hi, im hoping you can help. i have low iron but high ferritin level(which is stored iron?) i am diabetic and low thyroid. my dr says i am anemic and should take ferrous sulfate to bring my iron up but wont that bring my ferritin level up too? my ferritin level is 201 and high normal is 160. i also was very acidic, but havent seemed to be so since i took colonix to detox my system. i havent actually checked with the strips yet, but my urine isnt so strong any more and my metal watches arent corroding. i read on a website somewhere that high ferritin is due to being diabetic. can you help me at all?

explanation of the various tests for iron, and what they can mean.

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/aha/aha_ironstud_crs.htm

Before taking an iron supplement you should be evaluated for hemochromatosis, which is more common than people believe.

People can be acidic...due to renal tubular acidosis.
here is a good set of definitions for that:
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseas...osis/index.htm

Glucophage(metformin) is well known for causing acidic metabolic side effects. If you are taking this,
you should have a renal panel drawn at the doctor's periodically.
Diabetic ketoacidosis, usually only occurs when blood sugars are high, and uncontrolled.

Acidic urine can be due to benign things, such as taking Vit C.
This site gives urinary results:
http://texascollaborative.org/spence...is/ds_sub2.htm
and
http://www.rnceus.com/ua/uaph.html

ok, i can rule out the renal tubular kidney thing. i dont have any problems with my liver or kidneys. my ALT level was just over the normal limit. it did say that hypo thyroid and diabetics can have high ferritin and low iron. i dont take metformin altho i am supposed to. i try to control by diet, but im not doing so well with that either. i still dont know what will happen if i take an iron supplement, will it make my ferritin level worse?

low iron...do you mean low hemoglobin/hematocrit?

Or low serum iron. There is a difference.

Many doctors do not test for hemochromatosis. In fact Kaiser insurance HMO has started screening for this.
http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejournal...04/update.html

here is an outline for the tests needed:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemochroma...al_testing.htm

im not sure...it just says low iron se level?

serum level is low, and your doctor wants to supplement iron, you should try it.

Some Iron products are better than others. So you will want to make sure you get one that is quality, and will not upset you or give you GI side effects.

There are several on Rx...and some on OTC status.

Niferex is one OTC
and Slow Fe is another.

Some people need folate and B12 to utilize iron properly. Also taking it with OJ or a vitamin C tablet helps with absorption. Iron cannot be absorbed well in people taking acid blocking drugs...it needs an acidic environment to get into your system. And you need to ask your doctor if folic acid will help you with this.
Having a B12 test run before taking folic acid is important.
SlowFe makes a product with folic acid in it too.

It is important to only use iron until your doctor finds improvement in tests.
Sometimes a lower dose is then offered to maintain you. Taking iron without supervision is not a good idea, and may be harmful over time. Too much iron is as bad as not enough.

And since B12 is safe, I would take 1000 mcg per day even if the test results show "normal." No reason to take a chance.

rose