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very low TIBC

Hi
I am 29 years old, girl, 160 cm height, 57kg weight, my period time is also almost always at when it should be. I feel almost healthy except that I feel exhausted after a working day. I don't like red meat, and I rarely eat it. However, I have no problem with sea foods or chicken. Grilled potato however is my favorite food to eat and I eat it too much almost everyday. Pistachio, nuts, wheat are also always with me!
To find out why I sometimes feel exhausted, I have had a complete blood and urine analysis. All was
normal except Fe(Iron) and TIBC. The Fe level is very high (it was 399 while it should be less than 170) and TIBC is very low (158 while it should be more than 270). Ferritin however, is in normal range (was 48 and it should be less than 70). HGB, WBC, RBC, SGOT, SGPT, T3, T4, TSH,... and urine analysis, all are normal.
I was wondering why this overdosed of iron has happened to me, I know it is very dangerous to have such high amount of Fe. I have almost no exposure to medical facts, however, how can HGB could be normal and Fe is high,  I think it is like Fe is located in HGB!!! I want to repeat the test next month, however, I fear it happens again. If I suffer iron poisoning somehow by too much intake of iron, could it normally be cured and next month the test result would be normal? or it needs special treatment. After finding about the test result, I don't like to eat anythings because I feel like all of them have iron and they may increase my Fe :(
P.S: Two weeks before the test, I had a dental surgery and consumed antibiotics for 1 week after surgery.
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Avatar universal
Thanks Dr Santos. I was wondering if normal SGOT and SGPT are not enough to conclude the liver is not damaged yet? In fact, before seeing the test result, I feel almost healthy, but now I feel like something goes wrong inside me :( I sometimes feel like my mouth is dried. Actually, dry mouth has occurred to me after a dental surgery about 3 weeks ago. Another symptom that may considered as important is that, when I speak for a long time ( More than one hour) on the phone while I am holding the phone receiver with my hand, when I want to put the receiver on its place, my fingers aches just for 2 or 3 seconds, then I open and close them and they will be ok, It also occurrs to me when I type for a long time, sometimes more than 2 hours, after that I need some finger exercise! I close and open them several times. Can it be a result of iron overload? Can giving blood can help me to reduce my Fe level or since Ferritin is normal it is not recommended?  May I suffer malnutrition because I don't eat red meat?
Is there any natural way to increase TIBC?
Thanks a lot
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi,
How are you? What other symptoms are present? Total iron binding capacity or TIBC reflects a measurement of serum transferrin, which carries 2 iron atom per molecule of the protein. Decreased TIBC may suggest anemia ( hemolytic, pernicious or sickle cell), hemochromatosis, chronic liver disease or Cirrhosis, hypoproteinemia, and even malnutrition. It is good that the ferritin and the other tests were normal. You can have a repeat test done and check with your attending physician to discuss the results and for proper evaluation. Your medical history, symptoms and physical examination findings are important factors. Take care and do keep us posted.
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