Iron - Anemia Message Board

jcrqqq · 10-18-2009, 11:12 PM

About a year and a half ago I had ferritin level of 8. I had a bad reaction to 2 kinds of supplements and had to stop taking them. Now my level is 250 and seems to be rising. I don't eat read meat at all. I'm mainly vegetarian.

In the past I had a 15.1 iron and have never been anemic. Should I worry? I don't have periods and finished menopause at 42 (7 yrs. ago). No reason for the low ferritin test was found.

I have chronic pain and had just found out I have little curly pointed bone spurs coming off the end of my toes and the one on the right big toe is working its way through my toenail.

sue1234 · 10-19-2009, 02:04 PM

I'm not sure what the bone spur thing is, but I do know that sometimes when people are anemic, the edges of their nails will start to turn upwards. Is that possibly what is happening.

hopalong_too · 10-19-2009, 04:35 PM

High ferritin is also a sign of chronic inflammation. I asked my doctor recently why my ferritin level doubled from 20 to 40 in just one month when normally it takes quite a bit longer to get the level up and my level has always been too low. She said we will test again in a month as it is sometimes a sign of inflammation and as I have arthritis in almost every joint this may be how it is showing up. I have normal iron levels, hematocrit, hemoglobin and WBC, but low RBC so we are trying to figure that out. Second reason may be lab error. If the number doesn't look right, it is always best to redo the test.

jcrqqq · 10-19-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue1234

I'm not sure what the bone spur thing is, but I do know that sometimes when people are anemic, the edges of their nails will start to turn upwards. Is that possibly what is happening.

jcrqqq · 10-19-2009, 06:37 PM

Thanks for the idea but the x-ray shows a bone spur going off the end of my toe bone and up into the nail bed. It looks like a backward cat claw. I am no longer anemic I am up to 250 for ferritin. Thats in normal range for men. I am female so they say its high now. It has steadily climbed even after I had to stop taking supplements. I can't help but wonder if I have to much of one could it be related to the other.