Blood tests

[Debandez]

Just had my blood results through from Thriva. All good apart from ferritin level which is elevated and stands at 305@!!! Anyone any ideas what I can do to bring it down to under 150 which apparent. Thanks

 

[Bluetit1802]

What are your other iron levels like?

 

[HSSS]

Just had my blood results through from Thriva. All good apart from ferritin level which is elevated and stands at 305@!!! Anyone any ideas what I can do to bring it down to under 150 which apparent. Thanks

Give me some! Can’t get mine above 11

 

[Dark Horse]

You need to see your GP to establish why the ferritin is raised.

Useful info:-
https://www.gponline.com/high-serum-ferritin/haematology/article/734174
https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/december/elevated-serum-ferritin/

 

[Debandez]

What are your other iron levels like?

As far as can see this is the only iron test thriva have performed.

 

[DCUKMod]

As far as can see this is the only iron test thriva have performed.

Debandez, I'd be inclined to go to your GP and ask him for a full blood panel, to include the vitamins, minerals, and that'll include the iron. There are often a number of reasons for elevate blood test results, and sometimes it's a jigsaw of looking at the bigger picture.

As ferritin was the only iron done, were other minerals and vitamins done, like B12, D and so on?

If you look back on your historic NHS tests, do you see any trend in your ferritin levels at all?

 

[Winnie53]

Your doctor is your go to person on this to insure nothing is seriously wrong. I did a search on "high ferritin level functional medicine" and found this article by Dr. Mercola...

How to Lower Your Iron
The good news is it's easy to lower your iron level if it's too high. One of the easiest ways is simply to donate blood two or three times a year. If you have severe overload you may need to do more regular phlebotomies. Two years ago, my ferritin was 150 ng/mL. I implemented self-phlebotomy where I would take out anywhere from 2 to 6 ounces of blood every few weeks, which brought me below 100 ng/mL.

I stopped the phlebotomy when I started a comprehensive detoxification strategy involving near and far infrared sauna, and interestingly, despite the fact I was no longer removing blood, my ferritin continued to drop over the next nine months. Now, it's down to 37 — far lower than I was ever able to get down to with therapeutic phlebotomies, and as I mentioned earlier I have a healthy GGT level of 17.

As it turns out, an effective detoxification program can lower iron as well. While this was a surprise to me, Koenig confirms that this has indeed been documented by Dr. F.S. Facchini in some of his research on iron. While I've long recommended donating blood as the solution to iron overload, I now believe a balanced approach using phlebotomy, detoxification and reducing dietary iron, especially meat, is the best way to go about it.

Keep in mind that trying to control high iron through your diet alone can be risky, as you will also forgo many valuable nutrients. That said, to avoid maximizing iron absorption, avoid eating iron-rich foods in combination with vitamin C-rich foods or beverages, as the vitamin C will increase iron absorption. If needed, you could also take a curcumin supplement. Curcumin acts as a potent chelator of iron and can be a useful supplement if your iron is elevated.

Read the entire article here... https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/1268.cfm

And here's another article on this by Chris Kresser... https://kresserinstitute.com/iron-overload-cause-diabetes-heart-disease/

Ivor Cummins (The Fat Emperor) also had a high ferritin (and GGT) level a number of years ago (which launched his journey to health). I wish I could remember which lecture he discussed this. After he did some research on PubMed, he was tested to confirm he didn't have the inherited condition that can cause this. He's fine now. You're in good company.

 

[Listlad]

A fascinating fact on iron levels. Himalayan salt contains iron. The reason it is pink is because it contains iron.

 

[Debandez]

Debandez, I'd be inclined to go to your GP and ask him for a full blood panel, to include the vitamins, minerals, and that'll include the iron. There are often a number of reasons for elevate blood test results, and sometimes it's a jigsaw of looking at the bigger picture.

As ferritin was the only iron done, were other minerals and vitamins done, like B12, D and so on?

If you look back on your historic NHS tests, do you see any trend in your ferritin levels at all?

Everything else excellent including cholesterol ratios. Just dug out my November bloods. Ferritin 198. 10 - 290 shows as normal do according to this I'm only just over which makes me feel better. I'm wondering if it's the animal fats. It could be alcohol but dont have much. Thank you.

 

[DCUKMod]

Everything else excellent including cholesterol ratios. Just dug out my November bloods. Ferritin 198. 10 - 290 shows as normal do according to this I'm only just over which makes me feel better. I'm wondering if it's the animal fats. It could be alcohol but dont have much. Thank you.

I'd probably still discuss it with my GP and take the lie of the land. He/she may be unconcerned as it's only slightly over, but a retest could be useful sometime relatively soon.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Everything else excellent including cholesterol ratios. Just dug out my November bloods. Ferritin 198. 10 - 290 shows as normal do according to this I'm only just over which makes me feel better. I'm wondering if it's the animal fats. It could be alcohol but dont have much. Thank you.

Have you checked the measurement units are the same as your previous ones? I know this is probably a daft question, but labs do differ on these in some tests. My lab reports give the normal range as 10 to 160 ug/L

I wouldn't be making any guesses right now but would be asking my GP.

 

[Brunneria]

In my test, the normal results were 'under 200 for pre-menopausal, and under 300 for men and post meno women'.

Hi @Debandez

I am in the same boat as you, with somewhat raised ferritin levels for a pre-menopausal woman.

Your doc should contact you and suggest further tests. If they don't, then chase it.
My doc ordered a raft of blood tests, all came back 'normal' except for one where the sample had been unsuitable. No further action required, said doc. Not even a retest for the corrupted ferritin sample. Which was a bit frustrating.

So I am going to monitor things myself. There is a history of high ferritin in the family, but no genetic connection has yet been found (my father had tests), but that is hardly conclusive when you consider how many genes have not yet been mapped.

Women who have a tendency towards high ferritin (it is often genetic) can see the numbers trend upwards after menopause, when they were OK before that - so it definitely needs watching. I am 52, so I am in the 'watch with care' age band.

If you do a bit of reading, you can find some fascinating facts, including stuff like Vit C intake is fundamentally linked to iron intake. This means that by eating Vit C foods alongside or NOT alongside iron containing foods, you can increase or decrease your absorption of iron, which then affects your ferritin levels.

As @Winnie53 says, donating blood is a fab way to lower ferritin levels, and in fact it is the usual treatment for high ferritin. However, it is far better to find out WHY they are raised, than just book in for a blood donation without understanding the cause for the high levels.

 

[Debandez]

In my test, the normal results were 'under 200 for pre-menopausal, and under 300 for men and post meno women'.

Hi @Debandez

I am in the same boat as you, with somewhat raised ferritin levels for a pre-menopausal woman.

Your doc should contact you and suggest further tests. If they don't, then chase it.
My doc ordered a raft of blood tests, all came back 'normal' except for one where the sample had been unsuitable. No further action required, said doc. Not even a retest for the corrupted ferritin sample. Which was a bit frustrating.

So I am going to monitor things myself. There is a history of high ferritin in the family, but no genetic connection has yet been found (my father had tests), but that is hardly conclusive when you consider how many genes have not yet been mapped.

Women who have a tendency towards high ferritin (it is often genetic) can see the numbers trend upwards after menopause, when they were OK before that - so it definitely needs watching. I am 52, so I am in the 'watch with care' age band.

If you do a bit of reading, you can find some fascinating facts, including stuff like Vit C intake is fundamentally linked to iron intake. This means that by eating Vit C foods alongside or NOT alongside iron containing foods, you can increase or decrease your absorption of iron, which then affects your ferritin levels.

As @Winnie53 says, donating blood is a fab way to lower ferritin levels, and in fact it is the usual treatment for high ferritin. However, it is far better to find out WHY they are raised, than just book in for a blood donation without understanding the cause for the high levels.

Thank you so much. All this feedback has been so helpful. I hadn't even heard of ferritin before I got my results back. I'm on it now!

 

[Debandez]

Your doctor is your go to person on this to insure nothing is seriously wrong. I did a search on "high ferritin level functional medicine" and found this article by Dr. Mercola...

How to Lower Your Iron
The good news is it's easy to lower your iron level if it's too high. One of the easiest ways is simply to donate blood two or three times a year. If you have severe overload you may need to do more regular phlebotomies. Two years ago, my ferritin was 150 ng/mL. I implemented self-phlebotomy where I would take out anywhere from 2 to 6 ounces of blood every few weeks, which brought me below 100 ng/mL.

I stopped the phlebotomy when I started a comprehensive detoxification strategy involving near and far infrared sauna, and interestingly, despite the fact I was no longer removing blood, my ferritin continued to drop over the next nine months. Now, it's down to 37 — far lower than I was ever able to get down to with therapeutic phlebotomies, and as I mentioned earlier I have a healthy GGT level of 17.

As it turns out, an effective detoxification program can lower iron as well. While this was a surprise to me, Koenig confirms that this has indeed been documented by Dr. F.S. Facchini in some of his research on iron. While I've long recommended donating blood as the solution to iron overload, I now believe a balanced approach using phlebotomy, detoxification and reducing dietary iron, especially meat, is the best way to go about it.

Keep in mind that trying to control high iron through your diet alone can be risky, as you will also forgo many valuable nutrients. That said, to avoid maximizing iron absorption, avoid eating iron-rich foods in combination with vitamin C-rich foods or beverages, as the vitamin C will increase iron absorption. If needed, you could also take a curcumin supplement. Curcumin acts as a potent chelator of iron and can be a useful supplement if your iron is elevated.

Read the entire article here... https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/1268.cfm

And here's another article on this by Chris Kresser... https://kresserinstitute.com/iron-overload-cause-diabetes-heart-disease/

Ivor Cummins (The Fat Emperor) also had a high ferritin (and GGT) level a number of years ago (which launched his journey to health). I wish I could remember which lecture he discussed this. After he did some research on PubMed, he was tested to confirm he didn't have the inherited condition that can cause this. He's fine now. You're in good company.

Wow!!! Thank you so much for all this info. I have granddaughter today but I see some light reading on tonights agenda!!!

 

[Winnie53]

Debandez, this showed up in my email this morning from Jill Carnahan, M.D., a functional medicine practitioner here in the US...

Iron & Hemochromatosis - A Double Edged Sword?

https://www.jillcarnahan.com/2019/0...137534401&mc_cid=161563daf2&mc_eid=5af7c2459c

More reading, but the three authors of the articles I posted here all from practitioners that I follow here. Please note, the units and ranges for your test will most likely be different from those listed in the three articles. I had my ferritin tested six weeks ago. Here's the results including units and range - (I took an iron supplement for a few years beginning in 2011 due to a low ferritin level; would not do that again without ongoing lab tests):

Ferritin 81.8 Reference Range 10-232 ng/mL

The good news is that Hemochromatosis is not a common condition - (1 out of 200 Americans) - but here's recommendations from the above linked article for those who have been diagnosed with the condition...

6 Lifestyle and Dietary Recommendations for Hemochromatosis
In addition to blood removal, doctors may recommend dietary and lifestyle changes for patients with hemochromatosis. The following recommendations may slow down the rate of increase in iron stores and reduce the severity of hemochromatosis symptoms:

1. Avoid iron supplements and multivitamins containing iron. They can increase your iron levels even more.
2. Avoid raw fish and shellfish. Patients with hemochromatosis are more susceptible to infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria found in raw fish and shellfish from warm, coastal waters. Thoroughly cooked seafood is safe for consumption.
3. Avoid contact of seawater with cuts or other open skin lesions. Same reason as above.
4. Consume red meat in moderation. Red meat has levels of heme iron, which is more easily absorbed by your body than non-heme iron. Since patients with hemochromatosis already absorb more iron than normal, foods with high heme iron should be avoided.
5. Limit vitamin C intake to 500 mg daily. Vitamin C increases iron absorption.
6. Limit alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol greatly increases the risk of liver disease in people with hemochromatosis. Patients with existing liver disease should avoid alcohol completely.

There are many causes of high ferritin levels. I agree with others here. The cause needs to be determined. Hopefully, your doctor will be in touch with you soon. Might be worth a call to find out how long it takes for your doctor to review your lab test results and get back to you.

Ivor Cummins, who had a high ferritin and GGT level, was tested for Hemochromatosis and he does not have the condition. His levels dropped back into the normal range using the low carb ketogenic diet.

Here's more information from the Mercola article I linked to yesterday - (looks like I need to get started on donating blood to get my ferritin level down into the normal range)...

Ideal GGT and Iron Levels
As with many other lab tests, the "normal" ranges for GGT and serum ferritin are far from ideal. If you're in the "normal" range, you're virtually guaranteed to develop some sort of health problem. Based on Gerry's recommendation I had my GGT tested last month and it was 17, which is healthy especially since my ferritin level is 37. You really need both tests to confirm lack of iron toxicity as he explains in the full interview.

According to Koenig, women with a GGT above 30 U/L have a higher risk of cancer and autoimmune disease. Interestingly, while for most other tests the range between what's healthy and what's risky tends to be quite broad, in the case of GGT, the range between health and disease is in the single digits.

"Part of it is dependent on body weight," Koenig says. "Strangely enough, the most recent indications are that people who are too thin (whatever their level of GGT is), it could be harmful if [their GGT is] relatively high.9 For instance, for a thin woman with a GGT … in the range of the second quartile, which is going to be generally 14 to 18 today it can be dangerous if she's expecting to have children and has a very low BMI."

When it comes to serum ferritin, a level of 200 to 300 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) falls within the normal range for women and men respectively, which is FAR too high for optimal health. An ideal level for adult men and non-menstruating women is somewhere between 30 and 60 ng/mL.

You do not want to be below 20 ng/mL or above 80 ng/mL. The most commonly used threshold for iron deficiency in clinical studies is 12 to 15 ng/mL. Maintaining a healthy iron level is also important during pregnancy. Having a level of 60 or 70 ng/mL is associated with greater odds of poor pregnancy outcomes. That said, iron deficiency during pregnancy is equally problematic, so make sure you get tested.

Last but not least, since the ferritin and GGT are interactive, low GGT tends to be protective against higher ferritin. So, if your GGT is low, you're largely protected even if your ferritin is a bit higher than ideal. Still, it would be wise to take steps to lower your ferritin to a more ideal level nonetheless. On the other hand, even if your ferritin is low, having an elevated GGT levels is cause for concern, and needs to be addressed.

 

[Debandez]

Debandez, this showed up in my email this morning from Jill Carnahan, M.D., a functional medicine practitioner here in the US...

Iron & Hemochromatosis - A Double Edged Sword?

https://www.jillcarnahan.com/2019/0...137534401&mc_cid=161563daf2&mc_eid=5af7c2459c

More reading, but the three authors of the articles I posted here all from practitioners that I follow here. Please note, the units and ranges for your test will most likely be different from those listed in the three articles. I had my ferritin tested six weeks ago. Here's the results including units and range - (I took an iron supplement for a few years beginning in 2011 due to a low ferritin level; would not do that again without ongoing lab tests):

Ferritin 81.8 Reference Range 10-232 ng/mL

The good news is that Hemochromatosis is not a common condition - (1 out of 200 Americans) - but here's recommendations from the above linked article for those who have been diagnosed with the condition...

6 Lifestyle and Dietary Recommendations for Hemochromatosis
In addition to blood removal, doctors may recommend dietary and lifestyle changes for patients with hemochromatosis. The following recommendations may slow down the rate of increase in iron stores and reduce the severity of hemochromatosis symptoms:

1. Avoid iron supplements and multivitamins containing iron. They can increase your iron levels even more.
2. Avoid raw fish and shellfish. Patients with hemochromatosis are more susceptible to infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria found in raw fish and shellfish from warm, coastal waters. Thoroughly cooked seafood is safe for consumption.
3. Avoid contact of seawater with cuts or other open skin lesions. Same reason as above.
4. Consume red meat in moderation. Red meat has levels of heme iron, which is more easily absorbed by your body than non-heme iron. Since patients with hemochromatosis already absorb more iron than normal, foods with high heme iron should be avoided.
5. Limit vitamin C intake to 500 mg daily. Vitamin C increases iron absorption.
6. Limit alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol greatly increases the risk of liver disease in people with hemochromatosis. Patients with existing liver disease should avoid alcohol completely.

There are many causes of high ferritin levels. I agree with others here. The cause needs to be determined. Hopefully, your doctor will be in touch with you soon. Might be worth a call to find out how long it takes for your doctor to review your lab test results and get back to you.

Ivor Cummins, who had a high ferritin and GGT level, was tested for Hemochromatosis and he does not have the condition. His levels dropped back into the normal range using the low carb ketogenic diet.

Here's more information from the Mercola article I linked to yesterday - (looks like I need to get started on donating blood to get my ferritin level down into the normal range)...

Ideal GGT and Iron Levels
As with many other lab tests, the "normal" ranges for GGT and serum ferritin are far from ideal. If you're in the "normal" range, you're virtually guaranteed to develop some sort of health problem. Based on Gerry's recommendation I had my GGT tested last month and it was 17, which is healthy especially since my ferritin level is 37. You really need both tests to confirm lack of iron toxicity as he explains in the full interview.

According to Koenig, women with a GGT above 30 U/L have a higher risk of cancer and autoimmune disease. Interestingly, while for most other tests the range between what's healthy and what's risky tends to be quite broad, in the case of GGT, the range between health and disease is in the single digits.

"Part of it is dependent on body weight," Koenig says. "Strangely enough, the most recent indications are that people who are too thin (whatever their level of GGT is), it could be harmful if [their GGT is] relatively high.9 For instance, for a thin woman with a GGT … in the range of the second quartile, which is going to be generally 14 to 18 today it can be dangerous if she's expecting to have children and has a very low BMI."

When it comes to serum ferritin, a level of 200 to 300 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) falls within the normal range for women and men respectively, which is FAR too high for optimal health. An ideal level for adult men and non-menstruating women is somewhere between 30 and 60 ng/mL.

You do not want to be below 20 ng/mL or above 80 ng/mL. The most commonly used threshold for iron deficiency in clinical studies is 12 to 15 ng/mL. Maintaining a healthy iron level is also important during pregnancy. Having a level of 60 or 70 ng/mL is associated with greater odds of poor pregnancy outcomes. That said, iron deficiency during pregnancy is equally problematic, so make sure you get tested.

Last but not least, since the ferritin and GGT are interactive, low GGT tends to be protective against higher ferritin. So, if your GGT is low, you're largely protected even if your ferritin is a bit higher than ideal. Still, it would be wise to take steps to lower your ferritin to a more ideal level nonetheless. On the other hand, even if your ferritin is low, having an elevated GGT levels is cause for concern, and needs to be addressed.

Thank you so much for all this invaluable info and taking the time to share it. Much appreciated.