After supplementing with 150mg of elemental iron for 6 months (per a dermatologist that diagnosed me with telogen effluvium and advised that I increase my ferritin to 70-80 to stop hair loss):
After supplementing with 100mg of elemental iron for about a year after that:
Hemoglobin 13.9 (11.1-15.9)
Hematocrit 42.0 (34.0-46.6) Iron, total 82 (35-155)
Ferritin 59 (15-150) Iron saturation 28% (15-55)
TIBC 291 (250-450)
Reticulocyte count 0.4 (0.6-2.6)
I stopped taking iron supplements because I was not getting better, and because I had a few doctors tell me that I should not be on iron supplements because my hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, and RBCs were in the normal range. So I stopped for 3 weeks. Yesterday, I had a ferritin test done with a result of 87. This makes absolutely no sense considering I have not taken an iron supplement.
A physician I saw theorized that I could possibly have anemia of chronic disease, due to a low reticulocyte count, low TIBC and normal MCV. But that doesn't make sense to me either because although my ferritin did increase for some strange reason, it was on the low side before I started supplementing. And, my RBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit have always been in range, and do not vary much despite supplementation.
I'm nervous that I shouldn't be supplementing with iron. In addition, my TSH (3.3), and midrange FT3 and FT4 have not changed despite supplementation--one physician theorized that maybe if I increase my ferritin levels, my thyroid levels will get better and I will stop losing my hair. Also, when I went on Naturethroid (went up to 2 grains over 6 months), my TSH decreased, but my FT3 and FT4 did as well--I felt awful.
I just don't get it. I'm exhausted, and no one can figure out why.
