Could someone help me read my lab reports - Alternative Medicine Message Board

SHMILY · 06-13-2006, 12:03 PM

When I got complete blood work done I didn't know how to read about my iron. This is what it read.

Iron and total Iron binding
Capacity
Iron Total................................... 76.................Range 35 - 175 MCG/DL.
Iron Binding Capacity....................323......... ......Range 250 - 400 MCG/DL
% Saturation.............................. .24................Range 15 - 50 % (CALC)
Hemoglobin.............................. ....13.4.............Range 11.7 - 15.5

The reason I am wondering about this is, I also had a hair anaylsis the same day and it showed my iron to be very high. But I don't know how accurate this test is on the hair.

From the looks of this test do I need to use a supplement without iron. I was not taking iron at time of test and hadn't for a long time. Anyway, I would really appreciate it if someone could interpret each part of my results.

peregrine · 06-14-2006, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHMILY

When I got complete blood work done I didn't know how to read about my iron. This is what it read.

Iron and total Iron binding
Capacity
Iron Total................................... 76.................Range 35 - 175 MCG/DL.
Iron Binding Capacity....................323......... ......Range 250 - 400 MCG/DL
% Saturation.............................. .24................Range 15 - 50 % (CALC)
Hemoglobin.............................. ....13.4.............Range 11.7 - 15.5

The reason I am wondering about this is, I also had a hair anaylsis the same day and it showed my iron to be very high. But I don't know how accurate this test is on the hair.

From the looks of this test do I need to use a supplement without iron. I was not taking iron at time of test and hadn't for a long time. Anyway, I would really appreciate it if someone could interpret each part of my results.

Didn't your doctor go over this with you? These results would indicate (to me) that you do not need iron, especially if the hair analysis indicates it is high. Too much iron is as detrimental as too little. All of these results are within the normal range

SHMILY · 06-14-2006, 08:56 AM

No, my doctor didn't say a word to me about the results and I just assumed everything was normal until I got copies of labs. I asked another dr. about the hair analysis and he said he didn't diagnose by them. Then I noticed that my total iron was in range, but on the low end. Didn't know what the iron binding capacity meant or the saturation.