Low Ferritin levels

CanadianMag

After struggling to lose much since Sept I felt I should after all the food changes, calorie deficit and working out I do I went to the DR to get some blood work done.

After researching I felt I had a lot of symptoms of a Thyroid issue. The Dr did a TSH, FREE T4 and Ferritin test. (I am unsure why T3 was not done as that is a true teller from my understanding)

I was told my Ferritin was low and to start taking ferrous sulfate (i am on day 2 of this) I was at a 19.6

She said my TSH was fine (2.88) and Free T4 was fine (.9)

Depending where I look the min for Free T4 is anywhere from .5-.9. I would consider myself border line on the low end of the range.

Anyway, I am going to concentrate on the battle of getting my ferritin rates up. What I was not able to find online is how low ferritin is associated to metabolism or weight. I can see the having a normal range will help iron/red blood cells etc. but will that have a correlation on my currently struggle?

merde_il_pleut

I don't know if your doctor also did a CBC but low ferritin could translate to low hemoglobin, and if your Hgb is low that could explain some of the symptoms you're having (fatigue? Breathlessness? That kind of thing?). Getting your iron up will likely give you more energy.

CanadianMag

Those were the only 3 she did. She didnt even want to do the Ferritin, I had to almost make her!

CanadianMag

I also have to point out this Dr told me to decrease my calories to 1000 since I am not losing weight (iI have done 1200,1570,1800 calories). this was AFTER I told her I work out 5-6 times a week (cardio and weights) and on week nights average 500 calories and weekend work outs 700-800. I even questioned if it was a good idea for me to live off 500-200 calories a day! LOL

She lost my trust after that converstaion. LOL

andielyn

My ferritin was low last year (9.5 I think) and I was on 3xday supplements. I was very fatigued, short of breath, and had no energy. I don't know if there is a direct correlation to metabolism or not but I felt like a mud turtle. Good luck on getting your levels back up...it may take awhile. Being diligent is my best advice and getting as much iron from food as possible. Also using an iron skillet can help. If you find info on a direct relationship on metabolism and low ferritin I'd be interested in knowing.

Mishieru131

Hey there, I work as an RN in a family practice clinic so I thought I would share some of my experience pertaining to ferritin/iron levels. To the best of my knowledge there is no 'direct' correlation between ferritin levels and metablolism. However, we do know that having low iron stores can lead to iron-deficiency anemia. Anemia is where your iron stores are so low that your hemoglobin levels start to drop. Oxygen binds to hemoglobin and hemoglobin binds to iron/ferritin. The indirect link between the two is that one of the symptoms of anemia is fatigue/tiredness. When we feel excessively tired we generally don't have much energy or motivation to work out. Additionally, the decreased oxygen in our blood can make us tire out easier when we are working out. Both of these factors can hamper our progress with weight loss.

In your case specifically 17.9 is considered 'low' but not depleted or anemic. You may still feel a little more tired than usual but it's pretty unlikely that your hemoglobin has dropped below normal values. Generally we see hemoglobin start drop when your iron stores start to get really low (under 10). If you continue to take iron supplementation daily you should see an improvement in your ferritin levels in approx. 3 months.

I won't really speak to the TSH level here because that one is a bit more complicated. I will say that serum TSH levels can be confusing because the values are backwards; meaning low TSH = an overactive thyroid whereas a high TSH = underactive thyroid. However, this is not the case for either T3 or T4 readings. If you want more info on Thyroid testing I recommend visiting:

http://www.thyroid.org/wp-content/uploads/patients/brochures/FunctionTests_brochure.pdf

Lastly, the advice your doctor gave you does sound quite concerning. I certainly agree that you should question the rationale used and maybe seek a second opinion from a Registered Dietitian.

Hope this info helps and I apologize if just reiterated what you already knew

4bettermenow

Ok, I have low ferritin levels. Not as low as they were last year...I have worked on getting them higher. I was having horrible afternoon fatigue and any day I worked out, I would have to take a nap an hour later. They tested me for everything under the sun. The only thing they could come up with was the low ferritin (8 at the time) and low Vit D. So, I started taking iron supplements daily and due to having heavy periods was put on bc pills for three months. After I stopped the pill, I switched to a multi vitamin and only take the iron when I am on my period. My periods have significantly lessened (I'm gonna go with the 27 lbs weight loss as reasoning) and I no longer have the afternoon fatigue. I actually feel better than I have in about five years. Low ferritin can really suck the life out of you as I discovered. And it does take a bit of time to get it up. As far as metabolism goes...I don't know if it plays a role or not. I wouldn't think so...but the body is a hard thing to figure out sometimes. If you are out of whack with something, it can very well affect something else.

JenSD6

My ferritin was tested at 9 in the summer, with low hemoglobin, and I'm on iron supplementation treatments. I agree that the biggest difference is just feeling better overall, and not dragging around so tired all of the time. I was almost having to take sick days with the fatigue that came with my PMS, and now that awful fatigue is nearly gone. It was easier to take care of myself when I just felt better all around.

kyta32

My daughter regularly has low iron (not anemia, but low stores). When she runs out of pills (and doesn't tell me to get more), within 3 days she goes white as a sheet and is a complete wreck, crying, negative (self-doubting), and unable to do any schoolwork (she can't think as clearly). She ends up just sleeping most of the day when she is low iron. Her neurologist has recommended doubling up on her iron, and it's made a big difference in how positive and active she can be. The neurologist said that taking too much iron isn't likely to be a problem with a menstruating female, but we will have her blood checked to be sure.

She doesn't have any problems with constipation with the iron pills, but it might be a good idea to have good fiber intake just in case, if you are considering starting them. Good luck

mangrothian

CanadianMag wrote: »

Anyway, I am going to concentrate on the battle of getting my ferritin rates up. What I was not able to find online is how low ferritin is associated to metabolism or weight. I can see the having a normal range will help iron/red blood cells etc. but will that have a correlation on my currently struggle?

In general, low Ferritin levels (Iron deficiency) rather than a low haemoglobin level (anaemia), can effect a lot of factors related to weight like tiredness (so you move less) and hyperthyroidism. People who are overweight or obese don't absorb iron as well (there's 3 links there for references), so it's a bit of a cycle; you're overweight, and more likely to be iron deficient, so you're tired and less likely to have the energy to exercise, but if you take iron tablets, you're less likely to absorb it. Remember, iron isn't just for your red blood cells, so if your haemaglobin is fine but ferritin is low, it can affect other processes in the body! A ferritin of below 30 is classified as low but not horrible, and below 15 is pretty much non-existent.

kyta32 wrote: »

My daughter regularly has low iron (not anemia, but low stores). When she runs out of pills (and doesn't tell me to get more), within 3 days she goes white as a sheet and is a complete wreck, crying, negative (self-doubting), and unable to do any schoolwork (she can't think as clearly). She ends up just sleeping most of the day when she is low iron. Her neurologist has recommended doubling up on her iron, and it's made a big difference in how positive and active she can be. The neurologist said that taking too much iron isn't likely to be a problem with a menstruating female, but we will have her blood checked to be sure.

She doesn't have any problems with constipation with the iron pills, but it might be a good idea to have good fiber intake just in case, if you are considering starting them. Good luck

If your daughter has problems like this after 3 days of not taking them, it sounds like the tablets aren't correcting her issue, just holding it at bay. Maybe a dose of an injectable iron might help? I know the injectable irons used to have some issues, but some of the newer ones on the market can be given as a straight injection rather than an IV.

I've had to have a couple of iron injections, since I was anaemic and with a Ferritin level of about 25, so I pretty much had no iron left. I'm in Australia, so I don't know if the same products are available, but it pushed up my iron stores to normal levels, and now I take an iron syrup to keep them there. I was on high dose tablets for ages, and all they did was 'bind' me up

Liftng4Lis

CanadianMag wrote: »

I also have to point out this Dr told me to decrease my calories to 1000 since I am not losing weight (iI have done 1200,1570,1800 calories). this was AFTER I told her I work out 5-6 times a week (cardio and weights) and on week nights average 500 calories and weekend work outs 700-800. I even questioned if it was a good idea for me to live off 500-200 calories a day! LOL

She lost my trust after that converstaion. LOL

Good, because you need a new doctor!