Hi, I am having some problems trying to understand my ferritin levels. They fluctuate up and down but I don't take any supplements and I'm wondering why they keep going up and down all the time.
Nov 2011 - 29 (30-400)
Jan 2012 - 47 (30-400)
Aug 2013 - 15 (30-400)
Nov 2013 - 21 (30-400)
Jul 2014 - 15 (30-400)
Aug 2014 - 21 (30-400)
Why is this happening please? Thanks 
Your diet plays a major part how your body absorbs minerals etc. I'm currently checking for food intolerances as mine is low at 15 without daily iron supplements.
Hi, thanks for reply.
My diet isn't great. I don't eat very much during the day and the only time I really eat a decent meal is in the evening. I was told I was gluten and dairy intolerant but my symptoms don't correlate with a gluten or dairy intolerance and my GP has told me I am not intolerent to either, so I cannot be.
How was you told your gluten and diary intolerant? One symtom of intolerance to food can be low iron levels. It's likely your low in other vitamins and minerals as well but doctors are reluctant to test here in the uk.
Diet is the first place to start! Do you suffer with any symtoms of low iron? X
Hi, I was told I was gluten and dairy intolerant by a complementary health therapist. No blood tests. She just told me to hold gluten-containing and dairy-containing food and used some sort of complementary techniques on me to determine that I have these intolerances.
My GP suggested I take in more carbs including pasta and bread and at that time I eliminated bread and pasta in case I was gluten intolerant. I told her that I eliminated gluten and dairy and she asked me why. I explained that a complementary health therapist told me I was dairy and gluten intolerant and she did these techniques on me. To put it simply the GP was very cross with me because I sought advice from someone who was seemingly a "quack" and conducted no blood tests on me to prove I am indeed intolerant to such foods. I don't see this GP anymore.
I've already had some vitamins and minerals tested:
Vitamin D: 59.6 (>75) - July 2014
Vitamin B12: 362 (180-900) - August 2014
Folate: 4.9 (4.6-18.7) - August 2014
Ferritin: 21 (30-400) - August 2014
I also suffer from hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's so the symptoms of low iron could be mistaken for Hashimoto's. So I'll give you the full list of my symptoms and see what you think:
Hair loss from head, eyebrows and eyelashes
Puffy eyes (GP thinks they're caused by dry eyes and gave me eye drops)
Constipation (happens within 5-20 minutes of eating anything but only happens in the morning)
Headaches
Tinnitus (sometimes my hearing goes muffled before the ringing or the ringing happens on its own)
Ears feeling blocked (but no ear wax)
Fatigue (oversleeping a lot, falling asleep anywhere if I close my eyes)
Muscle aches (hips and legs)
Low energy (even after I get up after a full 8 hours sleep)
Insomnia (waking up at odd times during the early hours of the morning)
Itchy skin on neck and arms
Pale skin (I've always been pale)
Difficulty swallowing (ultrasound in January 2012 showed an enlarged thyroud, ultrasound in March 2014 showed it shrank back down again)
For your doctor to advise you eat more bread & pasta is quite laughable! Where's the source of iron there? Plus there're heavily refined and process, heard for your body to break down and have very little foodness for your body! Whole meal yes but there's better sources than bread!!
Your symtom check list is pretty much smack bang like mine. 8 years ago I had my gall bladder removed (organ that helps break down fatty foods.) I was advised I could eat anything after. Over the years my symtoms have for worse, I've always put them down to having children, being stressed etc but I'm now at a point where I can honestly say I'm not stressed, anxious etc.
Over the last year I have been constantly I'll with colds, ear aches, blocked sinus an most recently chest tightness, shortness of breath, toilet trouble, post nasal drip ( back of throat full of mucus especially in morning) and pain after eating. This has now lead me to believe that my symtoms are not purely caused by lack of iron and also my hair is growing back it's still extra dry, coarse and sheds from time to time.
I have done so much research and spoke to a specialist online about it and she strongly suggests that this can be caused by sensitivitys to food. I believe over the years my body is now telling me with the symtoms I cannot ignore to do something drastic.
Are you based in the uk? I'm about to have my hair tested for intolerances etc!
I have also been using soy milk for two months but recently have been using normal. I can honestly say it has effecting me in a bad way, so back to soy for me. If you do some research on food intolerances all of your symtoms can be caused by eating foods your body can't handle.
Did the quack therapist test your muscle strength and energies?
Hi, yes, I'm based in the UK.
Ditto with the ear aches and blocked sinuses. Strangeley the sinus problems happen after waking up each morning. Post nasal drip, too.
Yes, the therapist tested my muscle strength and energies. I told my doctor as I wanted to be upfront with her about things I explored myself in the hope that she would perhaps be spurred on to work with me in getting me better but all she did was call the complementary therapist a "quack" and that she was someone who was just looking to "line her pockets". This therapist didn't even charge me for the consultation either, she told me to use the money on food to help me get well again!