Low ferritin and symptoms

[CtResident]

I have predominantly left-sided sensory symptoms. Burning in my thigh, banding in my shins, paresthesias in my foot (sometimes my right big toe), facial numbness (not pain of the TN variety though!)

So if my ferritin is low, wouldn't that affect my entire body, not just half of it?

And how does low ferritin possibly mimic the vast array of MS symptoms? I have heard of low B-12, or Lyme disease. But not the ferritin issue.

Also, wouldn't low ferritin match up with low iron or anemia? HELP.

Suzanne

[Quixotic1]

I see, you do have a confusing situation.  No, with your iron stores, Transferrrin saturation and Ferritin as low as they are I would expect you to show marked anemia.

Are you sure that the blood test they are running on your Finger Poke (can't use the work pr*ck here, lol) is the Hemoglobin (Hbg or Hg) not the Hematocrit (Hct)?  You can get either from a finger poke.

Do you have the results of the first complete blood count handy?  What were the values of the MCH and the MCV?  What was your Hemoglobin level before they started the iron supplements?

Your iron studies would match the "hematocrit" (also called the "Crit" or the Hct) being at 15.  They do not match with a high, normal hemoglobin.  The normal range for a woman's hematocrit is about 34 to 42%.  The normal hemoglobin range for a menstruating woman is about 12 to 15mg per deciliter.

Also with your iron levels are you report them, your test (on the CBC) called the RDW should be waaaaay over 16, maybe into the mid-20's!

Anemia - this is the state of having too little "blood" ("an" - without, "emia"- blood)  In reality this translates into too little hemoglobin to adequately service the body tissues with oxygen.  You must have iron to keep making red cells and filling them with hemoglobin.  As the iron available in the body falls, many systems start malfunctioning and the central nervous system is one of the first.  But, then the bone marrow starts trying to conserve the iron and stretch it out.  First it starts making the red cells smaller, so there are more of them.  As the iron stores get lower, then the cells get less and less hemoglobin in them and they get pale (diluted).  By this time the Hbg and Hct are falling.

Your numbers don't make sense to me if they are telling you that your hemoglobin is in the high normal range.  When you start replacing iron the first thing that happens is that the bone marrow begins pumping out new red cells at a frantic pace, so the blood count comes up immediately.  Making new red cells uses up just about all the iron that is put in until the blood count is in the normal range.

When the blood count first reaches the normal range with treatment (so you are no longer anemic) the body is still in a state of iron-deficiency, because the stores are still depleted.

The final goal is not just a normal blood count.  Too many doctors stop iron supplements as soon as the blood count is normal.  When the anemia is resolved, you want to continue additional iron until the iron stores are built back up.  Because many other systems and metabolic reactions also require iron, and a pre-menopausal women has an ongoing source of blood loss.  So, typically the treatment of severe Iron Deficiency as you have include treatment for at least a couple months after the blood count is normal. This builds up the reserve of iron.  It also must include an intensive search for any other places you could be losing blood.  the most common is the gastrointestinal tract.

Question - Do you bleed easily?  Did you hemorrhage with the delivery?

I cannot answer your questions.  I apologize.   I cannot make sense of the numbers you have.  I see why you are confused, too.  If your first, original number of 15 was the hematocrit, then I totally understand what is going on.  If it was truly the hemoglobin, then I am mystified.

Quix

[CtResident]

Depends on the day. I don't know who Big Brother is, but he has his moments. Sometimes things slip through, other days they get starred out, what can I say. I wonder why a simple description of a medical test is considered something to be deleted, yet other things can remain.

Clueless.

Suzanne

[peastalker]

I am no longer confused........ Thanks! Also why was my word that sounds like stick before finger **** out. It was pick with a r between the p and i = *****. Oh, Now I get it :)

[peastalker]

No offense taken.
I base my stance only on my personal experience with my doctors. While I was pregnant last year my OB just checked my Hemoglobin levels on a regular basis  (finger *****) and on my report would state no anemia. Same with my family Dr. When I specifically asked for my Iron levels only then were they tested. My question for you is this, " My iron levels where at 17 (40-150 range) would they have to be completely depleted to 0 or -0 in order for my hemoglobin to reflect  Iron Deficiency Anemia ?" Could a body survive on completely depleted iron. My dr said I was Anemic and put me on injections to bring up my stores. My confusion lies with the finger ***** (maybe that was what I considered The Gold Standard since I had it so often) states I am not Anemic but my Dr says I am. Here are my past results.  I am up in the 40's after 1 year. Iron 17(40-175 ) TIBC 221(250-450) Transferrin Saturation 4(15-50) Ferritin 5(10-232) So why do they still poke the finger? Thanks.

[CtResident]

I like nitty-gritty, am details oriented. I am pleased to see so much input on my question, and I thank every single person for taking time to contribute!

I was confused on the difference between iron-deficiency and anemia. I don't have any aberrations of my nails or things like that.

And yes, I do agree that the oddities on one side of me wouldn't flag an insufficiency in all of me!

But they don't have to be mutually exclusive, right?

Thanks again, I do appreciate everything!!

Suzanne

[Quixotic1]

Peastalker - I'm sorry, I didn't see your post mentioning your various doctors.  Yes, the gold standard for detecting "anemia" is, indeed, the hemoglobin level.  However, anemia is not the same as "iron-deficiency."

I was referring to your post where you stated that the best test for detecting iron deficiency is the Hemoglobin level. You can be horribly anemic and have perfectly normal amounts of iron in your body.  Examples are the anemia of kidney failure, bone marrow diseases like leukemia, anemia of chronic disease, B12 and folate deficiency.  All of these can cause severe anemia with a normal or even excess amount of iron in the body.

The difference is the "Gold Standard for detecting Anemia"  (Hemoglobin level) and

The Gold Standard for Detecting Iron-Deficiency."  (Ferritin along with some other tests)

Suz - Yes, in answer to your question.  If your neurologic problem was caused by a metabolic deficiency like iron-deficiency, you would expect to see problems diffusely throughout the body.  It would be unlikely that a body-wide deficiency would cause multiple problems on only one side of your body.  So the low Ferritin doesn't adequately explain things, but you should treat it anyway.  And it may improve some of your symptoms.

Sorry for delving into the nitty-gritty.  These are minor points.

Quix