My ferritin level is 30 and my iron level in the blood is 52. The thyroid hormones are normal. I lost 60% of my hair in the last 6 months. About 400 hairs are shedding every day. My nails stopped growing which typically grew so fast. This is frightening 😞. Now taking iron pills. I think that vegeterian diet for 10 years wasn't worth it in the end😞.
So true & great video! I've pretty much been a size 4 & 5'9" most of my adult life, and I've been strength training since I was 18. Shortly after I hit 40yrs old I found I was ridiculously tired & my hair was thinning. I'd rarely been to a doctor other than for routine care but they still treated me like I was just drama. I was told by 3 different doctors (including my OB/Gyn) that it was just part of aging--no way did I have any health issues because my appearance was "fine". Yep, you're 40, time to throw in the towel! Finally I found an MD willing to to do some labs & found that I was hypothyroid (TSH was 12). She was shocked but refused to put me on an ND (she told me it was "pass'e") she also wasn't bothered by my Ferritin when it came back at 21 (normal to labs but under the optimal levels as you mentioned & I only found that through the interenet!). I found an endo willing to work w/me & she allowed me to take iron as well. My ferritin is now at 58 & after about 2yrs my hair is back to what it was. I will try out the liquid iron you recommend. Thanks for your vids, please keep them coming😊
Mel C May I ask how did you raise your ferritin? I have been struggling to raise mine. At one point it was 17 and the doctor said it was no big deal!! I’m so frustrated with doctors lately! I purchased Feosol Ferrous Sulfate tablets from CVS and also another iron supplement containing iron ferrous bisglycinate chelate. Do you mind sharing how you raised your iron? Thank you either way🙏🏻
Of course I would love to share & if I can help one person it would be a Blessing. I looked at many brands as I was concerned about causing stomach troubles or bathroom issues (sorry if TMI but it's a big concern with iron supplements!). I found two different brands & asked my endocrinologist about them. She was okay with me using one in the afternoon & the other in the evening (with food). I chose Ferretts Iron Supplement and Feosol Carbonyl Iron based on some research and reviews from Amazon & other sites. I eat a healthy diet with plenty of dark greens, cashews, lentils (all high in iron) but apparently I could not get enough iron. This combination has worked for me for the last 2 years & I've had no stomach trouble. Just be sure to have your levels checked at least every 6 months. I saw a difference in my hair & fatigue, I hope this helps you!
Mel C THANK YOU so much for your kindness and generosity in replying back to me!! 🙏🏻🙌🏻 I will definitely give those two that you mentioned a try. I have Hashimotos but otherwise normal thyroid but I feel exhausted and my hair falling out and Im afraid it will start thinning. I am trying to cover all my bases in regards to my health so I don’t feel so bad anymore. Only other thing is that my vitamin D is low and high cholesterol; everything else is ok (atleast all that I was tested for). Thank you again 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💜
Francesca Lafügüzar hi Francescoa! I'm hypothyroid as well... used to have angina and high cholesterol levels, hair loss, etc. You might want to look into a whole food, plant based diet. This diet is full of fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, zero dietary cholesterol and little saturated fat. I got my cholesterol down from 248 to 160, lost the angina within 3 months, went from 162 to 137 pounds over the course of two years, got my hair back... all without statins or other prescription medications... or having to restrict food. If you're interested in learning more, Google Dr. Micheal Greger or Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Dr Greger has an app to get you started, called "the daily dozen", which can help you track, by checking off the recommended amounts of the foods required to get a well balanced diet.
Laurie Paris Hi Laurie! Thank you so much for taking time out of your precious day to write this to me! I feel blessed! I will definitely look into your suggestions. For now I have cut out coffee and soda. Next I need to do an overhaul of my meals. My doctor did not help me with any thyroid medication since my TSH is “normal” range (I have Hashimotos/ high thyroid antibodies). All she suggested was that I have chronic fatigue syndrome so she could prescribe me cymbalta. I took one pill and hated it. So I will check out the doctors you mentioned! Thanks again ❣️🙏🏻
I’m here because my ferritin level is 11 and dr says I’m not anemic. She doesn’t seem concerned,yet I’ve just had a health scare.I had a cold and was poorly for two months after that with swollen glands,jaw pain,fever,hoarseness,weight loss ,yet more fatigue.Had ENT tests,asked for thyroid function test and all came back normal. Years of health issues that DRs never seem to get to the bottom of. This video makes so much sense,I wish our DRs would help us more.
My ferritin is 15 my iron saturation is fine! My B12 is high and my vitamin yd is high . I’m passed menapause . I’m exhausted forget exercise. I also have COPD and asthma ! I have had awful digestion and gastrointestinal . I eat no carb for 15 years . Keto and now carnivore still exhaustedwwight is fine a little more fat though.🤷♀️
Ignore serum iron. It’s a very acute phase value and reflects what is circulating at the time. Can give heaps of iron and have it not move: as I learnt with one of my patients the hard way
Thank you so much for this info. I'm losing hair and feeling tired but my doctor says that every thing is ok. I was just researching what Ferritin was and mine is 31
My Ferritin is 6L, my Iron total is 33L, my % of Saturation is 8L, my Iron binding capacity is 413 and my Hemoglobin is 12.9L. I have experienced significant hair loss over the pass year along with low energy. I have GI issues already. My GI says there’s no blood in my stool and wants to refer me to a hematologist pending a colonoscopy. What product would you recommend? Could you send me some info so I can buy some supplementation?
Very helpful, thank you. Been taking liquid iron and now, I am constipated. I still "go" because I drink a lot of water and eat fruits and vegetables a lot too, but definitely constipated. My hair is nothing like it used to be. Been shedding for years. My greatest challenge is I have gut issues so struggle to digest proteins it seems. I am so so fed up and sad.
There are two types of iron the one that you want should be visible based green vegetable based chlorophyll cruciferous these are the iron that we should be taking avoid anything that contains fortified iron or heme iron
@@sonja0707 You are spreading false information. Heme iron is the best iron for our bodies and eating fortified irons is a good and healthy way to raise iron levels. Our bodies can only absorb 3% of non heme iron because it's not meant for our bodies to absorb
If you aren't craving liver, spinach and other iron-rich foods, you may not need more iron. Sometimes, if you have access to a wide range of foods and you don't feel like eating liver, etc., your body may not be storing what it doesn't need. Cod liver oil can raise your ferritin levels but be careful, you need to watch out for adverse effects and to err on the side of caution: you really only need a tiny little bit per day; stop if it makes you feel bad.
Incorporate 2 prunes a day to your diet so you won't be constipated or 1 ounce of prune juice daily and take Magnesium Citrate at night you will be regular. Hope this helps.
@@bellsognodi1787 I just have low ferritin. I thought I had Androgenetic Alopecia but my dermatologist said it was not that...he said he said it was chronic telogen effluvium brought on by low ferritin and it would go into remission if I got my ferritin up to around 45 and I would see regrowth at around 70. I kept asking him...are you sure it isn't FPB...because that was my big fear...but he just laughed and said no. Unfortunately, for me, raising my ferritin is really, really hard. I'm trying a new supplement (2 a day per doctor's orders), completely clean eating, and more transfusions if that doesn't work.
@@memory949 Sorry! Just saw this...if you're still interested I got an iron transfusion about a month ago and before that I was take one high does iron pill plus a vitamin C to help with absorption at night on an empty stomach. My doc said thats the best way.
I used to have shiny, thick curly hair. I started taking birth control and it became dry, shriveled up, started falling out in masses. They say don’t stress, but they way my hair was falling out, it was pretty hard not to. It’s been a year since I took the horrible birth control implant out. I only had it in 2 months before I started noticing my hair fall out. To this day, my hair hasn’t stopped falling out. I got some blood work done in the earlier part of the year, now looking back, my ferritin at that point was only 15! I hope taking iron helps my hair grow back! I have never felt so ugly before. I’m only 26. I’m not ready to spend the rest of my life like this.
I have endometriosis so my hormones are always outta whack. My iron is super low due to heavy bleeding. Hair loss is just insane for me. I totally I understand how it effects self esteem. It's so frustrating.
I started taking some ferrous ascorbate iron pills about 2.5 weeks, I have seen the hair breakage start slow down and start to return to the texture that it was before. It's not there 100%, but I think I will see major improvement with prolonged use.
My ferritin has been 7 and iron saturation 3% for the past year despite eating iron rich foods and taking 20 mg liquid iron daily. I literally feel like death, every day. I have gluten intolerance, low thyroid, and I'm sure my magnesium levels are not adequate. I believe this all started with a submucosal leiomyoma (fibroid tumor) that I had surgically removed 5 months ago due to severe menstrual bleeding. The problem did not resolve after the surgery. Trying progesterone cream now. Hoping my current primary care doctor is going to send me for a transfusion so I can feel somewhat normal again.
Wow!!! Amazing you get it!! Exactly my issue! Dr didn't care because I no longer had anemia. Wasn't till I was in bed having 40 plus heart palpitations and crazy anxiety that I myself doing research finally found out it was my low iron that I had had for over a year. Now I don't have thyroid issue that I know of .. cause Dr always says my levels are fine. But thank you!! Thank you!!
This is my issue. My iron/ferritin and vit. d levels are abysmal and my hair loss has never bounced back from when I initially lost a lot during my hyperthyroidism. I had a total thyroidectomy in 2014 and my thyroid levels are good but despite that my hair has just remained thin. I’m taking supplements to hopefully help.
My waist length hair started falling out in May. I have been tested for thyroid problems but everything came back normal. My iron was okay. My vitamin D was a 1 so I was placed on 10,000 units per day. I can barely get out of bed anymore. I can't catch my breath after doing things like putting on my shoes or walking to the couch. When my groceries are delivered I have to put away the cold stuff and take a nap before even attempting to put the rest away. Sometimes it takes 2 days to complete a task that used to take me 10 or 15 minutes. Everything hurts all the time. This has been going on and getting steadily worse for the past 5 years. Every doctor runs a few tests says I'm fine and refers me to another specialist if I insist they keep looking. So far I've seen my primary care doctor, endocrinologist, rheumatologist, neurologist, psychologist (anxiety), cardiologist and a gastroenterologist. I've had more scans and bloodwork in the past 4 months than I have my entire life... but I don't think any of them have checked my ferritin levels. I've never even heard of this before. I take iron once or twice a week because I have trouble with anemia but it's too hard on my stomach to take daily. Could this be masking an iron deficiency? My body wasn't storing vitamin D, could it be the same with iron? I'm so tired of feeling like this. All I want to do is sleep.
My vitamin d was at 17 and ferritin at 11, I could not get up in the mornings, my bones were hurting, I was spending weekends on sleeping being only 26 years old! Plus I had mood swings... You should definitely check your vitamins and iron level before you let the "doctors" prescribe you strong medicines. Wish you all the best!
As part of iron supplementation, I have B12 question. My B12 is dismal- about 300. But when I try iron supplements that have huge amounts of B12 in them, I break out immediately. I've read that when people who are prone to acne (me) supplement B12, we get acne-causing bacteria pumping out molecules that cause inflammatory acne. I've noticed this with iron supplementation and with B12 supplementation, so I tend not to last very long with either. I'd like to try Floravital, but again, it contains about 200% of the RDA for B12. The iron supplements that don't contain B12 are usually capsules that don't really help boost ferritin levels. What do people like me do? TIA!
Spatone, try the sachets. I have the same issues with tablets that have b vitamins, especially b12. It's always difficult when you have to take into consideration our acne prone skin.
My family doctor takes 2 months to get into but I finally am seeing him this week . I’ve had cold hands and feet , Purple/blue finger nails , shortness of breath just coming up the stairs as a 23 year old ...for months now . Maybe even years thinking about it . I always thought it was just from my anxiety but it’s gotta be iron or maybe thyroid .. I’m tired of guessing so let’s hope I get it figured out . Thanks for the info
Wow! I have complained about hair loss and fatigue to my PCP for 3 years! She prescribed me a low dose, over the counter iron pill to take 1 per day, although I was borderline anemia. She checked my thyroid which is fine. I finally went to Dermatologist who checked my ferratin levels which are at 17! 17! Why didn't my PCP catch this a few months ago? Anywho! I was prescribed some high dose iron to take until I get my ferratin up. 3 years! Darn ferratin... Never knew
@Bethany Smith Bethany, I am taking Ferrous Gluconate 324mg 3 times per day. She gave me a year supply as she said it will take 6 months to a year to normalize. Ugh. It's been a couple of months and I've been taking them twice per day mostly. I do feel some slight improvement however. I sure hope things work out for you.
@connierubio4906 definitely a bit better (I'm not out of breath anymore) but I'm still tired. I have other health issues which might be causing the fatigue
Just had my ferritin checked, I am at a 4! 😮 Hemoglobin is 10.8. I had all the signs hair loss, ringing in ears, tingling, fatigue and inability to workout for long. Got to love being a woman! Bought an iron skillet and some Floradex. I eat steak and mussels a ton to. Hope to get it up soon !!
@@rockstarofredondo Iron is up to a 21 and hemoglobin is an 11.8. So better! I truly believe this can be fixed through food. The Floradex made me nauseous, so only took it a handful of times. Also, try to buy produce directly from the farmers market/local farm. They on average have more nutrients, iron is a big one, than store bought food.
@@mehabhatt4623 actually getting retested tomorrow. I’ll update then. Dr. might push for iron infusions if it’s still low. Eating mostly carnivore now. Bison, steak and seafood mostly.
My ferritan level is a 34. I’m losing hair before thyroid medication and more after.. it says 70 optimal in your other videos.. should I take some iron at 34 level? Is that considered low ? Thanks so much! Your the best
Ferritin is a PROXY for how much iron you're storing. Mine is 19, but my iron is normal. Hmmm... I think I'm just not going to worry too much about this, at least not right now. My hair and nails grow super fast. Great video - thanks.
I have low ferritin, I have thyroid and I have hairfall. But even though I don't have PCOS, my Androgen is high ( 311ug/dl) but in the report it showed that upto 380 is normal. But I think androgen is still high. Any suggestions for me doctor? I m taking Ferritin pills, but I don't levothyroxine because after taking it I experienced massive hair shed.
My experience is, when your lab test says low iron, food isnt gonna fix it, you need prescribed liquid iron, i’m wondering how long it takes to build up the iron stores and get to a point where the iron supplement is no longer needed, is there a basic time frame?
Need to call you out on what you consider to be optimal ferritin level - lotta research has been done lately and the correct level is somewhere between 70 and 100. There’s been a lot of suffering because of those low numbers and the ridiculously wide ranges. I for one was put off for years and years because my ferritin was 45 and I felt like crap. It wasn’t till I got it up to at least 70 that I started feeling like a regular person. People you need to listen to your bodies if your ferritin levels at 45 and you still feel terrible then keep taking your iron supplements until you get it where it needs to be. And at that point keep monitoring it so it doesn’t fall back down because that can easily happen if you stop taking the supplements altogether. Don’t let any doctor tell you what’s right and what’s wrong. Follow your inner voice that’s what it’s there for. . My prayers go out to all of you who suffer from low iron and low ferritin- it is certainly not any fun at all. All my love Xxoo. Deb
Omg that's the thing I'm searching about. My ferritin lvl is at 50 and feeling same like crap. And the doc say everytime everything is good blabla but I'm feeling bad. I can't trust doctors anymore. Good lvl start at 70 or 80. Thx
Great video! About 7 years ago I was in search for answers as to why I was loosing my hair by the handful and was extremely fatigue. Blood work came back and told me I had hypothyroidism. I tough it was strange bc I always associated hypothyroidism with having weight issues/ low metabolism. I’m 5’4” and was weighing about 120 lbs, otherwise healthy. Anyway, started synthroid. And here I am 7 years later with all the same symptoms I has before. No real answers until now. On my recent labs it shows my Iron level 11L, ferritin 2L, hemoglobin 9.9L, and hematocrit 34.9L. That’s crazy low….no wonder i sleep 10 hours at night and still need a nap. I starting taking liquid iron, liquid B12 and liquid D3. Praying this is the answer to my prayers for the past 7 years and my hair stops falling out and starts to grow back!! My GP is the one who discovered my iron deficient anemia. Do you think I need to see a hematologist?
@@Sirie7206 well, I got my iron up to 126 and ferritin to 10 which is still low but my red blood cell count was high. I stopped taking my iron out of fear of blood clots. I would take my iron every now and again but every day as before. Fast forward 6 months later. Last month I had my levels checked again. Iron was 31 and ferritin was 3 😩. I’m back on my daily dose of liquid iron along with my other supplements. Hair loss never got better, even with my level’s higher. I would like to get my iron up to the higher side of the normal range and also get my ferritin level normal as well, hopefully then I would see a change in my hair. It’s extremely frustrating as to why I can’t keep my iron levels from dropping. I’m beginning to wonder if I have an absorption issue, I’m just starting to work on my gut health but I know that will be a long process. As far as my thyroid condition, I’ve been on the same dosage for about 10 years.
@@BekE0213 I think we might need copper. You should get an HTMA test done to see which minerals you really need. I watched one lady’s video who has Hashimoto’s and had iron deficiency anemia. She got her levels up with copper. We may have an imbalance of the two. I am also working on my gut issues to see if that solves anything. I’ve tried everything from infusions to supplements and nothing keeps my ferritin at optimal. It might just be a copper to iron imbalance.
@@Sirie7206 I agree! I was just reading about the benefits of copper! Another thing you might want to read up on is iodine. I think we may also have an iodine deficiency. Look up the supplement Detoxadine and the benefits. I’m ordering that for me as well. Thank you for the info, I think im going to order me a copper water bottle right now.
I used to be on Medrol 16mg for 4 months and methotrexate for 3 months, I believe these two played a role in my thyroid getting screwed and dropping my ferritin to 25 from 40.
The only iron I absorb is Jarrow’s IronSorb WITH LACTOFERRIN. I took 18mg iron for 3 mos and my ferritin went from 21 to 11! The lactoferrin is noticeable in 3 days. In a week, Im like a new woman! I only take it for 60 days about 3x a yr. I cant get my iron to stay up 🤷🏼♀️
Thank you so much for the video and we appreciate it a lot I don’t know if you’re gonna reply to my comment or not, but my ferritin is 6 ,,, and the doctor said your body is making iron but I cannot restore it ,and also I have Lo thyroid and I take levothyroxine for over 20 years but I am tired all the time and my hair is full and it’s very thin what do you recommend for me to do?????? please let me know thank you so much and God bless you🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💐
Ferritin is your stored Iron so if you have regular Iron and low ferritin you are considered "non-iron deficient anemic." Thats what I was. It means you are at greater risk of falling into anemia and it can cause anemic symptoms because your body works off of your stored iron level so if it feels stored iron is threatened it will start pulling iron from places you don't want it to, like hair follicles.
Ugh, ferritin is always an issue for me as well as b12. The two together are kicking my butt. My hair is 50% thinner than it should be. It’s dry, brittle. Iron infusions help but gettin* them soon enough is a struggle. As soon as ferritin drops even a little ai need infusions, not when it reaches the level that the dr says. I think I’m really sensitive to any drop.
Thanks for this interesting video. I had my iron panel done lately and feel somewhat double-binded. My ferritin is 42, which might suggest supplementation, but my transferrin saturation is 49% which might suggest that I should eat less iron-rich food. Does these somewhat paradoxical measures indicate anything in particular, as for instance a liver reluctant to produce sufficient amount of transferrin? Would you supplement in my case? Thank you.
Hello, great video by the way, thank you!so since I was 9yrs old I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and at age 15 I had severe anemia. Last year in 2016 had a blood transfusion because my hemoglobin was at 6.6 g/dL. It's been great until Sept of this yr. when I consistently kept getting dizzy and tired quickly, I went to my school dr and I got a ferritin test, the results for my ferritin was 3ng/mL. I did some research and found it's best to get a bone marrow biopsy, do you recommend this?. I just bought liquid iron so hopefully that works too.
I don't think you need to get a bone marrow biopsy unless your red blood cells look abnormal under microscopic evaluation (or you have issues with immature white blood cells, etc.).
I am aniemic I have had four blood transfusion my hair was falling out but since.I have been taking iron and Thyroid complete my is changing for the better
Thank you this is very helpful ! I was having severe hair loss. I have ferritin of 6 but they didn’t do an iron level test but is that the same as hemoglobin? What is Tibc. ? Also have iodine and zinc deficiency and lots of hypothyroid symptoms.
@@magomago7819 not entirely but I did find some help with taking iron, zinc and thyroid supprt pills. I did also implement a better regimen with oiling my hair with coconut oil, and sometimes red onion oil. Overall helped but still have times when the hair fall increases with stress or diet
I have hypothyroidism. My iron/ferritin has been off for months. (I do not have a cycke anymore). I have been kosing hair. I was told to take ferrous sulfate. Rechecked and was told my ferritin is low but I'm not anemic. My new doctor told me to stop taking iron, even though my ferritin is low. I decided ro keep taking iron. Seems doctors don't think low ferritin is an issue 🙄
My iron was really high for the first time in years. I am happy about it. However, my ferritin remains low at 12. Why????? Thank you for the information.
Morley Robbins explains that Magnesium is necessary for copper and copper is necessary for iron and so on, so make sure you thinking holistically and getting everything you need in balance, preferably from food, Magnesium is safe for everyone and i suggest you do that first, if your gonna take iron only take forms you absorb from nature like Chlorella and Spirulina, there are also herbs like yellowdock or even better beef liver grassfed i know yucky, the co factors for absorption are in the perfect ratio in beef liver thats why is best its also the correct form of iron
Faydie_Fox Lentils are a great source of iron, especially if you cook them with a bit of fennel seed to eliminate gas. Beans, too, but they tend to be more musical than lentils! Eat/cook with a vitamin C food like tomatoes to help with absorption.
@Mojo Jaye dear , get some Epson salts ( about$ 5.00 a 5 lb bag) . Soak in bath tube OR soak your feet in warm water + epson salts at nite while watching T.V. or reading ,etc.This will allow your body to soak up the magnesium .You will feel better and your body will not 'soak in' more than you need.. Blessings...PS whole milk chocolate has everything you need after a work out .Check the facts..much love
@Truenorth so my 20 yrs in medical field mean nothing? you profess wisdom with no knowledge of a female body"s needs.. I bet your also a "bad" lay all the while thinking your god's gift to a poor uneducated woman
I have diabetes chronic renal disease and pernicious anemia and angina. My ferritin level is 13 . Am I at risk of heart attack. I have been put on a coarse of Ferrous fumarate but I'm still very lethargic and breathless. I found your comments very informative. Thank you
I wish more doctors knew this. My question to you doc, (how) is it possible for a body to need more iron than blood tests deem normal? Background: I've been coping with iron deficiency and even anemic symptoms since I was eight years old. Been told for over 15 years that it was nonsense and that my iron levels were normal. A few years back a new gp agreed to me taking iron tablets even though my iron levels were "good/ normal", I even checked the lab results myself to be sure. They Were normal, yet my symptoms were not. When I started taking the supplement (28 mg ferrolactate/ day) after a few months, lo and behold, my symptoms got so much better. My symptoms were heavy (and cleared mostly up after taking supplements) yet the blood tests showed normal levels. Do you know how this can be possible?
I don't believe that would be the case because iron can be potentially toxic. It's more likely that iron is just one of many problems you are dealing with.
Studies show that a normal ferritin test result is 25 and up or 15 and up but in reality that means your actually low in iron which is the first stage of iron deficiency and if legt untreated it turns to iron deficiency anemia.So thats why u were feeling better after taking the iron supplements.
Thank you for this video. I have Hashimoto's and I have hemoglobin level of 8 (should be at least 12) and a ferritin of 3 (almost nonexistent). I feel horrible all the time. 😢
Dr Childs my ferritin Is on the lower side at 23 but everything else is good I think, iron saturation is 119, tibc 320, iron saturation 37… I’m taking a plant based supplement but not sure if I should continue everyday? Thanks for all of your informative videos!
Kate J My doctor recommended Floradix liquid iron 20 ml on empty stomach in morning. Wait 30 min before eating food or meds so you absorb it. It does NOT cause constipation or GI upset. You can get it at health food stores or Vitacost.com which is cheaper. Buy the 17 fl oz size as that is enough to last refrigerated for one month using the 20 ml dosage. You must discard after one month. It takes months to build up the ferritin though! I was at 16 and 6 months later am barely at 40.
What’s the conversion numbers for Australians ? Our minimum range is (2.10 - 3.80) and I’m 1.75 ? Please help my spleen aches and I have hair loss and don’t know what to do
I have sickle cell trait, low ferratin levels and I’m menopausal. I’m taking vitamins for pregnancy as my hair is thinning and my eyebrows are disappearing? I’m also drinking a Vit C dispersible drink most mornings. My doctor says my thyroid and ferratin levels are low but nothing to worry about. My hair isn’t growing which is weird, even though I’m taking supplements, but it is getting thinner. I do have fatigue too! Really stuck on what to do? I feel like I’m not absorbing nutrients as I can’t see/feel any difference? My skin is great. The whites of my eyes are slightly yellow.
Is there s link with low ferritin with hyperthyroidism? I have low ferritin, and high T4. All the rest of the blood test are normal. I eat healthy and iron rich foods, and do not combine it with coffee / calcium. Please help !
My ferritin was 10 once. I had heavy menstrual periods and was a vegetarian. I didn't have a lot of energy, but I was losing my hair and that bothered me enough to go to the doctor. I found out I had a genetic mutation where I didn't make progesterone, which your body considers the level of to turn the period off. 8 days , every 45 to 60 days. My body was confused. I was told I probably couldn't have kids, which was accurate. 10 sounds really low. No wonder I was tired. Back then there was geritol in a high dose, 5 times the daily requirement. They don't make it any more.
I have hypothyroidism my TSH level is 5.5 and i have severe hair loss . I don't even check my ferritin level . Is low ferritin level is the reason for my severe hairloss
Any liquid iron should work, I can't remember the exact brand I talk about in the video because it's been a while but you can search for some on amazon.
Best video on this topic I’ve seen! So easy to understand and I finally understand what I need to do and how it is inter related. It’s a chicken and egg situation. I’m hoping the Ferratin will fix my anemia and then fix my hypothyroid and then other related issues in my cycles , hairless and fatigue! Thank you!!
My ferritin level was 20 before 2 month ago and I took iron infusion 2 month ago my iron level is know 145 but my hair still falling and not regrow hairs back.. when I get results .. and is it possible to stop hair fall with iron infusion?
Doesn't ferritin and iron work the same way? I have covid hair loss I'm on iron now but they wanted me to take ferritin supplements too? Can you please explain. Thank you, Colleen
I have been recently diagnosed with Anemia of Chronic Diease. It took my Hemotologist like a decade to diagnose it. She's leaving up to my GP to find the chronic disease. My GP has left the hospital so I'm in seach of a new. I have told my doctors for two decades something is wrong with my thyroid. They take labs and the values come back at the beginning of the normal range. I have no clue of what to do. I just ordered a high potency liquid iron to prevent me from getting iron by iv. This iron deficiency is so complex.
My ferritin is 60 it use to be 40..I still feel very weak with hair loss. Thyroid is fine.. heavy periods tho...I went on a vegan diet and it screwed me all up with my iron levels. My hair s tee started falling out . I stopped but it's been 4 years and I still have not recovered.
Sharday Cota same thing here, was vegan almost 3 years and was shedding but always said, it’s just normal hair loss. Till it became chunks of hair. Went to my doctor she tried to tell me it was stress and I was like I don’t think so. Come to find out my ferritin is so low and I’m over here eating greens and legumes like crazy. My thyroid is also normal. Don’t know what to think, I use to have so much hair, I’m just mentally so exhausted. May we both find a a path to recovery!
Thank you for explaining this topic. What happens in a case where the body does not readily absorb ferritin? Is there a way to treat this condition so that the body will be able to absorb iron supplements and help with the chronic fatigue and low energy levels?
Yes, you can take some supplements with the iron to increase the absorption (such as vitamin c) or you can look at problems in the GI tract which are preventing absorption from occurring.
Just came across this Appreciate it’s 7 yrs old But can only concur with all the findings I have dealt w on and off anemia and low ferritin my entire adult life For over a decade if not more, not one doctor ever talked to me of ferritin - it was only ever the actual anemia Finally one medical professional did and then all began to fall into place Over the years also having moved from Europe first to the US and then England, I have found myself more often than not explaining to medical professionals the importance of ferritin and to stop looking at most my plain vanilla hemoglobin levels… I would get the ‘well your hemoglobin is in normal range, so you are all ok’… But the other point I wanted to make is that for years during my low ferritin journey etc, I also had what I would describe as on and off hypothyroid symptoms But all my blood work on it always came back ok Again - no one made the connection between my ferritin levels and my hypothyroid symptoms Often I had blank looks from doctors thinking I was crazy, I would talk of fatigue, loosing my hair a bit, always feeling cold, thinning of outer edge of eyebrows etc, and again - no one made the connection The mistake that many doctors or medics also make sometimes is prescribe just high dose ferrous sulfate from a pharmacy - those come often with pesky side effects and so often the dosage is actually too high / leading to in my case symptoms that are in fact akin to anemia All in all, largely through my own research have I gotten to the bottom of all - the single most perfect iron supplement for me is ActiveIron - I realised that I do best with simply a normal dose of iron not the jumbo dose you get from prescription pharmacy brand But ActiveIron has a formula that is highly absorbable, does not cause constipation, you can take it without food and you feel an impact quite literally within a few days But thank you for videos such as this First one I see that makes proper connection between thyroid and ferritin et al
My ferritin level is 30 and my iron level in the blood is 52. The thyroid hormones are normal. I lost 60% of my hair in the last 6 months. About 400 hairs are shedding every day. My nails stopped growing which typically grew so fast. This is frightening 😞. Now taking iron pills. I think that vegeterian diet for 10 years wasn't worth it in the end😞.
Meat eaters dont get more iron necessarily. Depends on what you eat.
Just supplement some iron and youll be fine.
May I ask whether taking iron has got your hair back, at all?
Get a infusion
Spatone is (in my opinion) the best iron supplement!
@@breathedeep. Mega Foods is the absolute best iron/blood builder. My ferritin levels went up 21 points in 4 weeks on it
So true & great video! I've pretty much been a size 4 & 5'9" most of my adult life, and I've been strength training since I was 18. Shortly after I hit 40yrs old I found I was ridiculously tired & my hair was thinning. I'd rarely been to a doctor other than for routine care but they still treated me like I was just drama. I was told by 3 different doctors (including my OB/Gyn) that it was just part of aging--no way did I have any health issues because my appearance was "fine". Yep, you're 40, time to throw in the towel! Finally I found an MD willing to to do some labs & found that I was hypothyroid (TSH was 12). She was shocked but refused to put me on an ND (she told me it was "pass'e") she also wasn't bothered by my Ferritin when it came back at 21 (normal to labs but under the optimal levels as you mentioned & I only found that through the interenet!). I found an endo willing to work w/me & she allowed me to take iron as well. My ferritin is now at 58 & after about 2yrs my hair is back to what it was. I will try out the liquid iron you recommend. Thanks for your vids, please keep them coming😊
Mel C May I ask how did you raise your ferritin? I have been struggling to raise mine. At one point it was 17 and the doctor said it was no big deal!! I’m so frustrated with doctors lately! I purchased Feosol Ferrous Sulfate tablets from CVS and also another iron supplement containing iron ferrous bisglycinate chelate. Do you mind sharing how you raised your iron? Thank you either way🙏🏻
Of course I would love to share & if I can help one person it would be a Blessing. I looked at many brands as I was concerned about causing stomach troubles or bathroom issues (sorry if TMI but it's a big concern with iron supplements!). I found two different brands & asked my endocrinologist about them. She was okay with me using one in the afternoon & the other in the evening (with food). I chose Ferretts Iron Supplement and Feosol Carbonyl Iron based on some research and reviews from Amazon & other sites. I eat a healthy diet with plenty of dark greens, cashews, lentils (all high in iron) but apparently I could not get enough iron. This combination has worked for me for the last 2 years & I've had no stomach trouble. Just be sure to have your levels checked at least every 6 months. I saw a difference in my hair & fatigue, I hope this helps you!
Mel C THANK YOU so much for your kindness and generosity in replying back to me!! 🙏🏻🙌🏻 I will definitely give those two that you mentioned a try. I have Hashimotos but otherwise normal thyroid but I feel exhausted and my hair falling out and Im afraid it will start thinning. I am trying to cover all my bases in regards to my health so I don’t feel so bad anymore. Only other thing is that my vitamin D is low and high cholesterol; everything else is ok (atleast all that I was tested for). Thank you again 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💜
Francesca Lafügüzar hi Francescoa! I'm hypothyroid as well... used to have angina and high cholesterol levels, hair loss, etc. You might want to look into a whole food, plant based diet. This diet is full of fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, zero dietary cholesterol and little saturated fat. I got my cholesterol down from 248 to 160, lost the angina within 3 months, went from 162 to 137 pounds over the course of two years, got my hair back... all without statins or other prescription medications... or having to restrict food. If you're interested in learning more, Google Dr. Micheal Greger or Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Dr Greger has an app to get you started, called "the daily dozen", which can help you track, by checking off the recommended amounts of the foods required to get a well balanced diet.
Laurie Paris Hi Laurie! Thank you so much for taking time out of your precious day to write this to me! I feel blessed! I will definitely look into your suggestions. For now I have cut out coffee and soda. Next I need to do an overhaul of my meals. My doctor did not help me with any thyroid medication since my TSH is “normal” range (I have Hashimotos/ high thyroid antibodies). All she suggested was that I have chronic fatigue syndrome so she could prescribe me cymbalta. I took one pill and hated it. So I will check out the doctors you mentioned! Thanks again ❣️🙏🏻
Opened my eyes to my issues. Thank You for your hard work
Welcome!
@@drwestinchildsPLEASE SLOW DOWN HOW YOURE SPEAKING. WOW. ITS TOO FAST!
I’m here because my ferritin level is 11 and dr says I’m not anemic. She doesn’t seem concerned,yet I’ve just had a health scare.I had a cold and was poorly for two months after that with swollen glands,jaw pain,fever,hoarseness,weight loss ,yet more fatigue.Had ENT tests,asked for thyroid function test and all came back normal. Years of health issues that DRs never seem to get to the bottom of.
This video makes so much sense,I wish our DRs would help us more.
Get a new doctor my ferritin levels are 36 and I have symptoms such hair hair thinning, fatigue, brittle nails, cold feet
Me too. My ferritin is 30, always fatigued. Hair fall is ridiculous. Getting an iron infusion on Tuesday after 3 years of being fobbed off as a hypo
@@allisondougherty7937It is ridiculous! I can’t stand the gaslighting.
My ferritin is 15 my iron saturation is fine! My B12 is high and my vitamin yd is high . I’m passed menapause . I’m exhausted forget exercise. I also have COPD and asthma ! I have had awful digestion and gastrointestinal . I eat no carb for 15 years . Keto and now carnivore still exhaustedwwight is fine a little more fat though.🤷♀️
@@seascape185 yeh my B12 was high too. It’s so hard trying to get things balanced!
Ignore serum iron. It’s a very acute phase value and reflects what is circulating at the time. Can give heaps of iron and have it not move: as I learnt with one of my patients the hard way
Was your patient absorbing it? Low stomach acid? Caffeine/tannins/oxalates?
@@vanessac1965 good question
Thankyou so much, this is exactly what happened with me, low ferritin and hypothyroidism
Thank you! You answered a lot of my health issues questions that no Dr. Could do before. I am sincerely thankful 💐
Happy to help!
@@drwestinchilds - what is the liquid iron that you recommend? I kept replaying the video…and it seems you never tell us the brand???
Thank you so much for this info. I'm losing hair and feeling tired but my doctor says that every thing is ok. I was just researching what Ferritin was and mine is 31
Same!!
Mine is 7!
@@tthomas at the beginning it was 10. It got up to 31 after a month of taking Blood Builder.
@@rachellepierrot6452 I'm taking that too since about 2 weeks ago. Praying my hair will get back on track🙏🙏🙏
31 is low
My Ferritin is 6L, my Iron total is 33L, my % of Saturation is 8L, my Iron binding capacity is 413 and my Hemoglobin is 12.9L. I have experienced significant hair loss over the pass year along with low energy. I have GI issues already. My GI says there’s no blood in my stool and wants to refer me to a hematologist pending a colonoscopy. What product would you recommend? Could you send me some info so I can buy some supplementation?
Very helpful, thank you. Been taking liquid iron and now, I am constipated. I still "go" because I drink a lot of water and eat fruits and vegetables a lot too, but definitely constipated. My hair is nothing like it used to be. Been shedding for years. My greatest challenge is I have gut issues so struggle to digest proteins it seems. I am so so fed up and sad.
There are two types of iron the one that you want should be visible based green vegetable based chlorophyll cruciferous these are the iron that we should be taking avoid anything that contains fortified iron or heme iron
@@sonja0707 You are spreading false information. Heme iron is the best iron for our bodies and eating fortified irons is a good and healthy way to raise iron levels. Our bodies can only absorb 3% of non heme iron because it's not meant for our bodies to absorb
If you aren't craving liver, spinach and other iron-rich foods, you may not need more iron. Sometimes, if you have access to a wide range of foods and you don't feel like eating liver, etc., your body may not be storing what it doesn't need. Cod liver oil can raise your ferritin levels but be careful, you need to watch out for adverse effects and to err on the side of caution: you really only need a tiny little bit per day; stop if it makes you feel bad.
I would humbly suggest the carnivore diet; it was the ONLY way I healed my gut issues and hair loss.
Incorporate 2 prunes a day to your diet so you won't be constipated or 1 ounce of prune juice daily and take Magnesium Citrate at night you will be regular. Hope this helps.
My hair has been falling out...I went to the dermatologist and they tested my ferritin. It was 11 and they told me to get it up to 70 as well.
Do you have Androgenetic Alopecia or just low ferritin?
@@bellsognodi1787 I just have low ferritin. I thought I had Androgenetic Alopecia but my dermatologist said it was not that...he said he said it was chronic telogen effluvium brought on by low ferritin and it would go into remission if I got my ferritin up to around 45 and I would see regrowth at around 70. I kept asking him...are you sure it isn't FPB...because that was my big fear...but he just laughed and said no. Unfortunately, for me, raising my ferritin is really, really hard. I'm trying a new supplement (2 a day per doctor's orders), completely clean eating, and more transfusions if that doesn't work.
A. Wall what are you taking for Ferritin?
Lo Wallis how is ur hair fall now
@@memory949 Sorry! Just saw this...if you're still interested I got an iron transfusion about a month ago and before that I was take one high does iron pill plus a vitamin C to help with absorption at night on an empty stomach. My doc said thats the best way.
I used to have shiny, thick curly hair. I started taking birth control and it became dry, shriveled up, started falling out in masses. They say don’t stress, but they way my hair was falling out, it was pretty hard not to. It’s been a year since I took the horrible birth control implant out. I only had it in 2 months before I started noticing my hair fall out. To this day, my hair hasn’t stopped falling out. I got some blood work done in the earlier part of the year, now looking back, my ferritin at that point was only 15! I hope taking iron helps my hair grow back! I have never felt so ugly before. I’m only 26. I’m not ready to spend the rest of my life like this.
Iron may help with your hair loss but you'll also want to look at other factors such as your hormones.
I have endometriosis so my hormones are always outta whack. My iron is super low due to heavy bleeding. Hair loss is just insane for me. I totally I understand how it effects self esteem. It's so frustrating.
I started taking some ferrous ascorbate iron pills about 2.5 weeks, I have seen the hair breakage start slow down and start to return to the texture that it was before. It's not there 100%, but I think I will see major improvement with prolonged use.
@@curlydiva2948 great to know that you're doing better! Do keep this post active with updates :)
What happened now? Is your lost hair back?
My ferritin has been 7 and iron saturation 3% for the past year despite eating iron rich foods and taking 20 mg liquid iron daily. I literally feel like death, every day. I have gluten intolerance, low thyroid, and I'm sure my magnesium levels are not adequate. I believe this all started with a submucosal leiomyoma (fibroid tumor) that I had surgically removed 5 months ago due to severe menstrual bleeding. The problem did not resolve after the surgery. Trying progesterone cream now. Hoping my current primary care doctor is going to send me for a transfusion so I can feel somewhat normal again.
How are you doing now? Did you figure it out?
You cannot consume tannins when you are eating meat and taking iron supplements as it messes with absorption.
It sounds like you have estrogen dominance because fibroids are a symptom.
Please work on your thyroid. Especially iodine..
You named all of the symptoms and I had each one.
Wow!!! Amazing you get it!! Exactly my issue! Dr didn't care because I no longer had anemia. Wasn't till I was in bed having 40 plus heart palpitations and crazy anxiety that I myself doing research finally found out it was my low iron that I had had for over a year. Now I don't have thyroid issue that I know of .. cause Dr always says my levels are fine. But thank you!! Thank you!!
Wow, can low iron cause palpitations?
a lot of doctors are sadly idiots these days and uneducated trust me.
@@melissajohnson9421Absolutely! Huge sign your levels are low.
you might have a low thyroid issue
This is my issue. My iron/ferritin and vit. d levels are abysmal and my hair loss has never bounced back from when I initially lost a lot during my hyperthyroidism. I had a total thyroidectomy in 2014 and my thyroid levels are good but despite that my hair has just remained thin. I’m taking supplements to hopefully help.
My waist length hair started falling out in May. I have been tested for thyroid problems but everything came back normal. My iron was okay. My vitamin D was a 1 so I was placed on 10,000 units per day. I can barely get out of bed anymore. I can't catch my breath after doing things like putting on my shoes or walking to the couch. When my groceries are delivered I have to put away the cold stuff and take a nap before even attempting to put the rest away. Sometimes it takes 2 days to complete a task that used to take me 10 or 15 minutes. Everything hurts all the time. This has been going on and getting steadily worse for the past 5 years. Every doctor runs a few tests says I'm fine and refers me to another specialist if I insist they keep looking. So far I've seen my primary care doctor, endocrinologist, rheumatologist, neurologist, psychologist (anxiety), cardiologist and a gastroenterologist. I've had more scans and bloodwork in the past 4 months than I have my entire life... but I don't think any of them have checked my ferritin levels. I've never even heard of this before. I take iron once or twice a week because I have trouble with anemia but it's too hard on my stomach to take daily. Could this be masking an iron deficiency? My body wasn't storing vitamin D, could it be the same with iron? I'm so tired of feeling like this. All I want to do is sleep.
My vitamin d was at 17 and ferritin at 11, I could not get up in the mornings, my bones were hurting, I was spending weekends on sleeping being only 26 years old! Plus I had mood swings... You should definitely check your vitamins and iron level before you let the "doctors" prescribe you strong medicines. Wish you all the best!
So you are not fine. See his other videos. Get your scores.
Hey how you feel now? 😊
Supplement daily with slow release iron. It won't upset your stomach. Check your diet. Keep looking. Something is wrong somewhere.
also, what meds are you on? They all have side-effects.
Can you cover iron in menopausal women with hypothyroidism. Thanks
As part of iron supplementation, I have B12 question. My B12 is dismal- about 300. But when I try iron supplements that have huge amounts of B12 in them, I break out immediately. I've read that when people who are prone to acne (me) supplement B12, we get acne-causing bacteria pumping out molecules that cause inflammatory acne. I've noticed this with iron supplementation and with B12 supplementation, so I tend not to last very long with either. I'd like to try Floravital, but again, it contains about 200% of the RDA for B12. The iron supplements that don't contain B12 are usually capsules that don't really help boost ferritin levels. What do people like me do? TIA!
Spatone, try the sachets. I have the same issues with tablets that have b vitamins, especially b12. It's always difficult when you have to take into consideration our acne prone skin.
Can low iron or ferritin cause weakness in the legs only?
My family doctor takes 2 months to get into but I finally am seeing him this week . I’ve had cold hands and feet ,
Purple/blue finger nails , shortness of breath just coming up the stairs as a 23 year old ...for months now . Maybe even years thinking about it . I always thought it was just from my anxiety but it’s gotta be iron or maybe thyroid .. I’m tired of guessing so let’s hope I get it figured out . Thanks for the info
You're welcome!
Hope you're ok now..
Hi.How is your symptom now?
how can I become YOUR patient?
Just lose ur hair and get thyroidism 😂
@@ravurikarthik9129 Not nice
Excellent video and beautifully explained! Thank you for that level of information.
Welcome!
Wow! I have complained about hair loss and fatigue to my PCP for 3 years! She prescribed me a low dose, over the counter iron pill to take 1 per day, although I was borderline anemia. She checked my thyroid which is fine. I finally went to Dermatologist who checked my ferratin levels which are at 17! 17! Why didn't my PCP catch this a few months ago? Anywho! I was prescribed some high dose iron to take until I get my ferratin up. 3 years! Darn ferratin... Never knew
@Bethany Smith Bethany, I am taking Ferrous Gluconate 324mg 3 times per day. She gave me a year supply as she said it will take 6 months to a year to normalize. Ugh. It's been a couple of months and I've been taking them twice per day mostly. I do feel some slight improvement however. I sure hope things work out for you.
@@frequentmyfrequency7115 has the lost hair started to grow?
How are you doing now?
Randomly found your channel you have helped a lot . Great lecture
Glad you found it helpful!
What was the supplement that was recommended?
My ferritin is extremely low (14) but my thyroid is “perfect” according my physician... why???
That's weird. Did he look at tsh or t3?
Well I guess you could have trouble absorbing iron, that’s a totally separate issue from hypothyroidism,
ILoveAvatarShow same! Mine is 14 but thyroid is good
I have the same issues
Did u have hair fall issues??
Omg I've been suffering from low ferritin for nearly 3 years! I'm finally getting an iron transfusion on Tuesday.
How do you feel after iron infusion?
How do you feel now
@connierubio4906 still tired but definitely better than I was. I have hormonal issues so I'm not sure what is doing what right now!!
@connierubio4906 definitely a bit better (I'm not out of breath anymore) but I'm still tired. I have other health issues which might be causing the fatigue
@@allisondougherty7937progesterone not enough ?
Just had my ferritin checked, I am at a 4!
😮 Hemoglobin is 10.8. I had all the signs hair loss, ringing in ears, tingling, fatigue and inability to workout for long. Got to love being a woman! Bought an iron skillet and some Floradex. I eat steak and mussels a ton to. Hope to get it up soon !!
How has everything gone so far?
@@rockstarofredondo Iron is up to a 21 and hemoglobin is an 11.8. So better! I truly believe this can be fixed through food. The Floradex made me nauseous, so only took it a handful of times.
Also, try to buy produce directly from the farmers market/local farm. They on average have more nutrients, iron is a big one, than store bought food.
Did u get a solution? My friend too has this isssue... Want to check
How is it now??!!!!
@@mehabhatt4623 actually getting retested tomorrow. I’ll update then. Dr. might push for iron infusions if it’s still low. Eating mostly carnivore now. Bison, steak and seafood mostly.
Thank you for this video! My ferritin level are 11 out of 150!
What kind of liquid iron and where do you get it?
My ferritan level is a 34. I’m losing hair before thyroid medication and more after.. it says 70 optimal in your other videos.. should I take some iron at 34 level? Is that considered low ? Thanks so much! Your the best
Ferritin is a PROXY for how much iron you're storing.
Mine is 19, but my iron is normal. Hmmm... I think I'm just not going to worry too much about this, at least not right now. My hair and nails grow super fast. Great video - thanks.
What is your ferritin level now and hair?
This is really good. Thank you so much.
No problem!
Very helpful. I see why I got a goiter and asthma.ignoring the anemia
Excellent video!
I have low ferritin, I have thyroid and I have hairfall. But even though I don't have PCOS, my Androgen is high ( 311ug/dl) but in the report it showed that upto 380 is normal. But I think androgen is still high. Any suggestions for me doctor? I m taking Ferritin pills, but I don't levothyroxine because after taking it I experienced massive hair shed.
Thank you!! Going out to buy ferritin right now
Its a marker of the storage form of iron, not a nutrient.
My experience is, when your lab test says low iron, food isnt gonna fix it, you need prescribed liquid iron, i’m wondering how long it takes to build up the iron stores and get to a point where the iron supplement is no longer needed, is there a basic time frame?
6 mos
Need to call you out on what you consider to be optimal ferritin level - lotta research has been done lately and the correct level is somewhere between 70 and 100.
There’s been a lot of suffering because of those low numbers and the ridiculously wide ranges. I for one was put off for years and years because my ferritin was 45 and I felt like crap. It wasn’t till I got it up to at least 70 that I started feeling like a regular person.
People you need to listen to your bodies if your ferritin levels at 45 and you still feel terrible then keep taking your iron supplements until you get it where it needs to be. And at that point keep monitoring it so it doesn’t fall back down because that can easily happen if you stop taking the supplements altogether. Don’t let any doctor tell you what’s right and what’s wrong. Follow your inner voice that’s what it’s there for. . My prayers go out to all of you who suffer from low iron and low ferritin- it is certainly not any fun at all. All my love Xxoo. Deb
Feel free to link to the research you are citing here and I will take a look :)
Omg that's the thing I'm searching about. My ferritin lvl is at 50 and feeling same like crap. And the doc say everytime everything is good blabla but I'm feeling bad. I can't trust doctors anymore. Good lvl start at 70 or 80. Thx
Do you have a recommended liquid iron supplement brand? Thank your for this very useful info!
Floradix
Great video! About 7 years ago I was in search for answers as to why I was loosing my hair by the handful and was extremely fatigue. Blood work came back and told me I had hypothyroidism. I tough it was strange bc I always associated hypothyroidism with having weight issues/ low metabolism. I’m 5’4” and was weighing about 120 lbs, otherwise healthy. Anyway, started synthroid. And here I am 7 years later with all the same symptoms I has before. No real answers until now. On my recent labs it shows my Iron level 11L, ferritin 2L, hemoglobin 9.9L, and hematocrit 34.9L. That’s crazy low….no wonder i sleep 10 hours at night and still need a nap. I starting taking liquid iron, liquid B12 and liquid D3. Praying this is the answer to my prayers for the past 7 years and my hair stops falling out and starts to grow back!!
My GP is the one who discovered my iron deficient anemia. Do you think I need to see a hematologist?
Any update?
@@Sirie7206 well, I got my iron up to 126 and ferritin to 10 which is still low but my red blood cell count was high. I stopped taking my iron out of fear of blood clots. I would take my iron every now and again but every day as before. Fast forward 6 months later. Last month I had my levels checked again. Iron was 31 and ferritin was 3 😩. I’m back on my daily dose of liquid iron along with my other supplements. Hair loss never got better, even with my level’s higher. I would like to get my iron up to the higher side of the normal range and also get my ferritin level normal as well, hopefully then I would see a change in my hair. It’s extremely frustrating as to why I can’t keep my iron levels from dropping. I’m beginning to wonder if I have an absorption issue, I’m just starting to work on my gut health but I know that will be a long process.
As far as my thyroid condition, I’ve been on the same dosage for about 10 years.
@@BekE0213 I think we might need copper. You should get an HTMA test done to see which minerals you really need. I watched one lady’s video who has Hashimoto’s and had iron deficiency anemia. She got her levels up with copper. We may have an imbalance of the two. I am also working on my gut issues to see if that solves anything. I’ve tried everything from infusions to supplements and nothing keeps my ferritin at optimal. It might just be a copper to iron imbalance.
@@Sirie7206 I agree! I was just reading about the benefits of copper! Another thing you might want to read up on is iodine. I think we may also have an iodine deficiency. Look up the supplement Detoxadine and the benefits. I’m ordering that for me as well. Thank you for the info, I think im going to order me a copper water bottle right now.
@@BekE0213 vitamin C helps iron absorption. Do you think your vit C levels might be low?
What are your thoughts on low copper effecting iron levels? Dr morley robbins advocates this.
I used to be on Medrol 16mg for 4 months and methotrexate for 3 months, I believe these two played a role in my thyroid getting screwed and dropping my ferritin to 25 from 40.
It should be mandatory to ask for iron levels. Specially in women in menstruation ages.
The only iron I absorb is Jarrow’s IronSorb WITH LACTOFERRIN. I took 18mg iron for 3 mos and my ferritin went from 21 to 11! The lactoferrin is noticeable in 3 days. In a week, Im like a new woman! I only take it for 60 days about 3x a yr. I cant get my iron to stay up 🤷🏼♀️
Thank you for sharing! Read good info. out them! Will be ordering!
I domt see the liquid iron you recommend.. pls list it. I soooo need that.
It’s called floradix ,get at health food stores
Thank you so much for the video and we appreciate it a lot I don’t know if you’re gonna reply to my comment or not, but my ferritin is 6 ,,, and the doctor said your body is making iron but I cannot restore it ,and also I have Lo thyroid and I take levothyroxine for over 20 years but I am tired all the time and my hair is full and it’s very thin what do you recommend for me to do?????? please let me know thank you so much and God bless you🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💐
This is a very good video! Thanks.
Welcome!
What does it mean if every other IRON + TIBC biomarker is middle of the range, but ferritin is on the very low end?
Do u have hair fall issue??
Ferritin is your stored Iron so if you have regular Iron and low ferritin you are considered "non-iron deficient anemic." Thats what I was. It means you are at greater risk of falling into anemia and it can cause anemic symptoms because your body works off of your stored iron level so if it feels stored iron is threatened it will start pulling iron from places you don't want it to, like hair follicles.
@@Awall79 My labs are the same as yours. Have you found anything that raises the ferritin level?
Ugh, ferritin is always an issue for me as well as b12. The two together are kicking my butt. My hair is 50% thinner than it should be. It’s dry, brittle. Iron infusions help but gettin* them soon enough is a struggle. As soon as ferritin drops even a little ai need infusions, not when it reaches the level that the dr says. I think I’m really sensitive to any drop.
What about B12 injections?
I stopped eating red meat and became severely anemic.
I would focus on reasons why you may be losing iron such as your cycle, etc.
Yes meat is pretty important, even if you just eat it twice a week!
I eat red meat and still became iron deficient.
Anemic or just low ferritin? I haven't eaten red meat in 20 years and I've never been anemic. I don't supplement either.
I was looking for the link to the liquid iron supplement you were talking about
Thanks for this interesting video. I had my iron panel done lately and feel somewhat double-binded. My ferritin is 42, which might suggest supplementation, but my transferrin saturation is 49% which might suggest that I should eat less iron-rich food. Does these somewhat paradoxical measures indicate anything in particular, as for instance a liver reluctant to produce sufficient amount of transferrin? Would you supplement in my case? Thank you.
have you figured that out, my sat is 45% and ferritin is 40
Hello, great video by the way, thank you!so since I was 9yrs old I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and at age 15 I had severe anemia. Last year in 2016 had a blood transfusion because my hemoglobin was at 6.6 g/dL. It's been great until Sept of this yr. when I consistently kept getting dizzy and tired quickly, I went to my school dr and I got a ferritin test, the results for my ferritin was 3ng/mL. I did some research and found it's best to get a bone marrow biopsy, do you recommend this?. I just bought liquid iron so hopefully that works too.
I don't think you need to get a bone marrow biopsy unless your red blood cells look abnormal under microscopic evaluation (or you have issues with immature white blood cells, etc.).
I am aniemic I have had four blood transfusion my hair was falling out but since.I have been taking iron and Thyroid complete my is changing for the better
What happened now? Is your lost hair back?
You said that your iron levels need to be no lower then 30 and up to 70. What if its over 120? Is that bad
Thank you Doctor 🥼 my ferritin is 3 hemoglobin 9 with lots of hair fall and I have hypothyroidism going to doctor tomorrow
It is heart warming to hear silence again without sound disturbance, all thanks to Dr iyaremoses on RUclips for his medicine to cure hypothyroidism...
Thank you this is very helpful ! I was having severe hair loss. I have ferritin of 6 but they didn’t do an iron level test but is that the same as hemoglobin? What is Tibc. ? Also have iodine and zinc deficiency and lots of hypothyroid symptoms.
This sounds like me, how are you doing now? I hope you found a solution for all this.
@@magomago7819 not entirely but I did find some help with taking iron, zinc and thyroid supprt pills. I did also implement a better regimen with oiling my hair with coconut oil, and sometimes red onion oil. Overall helped but still have times when the hair fall increases with stress or diet
This was great! Thank You
Great explanation. Thank you
Welcome!
Thank you that was very help full
I have hypothyroidism. My iron/ferritin has been off for months. (I do not have a cycke anymore). I have been kosing hair. I was told to take ferrous sulfate. Rechecked and was told my ferritin is low but I'm not anemic. My new doctor told me to stop taking iron, even though my ferritin is low. I decided ro keep taking iron. Seems doctors don't think low ferritin is an issue 🙄
Thankful for your videos
I always say that Ferritin is the pantry. The extra for emergencies.
My iron was really high for the first time in years. I am happy about it. However, my ferritin remains low at 12. Why????? Thank you for the information.
My ferritin is at 13 but doctor doesn’t think it’s a problem, I need to supplement, what should my dosage be ?
Morley Robbins explains that Magnesium is necessary for copper and copper is necessary for iron and so on, so make sure you thinking holistically and getting everything you need in balance, preferably from food, Magnesium is safe for everyone and i suggest you do that first, if your gonna take iron only take forms you absorb from nature like Chlorella and Spirulina, there are also herbs like yellowdock or even better beef liver grassfed i know yucky, the co factors for absorption are in the perfect ratio in beef liver thats why is best its also the correct form of iron
Faydie_Fox Lentils are a great source of iron, especially if you cook them with a bit of fennel seed to eliminate gas. Beans, too, but they tend to be more musical than lentils! Eat/cook with a vitamin C food like tomatoes to help with absorption.
Mojo Jaye that’s the most beautiful sentiment 😌
@Truenorth only men can get 'over loaded 'with iron.
@Mojo Jaye dear , get some Epson salts ( about$ 5.00 a 5 lb bag) . Soak in bath tube OR soak your feet in warm water + epson salts at nite while watching T.V. or reading ,etc.This will allow your body to soak up the magnesium .You will feel better and your body will not 'soak in' more than you need.. Blessings...PS whole milk chocolate has everything you need after a work out .Check the facts..much love
@Truenorth so my 20 yrs in medical field mean nothing? you profess wisdom with no knowledge of a female body"s needs.. I bet your also a "bad" lay all the while thinking your god's gift to a poor uneducated woman
I have diabetes chronic renal disease and pernicious anemia and angina. My ferritin level is 13 . Am I at risk of heart attack. I have been put on a coarse of Ferrous fumarate but I'm still very lethargic and breathless. I found your comments very informative. Thank you
You're welcome!
I wish more doctors knew this.
My question to you doc, (how) is it possible for a body to need more iron than blood tests deem normal?
Background:
I've been coping with iron deficiency and even anemic symptoms since I was eight years old. Been told for over 15 years that it was nonsense and that my iron levels were normal. A few years back a new gp agreed to me taking iron tablets even though my iron levels were "good/ normal", I even checked the lab results myself to be sure. They Were normal, yet my symptoms were not. When I started taking the supplement (28 mg ferrolactate/ day) after a few months, lo and behold, my symptoms got so much better.
My symptoms were heavy (and cleared mostly up after taking supplements) yet the blood tests showed normal levels. Do you know how this can be possible?
I don't believe that would be the case because iron can be potentially toxic. It's more likely that iron is just one of many problems you are dealing with.
Studies show that a normal ferritin test result is 25 and up or 15 and up but in reality that means your actually low in iron which is the first stage of iron deficiency and if legt untreated it turns to iron deficiency anemia.So thats why u were feeling better after taking the iron supplements.
Thank you for this video. I have Hashimoto's and I have hemoglobin level of 8 (should be at least 12) and a ferritin of 3 (almost nonexistent). I feel horrible all the time. 😢
And what u doing fr ur health ?
Susie Thomas are u loosing hair
Got rid of my Hashi when i stopped eating gluten. Also stopped my vitiligo.
Get liquid chlorophyll now foods brand, and liquid iron now foods brand
Hope you’re better now :(
Thamks
Can't find the recommended liquid iron please. ❤
My ferritin is slightly high and My hair is falling out and it's not growing in the front and is so thin
Minoxidil 5-15%
Lugols iodine drops and Brazil nuts for selenium
Dr Childs my ferritin Is on the lower side at 23 but everything else is good I think, iron saturation is 119, tibc 320, iron saturation 37… I’m taking a plant based supplement but not sure if I should continue everyday? Thanks for all of your informative videos!
Just got diagnosed with anemia and have hypothyroidism, which liquid iron do you recommend?
Kate J My doctor recommended Floradix liquid iron 20 ml on empty stomach in morning. Wait 30 min before eating food or meds so you absorb it. It does NOT cause constipation or GI upset. You can get it at health food stores or Vitacost.com which is cheaper. Buy the 17 fl oz size as that is enough to last refrigerated for one month using the 20 ml dosage. You must discard after one month. It takes months to build up the ferritin though! I was at 16 and 6 months later am barely at 40.
I do have ferrin 17. Is that to low ?
Is that why my both feet hurts and I do have the feelings of ”bubbels” in my legs ?
What’s the conversion numbers for Australians ? Our minimum range is (2.10 - 3.80) and I’m 1.75 ? Please help my spleen aches and I have hair loss and don’t know what to do
I have sickle cell trait, low ferratin levels and I’m menopausal. I’m taking vitamins for pregnancy as my hair is thinning and my eyebrows are disappearing? I’m also drinking a Vit C dispersible drink most mornings. My doctor says my thyroid and ferratin levels are low but nothing to worry about. My hair isn’t growing which is weird, even though I’m taking supplements, but it is getting thinner. I do have fatigue too! Really stuck on what to do? I feel like I’m not absorbing nutrients as I can’t see/feel any difference? My skin is great. The whites of my eyes are slightly yellow.
How do you raise the ferritin?
You can take iron supplements to raise it.
Brandi Smith iron supplements or iron infusion
Wow great video. Learned soooo much. Thank you. Keep it up.
Thanks!
How long it will take to see improvement?my ferritin level is 9.
Is there s link with low ferritin with hyperthyroidism? I have low ferritin, and high T4. All the rest of the blood test are normal. I eat healthy and iron rich foods, and do not combine it with coffee / calcium. Please help !
My ferritin is currently 4.3 How much iron should I take each day???
My ferritin was 10 once. I had heavy menstrual periods and was a vegetarian. I didn't have a lot of energy, but I was losing my hair and that bothered me enough to go to the doctor. I found out I had a genetic mutation where I didn't make progesterone, which your body considers the level of to turn the period off. 8 days , every 45 to 60 days. My body was confused. I was told I probably couldn't have kids, which was accurate. 10 sounds really low. No wonder I was tired.
Back then there was geritol in a high dose, 5 times the daily requirement. They don't make it any more.
I have hypothyroidism my TSH level is 5.5 and i have severe hair loss . I don't even check my ferritin level . Is low ferritin level is the reason for my severe hairloss
what is your recommended brand of liquid iron?
Hi, what is the name of that recommended liquid iron product you suggested?
Any liquid iron should work, I can't remember the exact brand I talk about in the video because it's been a while but you can search for some on amazon.
Best video on this topic I’ve seen! So easy to understand and I finally understand what I need to do and how it is inter related. It’s a chicken and egg situation. I’m hoping the Ferratin will fix my anemia and then fix my hypothyroid and then other related issues in my cycles , hairless and fatigue! Thank you!!
Floradix liquid is the bomb
My ferritin level was 20 before 2 month ago and I took iron infusion 2 month ago my iron level is know 145 but my hair still falling and not regrow hairs back.. when I get results .. and is it possible to stop hair fall with iron infusion?
Never heard this one before.
Thank you so much for this video! If serum iron levels are 122 ug/dl but ferritin levels are 18 ng/ ml should I be supplementing with iron?
I can't remember the units off the top of my head but if those are the units used in the US then yes.
Doesn't ferritin and iron work the same way?
I have covid hair loss I'm on iron now but they wanted me to take ferritin supplements too? Can you please explain.
Thank you, Colleen
Thank you so much.
I have been recently diagnosed with Anemia of Chronic Diease. It took my Hemotologist like a decade to diagnose it. She's leaving up to my GP to find the chronic disease. My GP has left the hospital so I'm in seach of a new. I have told my doctors for two decades something is wrong with my thyroid. They take labs and the values come back at the beginning of the normal range. I have no clue of what to do. I just ordered a high potency liquid iron to prevent me from getting iron by iv. This iron deficiency is so complex.
My ferritin is 60 it use to be 40..I still feel very weak with hair loss. Thyroid is fine.. heavy periods tho...I went on a vegan diet and it screwed me all up with my iron levels. My hair s tee started falling out . I stopped but it's been 4 years and I still have not recovered.
Sharday Cota same thing here, was vegan almost 3 years and was shedding but always said, it’s just normal hair loss. Till it became chunks of hair. Went to my doctor she tried to tell me it was stress and I was like I don’t think so. Come to find out my ferritin is so low and I’m over here eating greens and legumes like crazy. My thyroid is also normal. Don’t know what to think, I use to have so much hair, I’m just mentally so exhausted. May we both find a a path to recovery!
assen mucha Hi get your ferritin checked by your doctor and get referred to a dermatologist. Your ferritin needs to be above 70 for hair growth.
@@ticobailey8747 why a dermatologist?
Thank you for explaining this topic. What happens in a case where the body does not readily absorb ferritin? Is there a way to treat this condition so that the body will be able to absorb iron supplements and help with the chronic fatigue and low energy levels?
Yes, you can take some supplements with the iron to increase the absorption (such as vitamin c) or you can look at problems in the GI tract which are preventing absorption from occurring.
Just came across this
Appreciate it’s 7 yrs old
But can only concur with all the findings
I have dealt w on and off anemia and low ferritin my entire adult life
For over a decade if not more, not one doctor ever talked to me of ferritin - it was only ever the actual anemia
Finally one medical professional did and then all began to fall into place
Over the years also having moved from Europe first to the US and then England, I have found myself more often than not explaining to medical professionals the importance of ferritin and to stop looking at most my plain vanilla hemoglobin levels…
I would get the ‘well your hemoglobin is in normal range, so you are all ok’…
But the other point I wanted to make is that for years during my low ferritin journey etc, I also had what I would describe as on and off hypothyroid symptoms
But all my blood work on it always came back ok
Again - no one made the connection between my ferritin levels and my hypothyroid symptoms
Often I had blank looks from doctors thinking I was crazy, I would talk of fatigue, loosing my hair a bit, always feeling cold, thinning of outer edge of eyebrows etc, and again - no one made the connection
The mistake that many doctors or medics also make sometimes is prescribe just high dose ferrous sulfate from a pharmacy - those come often with pesky side effects and so often the dosage is actually too high / leading to in my case symptoms that are in fact akin to anemia
All in all, largely through my own research have I gotten to the bottom of all - the single most perfect iron supplement for me is ActiveIron - I realised that I do best with simply a normal dose of iron not the jumbo dose you get from prescription pharmacy brand
But ActiveIron has a formula that is highly absorbable, does not cause constipation, you can take it without food and you feel an impact quite literally within a few days
But thank you for videos such as this
First one I see that makes proper connection between thyroid and ferritin et al
Is 45 mg the upper limit I can take to get ferritin back up?