Really low Iron saturation, dropped over half in a few days.

[gyrlemt54]

I had a iron level of 56 and iron sat of 19  Three days ago today it is a 18 for the iron and a 5 for the sat. My ferritin is 544 it went up from 466. i do get iron transfusions off and on, but it was staying up nicely for 2 months. I have a major infection though right now fever of 101. and my wbc's are 14.3 and I am a little dehydrated. I read somewhere when the iron feels its threatened in your body that it stores itself somewhere is this the reason for the low iron sat and iron?My TIBC is 335, transferring is 239 my hct and hgb are fine but the rbc's  are .19 low which is nothing for me. I have been having bad cramps lately in the ; legs and hands in the feet in the toes like spasms almost. They have now since went away but that was going on for 2.5 weeks. I have thin blood as well.

[mkh9]

Hi again,
I looked at the website about the iron "hiding out". I guess it is the same as what I said about your ferritin going up when you have an infection but I didn't think of it as "hiding Out'. In a way that is true I see since the iron gets shuttled into the ferritin or iron transport form. That is what is going on. I also reviewed Sjogren's syndrome. I know how to read the antinuclear antibiodies on a a slide in the lab but didn't know as much about the disease other than it being an autoimmune disease. I learned something today. Do you have dry eyes and dry mouth? It sounds like Sjogrens syndrome can affect the liver and so forth. I hope they are handling your meds well. Let me know how your doctors appointment goes.
mkh9

[mkh9]

You sure do have a lot going on. I'm sorry you are going through all this. I think you must have strep throat. The Azithromax should do the job by tomorrow you should start feeling better. Why did you have the thyroidectomy did you have thyroid cancer? I'm not sure what other side effects happen after that kind of surgery other than the calcium and iodine maybe problems. It is unlikely that you got a bone infection from the biopsy. They should have used iodine to clean the area or a very good disinfectant. The pathologists do the bone marrow or hemotologists. Both are really smart doctors. I'm going to go look at your website you gave yesterday and write back.
mkh9

[gyrlemt54]

No blood cultures as of yet...

[gyrlemt54]

Well he thought it was a acute insult on the liver the only thing we can think of is the Venifur (IV IRON) I was getting , because the Ferritin was over 1500 at the same time the liver enzymes were high. It is wierd I was taking tylonol as well for the pain, but they did a level on that too, and it was less than 10. So yesterday I woke up with a sore throat can not swallow and it is real red, my dr called me in z-pack over the phone and that is where the fever is coming from I think. It finally broke today, that is the only thing that iI can think of that would be causing the infection. It was real funny the liver went up after the biopsy then 2 weeks later I got teh cramps it was so bad that after the cramps would stop i could not walk because of the muscles spasming all the time. So then they all of a sudden stopped and then when i got my blood work done the iron dropped.. See I get blood work done 2 times a week sometimes only 1 because I had a total throidectomy and my calcium will not stay in range unless i take 10 500mg calciums a day plus 2 calcitriol a day now for 2 yrs straight. i also have hypokalemia. i am just a mess.......I think you are right because if I go to the Mayo clinic they may not give me iron right away tomorrow , the first time they see me. I was at the lowest 2 yrs ago it was a 4 sat. But I felt much worse then i do now. I was wondering if i got a bone infection from the biopsy, not sure if you can, but the cramps I was having, felt like it was in my knees the bones in my feet the ankles, and the knuckles in my hands... Thank you for your input I DO appriciate it, its nice to talk to someone about this.

[mkh9]

Have they found out why your liver enzymes are so high?
mkh9

[mkh9]

I will check this website and get back to you tomorrow. Do you know what is causing your infection (other than having H. pylori?). Have they done any blood cultures? I don't know about the spasms. More later.
mkh9

[mkh9]

The ferritin usually is low when the iron is low but when you have an infection it will go up instead to counter the infectious agent from binding the person's iron. I havent' heard that H. pylori causing any problems with ferritin or giving on a fever only causing ulcer usually. I suggest you get your IV iron done and see your hematologist then followup with Mayo if you can.
mkh9

[gyrlemt54]

I did want to leave this website if oyu could take a look at it. I do have some sort of immune problem, so far they have found sjogren's syndrome. shttp://www.irondisorders.org/anemia-of-chronic-disease This site is where I found teh article about the iron (hiding)

[gyrlemt54]

Thank you for Answering mkh9
This is wierd this time, because usually it would afftect my red cells thus far it has not, the drop made me think of the infection, It is teh only thing different. they are and have been searching for the eason of the iron loss for 2 yrs. i just had a bone marrow biopsy 1 month ago, in the past i had the pill endoscopy just recently had a EGD. Its been a while on the colonoscopy and I had a total hyst, so I know its not from that. Now something that I have been using is BC powders for terrible headaches but this is the past 6 months and the anema had started 2 yrs prior to that. Just recently I stopped teh powsers like 2 days ago I had a feeling its not doing my body andy good and with already thinner blood, and they are not sure why on that either. i have a appt with the Mayo clinic tomorrow at the hemo department, but its 2 hrs away not sure if I take the chance of going there where i may be able to get into my regular hemo dr here and try to get the IV iron therapy tomorrow. Again I do not even look pale this time not really to tired, no chest pain, no SOB.. So i thought the labs machine may be messed up or something. I do have a lot of stomach problems tehy says its not celiacs , never heard them say NO chrohns though. I do have H-pylori at the moment too, nut like 1 month ago i had very high liver enzymes so i was unable to take the drugs for the H-Pylori, now that has cleared up I can start the Flagyl and tetracycline. i was just curious about the high Ferritin, that i could be so low in the iron and sat department. I am so baffled.

[mkh9]

Hi gyrlemt54,
Sounds like you are anemic again. But usually when you get iron deficiency anemia the body makes fewer red blood cells . Then you get fatigue, shortness of breath, can get chest pain  and actually the anemia causes infections (not that the iron feels threatened or hides out). You need to find the cause of the loss of iron. It can be due to a number of problems. Usually a diet low in iron or bleeding can cause iron deficiency. Changes in medication, heavy mentral periods, bleeding fibroids, childbirth, internal bleeding from ulcer, colon polyps, colon cancer, regular use of aspirin or NSAIDS, and urinary bleeding. Also, malaborption of iron from Chrons disease and celiac disease. Some stomach acid reducers will cause iron deficiency. Since you loss so much iron so quickly I would assume it could be blood loss. You first need to go back and get your iron level up again via IV iron. Then start working on why you are anemic.
hope this helps,
mkh9