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Connection between anemia and hyperthyroidism?

I was diagnosed about one week ago with iron deficiency anemia and started on iron supplements.  Today when I went in not feeling well and to see about some more recent labs the doctor told me I have an overactive thyroid.  He is sending me for tests on that next week to include a sonogram and scan.  I asked him if there was a connection at all between the anemia, which is severe, my iron saturation level is four and I feel like hell, and the thyroid problem and he stated, matter of factly, "no".  I get on line tonight to try and be proactive about the whole thing and find articles pertaining to that very connection.  It's hard to know what to believe but I feel really bad and would like some answers that I can trust.  Please help me!
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523918 tn?1244549831
JUst a little bit more PART II

Fe absorption is best when the food contains heme Fe (meat). The absorption of nonheme Fe is reduced by a variety of other food items (vegetable fiber phytates and polyphenols, tea tannates, bran..). Vit C is the only known common food element able to increase biovailability. Fe from intestinal mucosal cell is transferred to transferin, which is an Fe-transport protein. It provides the system capable of picking up Fe from cells and delivering it. Fe not used for RBC synthesis is transferred by transferrin to the storage pool, which has two forms: ferritin (most important), soluble and active storage found in liver, bone marrow, spleen, in RBC and in the serum. Second storage pool of Fe is hemosiderin (insoluble).
Anemia due to Vit B12 deficiency (Perniicious anemia or PA): Vit B12 is available in meat, animal proteins and legumes. Its absorption requires the presence of intrinsic factor (gastric mucosa), to transport the vitamin across the intestinal mucosa. Endocrine deficiencies, especially of the thyroid and adrenal glands, if they are associated with PA suggests an autoimmune basis.

Once thing is important in this forum, anemias because of Vit B12 (low absorpion,) , is associated with people with Hashimoto and vitigo (autoimmune mechanism).
Hipothyroidism is associated to many anemic situations (10 % of patients because of Vit B12, autoimmune mechanism). It's very important to check what is the cause of anemia, and doing a simple blood test with the factors I wrote before you can find if you need B12, iron, etc.THE CAUSE OF THE ANEMIA
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213044 tn?1236527460
Very intereting and informative.
Thank you both. I understand better now.
Now I have to go read about Hemolysis...and how iron is affected by other deficiencies.
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523918 tn?1244549831
It's a little complicate to explain all (I'll try to make a summary later), but here are some topics:

Ferritin measures your tissue stores (stock) in Fe (iron), when ferritin is low it says you can take iron, because the anemia is ferropenic. Ferritin is a glycoprotein Fe-storage.
Transferin - indicates the iron binding capacity, it is increased in Fe lack but reduced in the anemia of chronic disease ..

Anemias (3 mechanismes):
- blood loss (acute or chronic)
- Deficient erythropoiesis :  iron deficiency, iron transport deficienty, Vit B12 deficiency, folic acid deficiency, vit. C deficiency, etc etc etc
- Hemolysis (excessive destruction) of RBCs.

Primary mechanisms of Fe deficiency, the most common cause, must always be considered to be blood loss (GI). Fe deficiency may also be due to increased Fe requirement, diminish Fe absorption, or both.
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Avatar universal
Ferritin and Transferrin are the transport proteins your body uses to move iron, such as from your spleen where red blood cells are recycled, back to your liver, then bone marrow.

Hyperthyroid makes your body kinda burn through everything faster.  Women usually have more anemia problems than men, also, just naturally... because of this whole monthly fun we get :P  Also being more physically active, running, etc, can lead to more anemia... not that that is a bad thing!  Then the foods... dark leafy greens as well as meats have lots of iron, and take your multivitamin every day :)
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213044 tn?1236527460
I have read about iron and ferritin and transferrin, but I forget some things as soon as I've read them.

Could you explain the difference between iron and ferritin?

Could you also explain a bit about different types of anemia? That's a new one for me. I am always willing to learn new things.

Remembering them is a challenge, but if I hear it enough times it sticks. :-)  
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523918 tn?1244549831
Forgot these 2: RBC folate level,  hemoglobin electrophoresis
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523918 tn?1244549831
It's very important to find out the type of anemia:Check blood (normal): RBC count, Hb, hematocrit, MCV, RDW, MHC, MCHC
Need also to check in your blood:
ferritin
sideremia (serum iron)
reticulocyte production index
serum Vit B12
transferrin
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398849 tn?1210135972
I am not surprised at your doctors lack of knowledge on nutrition as I was told whilst attending a homeopathic course that they only got 15 minutes in all their years of study on nutrition. So you may need to do your own homework on this and guide him along.
Low iron can be hereditary like in my family out of 6 only one of us is not iron deficient. Iron is very important as it carry's oxygen throughout your body which is of course essential for living and maintaining a healthy body.
A couple of things you should avoid if you have low iron levels is excess coffee and bran just to name two.
Normally if you are low in iron you may have some other deficiencies so have a complete check of all your other vitamin and mineral levels.
Hope you get to the bottom of this. bestest...
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213044 tn?1236527460
The answer is...YES!

Hyperthyroidism can cause many deficiencies due to poor absorbtion of nutrients.

Oh, and welcome to the site, blah blah blah, and all that.
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