anybody - Thyroid Question

[Guest guest]

Lynn ~

Congrats on your test passing ! !! ! ! Yippey !

That is great ! !

Be careful with iron supplements. They make clay

out of your stools ! Any auto immune can make your

ferritin go up and down. Yours is ok right now, and remember

it is stored iron for when your regular iron is low.........

I would research it more before you supplement it. It takes

folic acid to bind iron, so if you are low in it, you may just

need it. Are you taking a good dailey vitamin ? ? If I were you,

I would take prenatal vitamins ! Below is some lab info on ferritin.

Love you ! ! ~ Dede

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/kbase/topic/medtest/hw6212/descrip.htm

Ferritin

Iron Storage (Ferritin)

Test Overview

A ferritin blood test checks the amount of ferritin in the blood. Ferritin is a protein in the body that binds to iron; most of the iron stored in the body is bound to ferritin. Ferritin is found in the liver , spleen , skeletal muscles, and bone marrow. Only a small amount of ferritin is found in the blood. The amount of ferritin in the blood shows how much iron is stored in your body.

Why It Is Done

A ferritin blood test is done to:

Find the cause of anemia, especially iron deficiency anemia. See whether inflammation is present. See whether too much iron (hemochromatosis) is present. Check to see whether iron treatment to raise or lower the iron level is working.

Results

A ferritin blood test checks the amount of ferritin in the blood. Ferritin is a protein in the body that binds to iron; most of the iron stored in the body is bound to ferritin. The amount of ferritin found in the blood is the same amount that is in the body.

Normal

Normal values may vary from lab to lab.

Ferritin

Men:

12–300 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) or 12–300 micrograms per liter (mcg/L)

Women:

10–150 ng/mL or 10-150 mcg/L

Children 6 months to 15 years:

7–142 ng/mL

Babies 2 to 5 months:

50–200 ng/mL

Babies 1 month:

200–600 ng/mL

Newborn babies:

25–200 ng/mL

High values

Very high ferritin levels (greater than 1,000 ng/mL) can mean a large buildup of iron in the body (hemochromatosis). One form of this condition is passed on in families (genetic hemochromatosis). Some diseases, including alcoholism, thalassemia, and some types of anemia that cause red blood cells to be destroyed, can also cause hemochromatosis. Also, if you have many blood transfusions, this can sometimes cause the body to store too much iron (acquired hemochromatosis). High ferritin levels may also be caused by liver disease (cirrhosis or hepatitis), Hodgkin's disease, leukemia, infection, inflammatory conditions (such as arthritis or lupus), or a diet that is too high in iron. Too much iron in body organs, such as the pancreas or heart, can affect how the organ works.

Low values

Low ferritin levels often mean an iron deficiency is present. This can be caused by long-term (chronic) blood loss from heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnancy, not enough iron in the diet, or bleeding inside the intestinal tract (from ulcers, colon polyps, colon cancer, hemorrhoids, or other conditions). In rare cases, too much iron may be lost through the skin (because of a disease such as psoriasis) or in the urine.

What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

Having a blood transfusion in the past 4 months. Being a female athlete doing sports that change the menstrual cycle. Having conditions that cause inflammation in the body, such as from illness or from a surgery. Having a radioactive scan in the past 3 days. Taking medicines, such as birth control pills and antithyroid medicines. Age. Older adults may have a higher ferritin value. Eating a diet high in red meats.

What To Think About

A ferritin test is often done with other tests to check the amount of iron in the blood, especially the iron and iron-binding capacity levels. For more information, see the medical test Iron. A bone marrow biopsy can check the amount of iron stored in the bone marrow. For more information, see the medical test Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy. Because inflammation in the body can cause high ferritin levels, a test result that is slightly high does not always mean a buildup of iron (hemochromatosis) is present.Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home.