooked beef! Ugh - guess he didn't know you could get parasites from undercooked beef. Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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I printed out the pubmed article you gave and will take it to my next LLMD appointment to see if I can get tested.
Does Metametrix require a doctors order? If you paid out of pocket was it really expensive?
Posts: 515 | From In His Loving Care | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
TerryK Good point. I will be talking with my LLMD about whether to supplement. I've read that low ferritin can cause fast heart rate, dizziness upon standing, etc. I am taking sea salt for this which is helping...just wanting to make sure low ferritin isn't playing a part.
Thanks for your input.
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timaca
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posted
Elemental iron is the "real" iron that is contained in any iron supplement. For instance, my bottle of iron says "Iron 65 mg equivalent to 325 mg ferrous sulfate". The 65 mg is the elemental iron. Women "need" 18 mg per day. So you can see that my taking 200 mg per day was a lot of iron. Any iron supplement will list the elemental iron. You do not need a prescription.
The easiest way to see if you are absorbing it is through a monthly blood draw to see if your ferritin level goes up. If it doesn't you either (1) aren't absorbing it (2) not taking enough (3) losing too much elsewhere.
They actually ran a certain test on me to make sure I was absorbing it. When I was fasting they drew my blood and checked for my serum iron level. I then took an iron supplement. Waited one hour and they drew my blood again and checked the serum iron. That level went up, so they knew I was absorbing iron. I was just losing too much in my menses...hence the need for the uterine ablation.
If you are treating a pathogen that uses iron, then taking iron if you are low in your iron stores should be OK. (At least that is what I've been told). I was very, very low in my iron status...it was very necessary for me to take iron. I still do, even though I have a pathogen (Cpn) that uses iron.
Best, Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Morning, I ran mine through my LLMD but you may be able to order your own online. I use Direct Labs at times...PM me if you need their website...i'm not sure what the price is off-hand...
Maybe your md would be receptive to the testing...
You could at least try Quest but I doubt they're as thorough....
If you have confirmed babs, you may want to focus on that first and then try stool testing for HP later...
H Pylori is generally a longstanding infection if present...
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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