HI My husband just got back his results. Iron was 22 now 77 in normal range.
But is ferritin is still 8, why is this still low? Husband has had anemia off and on for two years. He just had a major operation with complications over two months ago. He had internal bleeding from a hermatoma. Does anyboby have insight when is ferritin is going to come up? Why is iron levels have come up. He has been taking an iron supplement for 6 weeks now?

thanks

Sorry to hear you and your husband have been going through so much.

It takes a long time to raise ferritin levels. When taking iron supplements, the body's going to take what it needs (serum iron). If anything is left over, then it goes into iron storage (ferritin).

I'm sure others will come along to offer more constructive advice.

I think it takes a very long time to raise ferritin. I've been on and off iron supplements for a year. My iron is okay now, but my ferritin is still only 19.

If your husband is taking iron supplemention, the actual lab work for serum iron kind of doesn't mean anything. It just happens to mean that there was X amount of iron circulating in his bloodstream at the time of the blood draw. If he is on supplements, that number is going to be high and will not be a true reflection of his iron status. If he had a nice, juicy rare steak a few hours prior to the test (or maybe even the evening before), that is going to elevate his serum iron.

So, as you can see, serum iron is really unreliable when it comes to giving you a status on anemia.

Ferritin is the one to look at. Your husband needs to work on building up his stored iron (which has nothing to do with what is circulating in his blood). This takes a long time.

dan-girls--As Christine stated in her post to you the ~Ferritin~ is the one to look at.

To give you an idea of what everyone here is saying. My Ferritin (as I told you in your last post) was a 2. I was unable to take the right amount of iron that I needed so I was anemic for 7 months. When the anemia was resolved at 8 months (due to iron intake and diet) and the HGB was increased to normal levels, It was then that I began to replenish my stores which are now #20. I started at a Ferritin of 2, then 6, 7, 9, then 20, I went from 9-20in 4 weeks time. Look at his lab values for Ferritin and see what the range is. When he gets to the chart the doctors really don't worry so much about this. So, you see how long it can take to just begin to store, let alone FILL up the store. This is why some Hematologists will prescribe IV therapy. You sound really worried, I don't think this is something that you need stress about, it will go up one way or another. Hope this helps you. FLFLOWERGIRL:)

How much iron is he taking a day?

When I found out my ferritin was 15 I started taking 200 mgs tablets of slow release iron (I worked up to taking 2 of those tablets a day).

Shoot for the ferritin to be at least 90 (I think for men).

Iron is absorbed better if taken with Vit C tablet or Vit C rich foods. Take it with food.

Ignore the other iron test & go by the ferritin. It takes a long time; he should keep taking the iron.

Magnesium will help if he gets constipated.

He must be having symptoms from that low ferritin. I had shortness of breath, fatugue, & heart palpitations.

I hope he starts feeling better soon.