hello all. I am trying to understand these lab results and hope someone can help. This doesn’t really have to do with trt.
RBC - 5.98 (4-6.2)
Hemaglobin - 17.0 ( 14-18)
Hematocrit - 50.4 (40-54)
RDW- 16.5 ( 11.5-14.5) HIGH
Serum Iron - 30 (65-175) LOW
TIBC( Total iron binding capacity) - 447 (165-502)
% Saturation - 7 (20-50) LOW
ferritin - 11 ( Boarderline low but still in range)
Can someone please help me understand what all this means? Pretty sure I have an iron deficiency? But my Hemoglobin and RBC has always been on the higher range or in range, never low.
Your iron levels are too low - your ferritin should be above 70 for proper body/thyroid functioning.
Most men who eat meat have an issue with age that their ferritin (iron stores) keep increasing.
Possible reasons it is low, other than being a vegetarian which I am assuming you are not, is a lot of blood donations, recent surgery or internal bleeding.
In males with a typical diet, there is adequate iron intake and you half to consider iron losses.
Do you have any food allergies or sensitivities? These can involve some blood loss that can be detected by an occult blood test that will be positive if there is any blood in your stool.
Is there more of your lab work that you can post?
Hypothyroidism also can affect RDW and MCV and note the ferritin-thyroid link suggested above.
If you want to eval your overall thyroid function: Check body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Also consider your long term intake of iodine from iodized salt and/or vitamins as this affects your iodine stores. I started a thread in the Steroids forum discussing iodine.
How have you been feeling? Aerobic endurance lessened?
Rdw is listed above. its always in the high range.
MCV is 80.8 (80-100)
just tell me what lab tests youd like to see and i will post.
as far as food allergies, im not quite sure, i have had a stool test done and there was no blood detected. i am also scheduled for a colonoscopy in about 2 weeks which i am dreading.
i believe my iron has been like this for quite a while. i feel fine. sometimes i feel like i should have more energy than i normally do and i get pretty easily winded but thats only on the more intense lifts that i do like deadlifts, squats, etc.
here is a question i have thats important to me. ok, so what if my hematocrit or rbc levels get too high, then i have to do a blood letting, correct. but thats just going to drop my ferritin levels lower right? so what should i do? and if i supplement with iron to bring up ferritin wont that make my rbc and hematocrit go too high? it just seems like by doing one thing ill be hurting another, PLEASE HELP so confused.
thanks everyone for the replies so far, oh yeah and definitely not vegetarian
Your gear might create some conflicts and you then have to consider less gear or live with the effects. Looks like you will have to get scoped and see whats up [bad pun].
You need more iron in any case and perhaps some repeat labs to confirm readings before doing anything drastic. The questions is where is your iron going? Another option is poor iron absorption from your gut.
“”"
Decreased intake or absorption
Decreased intake or absorption can occur in diets that do not include heme iron, the iron in meat and shellfish. Heme iron is absorbed more efficiently than non-heme iron found in plants and dietary supplements. Other nutrients, however, such as vitamins C and B12, folate or zinc can facilitate sufficient non-heme iron absorption. Consuming certain foods and medications can interfere with the absorption of iron. These include dairy products, coffee, tea, chocolate, eggs, and fiber. Medication that inhibit iron absorption include antacids, proton pump inhibitors (to treat acid reflux) or calcium supplements. Diseases conditions can also limit iron absorption; this can happen as a result of insufficient stomach acid, lack of intrinsic factor (hormone needed to absorb vitamin B12), celiac disease, inflammatory conditions such as Crohn?s disease, and in autoimmune diseases and hormone imbalances.
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[quote]KSman wrote:
Your gear might create some conflicts and you then have to consider less gear or live with the effects. Looks like you will have to get scoped and see whats up [bad pun].
You need more iron in any case and perhaps some repeat labs to confirm readings before doing anything drastic. The questions is where is your iron going? Another option is poor iron absorption from your gut.
“”"
Decreased intake or absorption
Decreased intake or absorption can occur in diets that do not include heme iron, the iron in meat and shellfish. Heme iron is absorbed more efficiently than non-heme iron found in plants and dietary supplements. Other nutrients, however, such as vitamins C and B12, folate or zinc can facilitate sufficient non-heme iron absorption. Consuming certain foods and medications can interfere with the absorption of iron. These include dairy products, coffee, tea, chocolate, eggs, and fiber. Medication that inhibit iron absorption include antacids, proton pump inhibitors (to treat acid reflux) or calcium supplements. Diseases conditions can also limit iron absorption; this can happen as a result of insufficient stomach acid, lack of intrinsic factor (hormone needed to absorb vitamin B12), celiac disease, inflammatory conditions such as Crohn?s disease, and in autoimmune diseases and hormone imbalances.
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[/quote]
i believe i have ibs or celiac. bowel movements are not all solid all the time. hopefully this colonoscopy will tell more.
also, could all this be due to slow thyroid function? my thyroid has always leaned towards being hypothyroid.
one more question, how much will this iron issue affect muscle building/ recovery, etc. as long as my hemoglobin is good will i be good?
Thyroid affects metabolism of every cell in your body.
See if you can get this done: If you want to eval your overall thyroid function: Check body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Also consider your long term intake of iodine from iodized salt and/or vitamins as this affects your iodine stores.
is it possible these iron issues could be stemming from a slowish thyroid? i have monitored my temps before and they are usually in the 98 to 98.6 range
Need body temp when you first wake up AND mid-afternoon. There can be problems with each. Your report is not specific.
I asked about two things.
I don’t think that thyroid issues would limit iron absorption, but the reverse is true. You need ferritin in 60-80 range for proper T4–>T3 conversion.
Your gear is creating more Hemoglobin and RBC, masking some of the expected effects of iron deficiency. Correcting the iron loss issue might lead to more hematocrit and associated problems.
It really sounds like an absorption issue. When I was training for mass I always had loose stools. I learned later that protein powders, creatine, and other supplements are great in moderation but wreak havoc on GI epithelium and bacterial flora. It is critical both epithelium and flora of the stomach and intestine be in check for absorption of B12 and iron among other things.
Ask yourself, do you eat too frequently? Frequent supplements? Few fruit and veggie servings? Alcohol/binge drinking? NSAIDS? Aspirin? Stomach acid reflux? Gas and bloating? Strong odor flatulence? Over-eating? Drink water following a meal?
Have you got liver panels? Ferritin is made in the liver and iron is also stored there.
[quote]EyeDentist wrote:
How many times have you donated blood this year?[/quote]
probably at least 6 times, i do it myself though and usually only take half a pint out, i had to yesterday actually because hct was almost in high range
[quote]EyeDentist wrote:
How many times have you donated blood this year?[/quote]
probably at least 6 times, i do it myself though and usually only take half a pint out, i had to yesterday actually because hct was almost in high range
[/quote]
Bingo. More than likely, that’s why you’re iron deficient. Frequent bloodletting is a well-documented cause of iron deficiency in males. (Google it.)
That said, the prudent course of action would be to discuss your lab results with your physician before deciding on a course of action. There’s no substitute for having a physician lay eyes/hands on you for a proper exam.
[quote]EyeDentist wrote:
How many times have you donated blood this year?[/quote]
probably at least 6 times, i do it myself though and usually only take half a pint out, i had to yesterday actually because hct was almost in high range
[/quote]
Bingo. More than likely, that’s why you’re iron deficient. Frequent bloodletting is a well-documented cause of iron deficiency in males. (Google it.)
That said, the prudent course of action would be to discuss your lab results with your physician before deciding on a course of action. There’s no substitute for having a physician lay eyes/hands on you for a proper exam.[/quote]
yeah my doc seems to think im losing trace amounts of blood in my intestines so im getting a colonoscopy, i hope its as simple as you think though, but if blood letting is the cause then what am i supposed to do when rbc gets high? and shouldnt ferritin normalize fairly quickly
If you left out phlebotomy with your physician like you did here he’s likely to think that way. The reason it’s your most likely cause is that iron is mostly a recycled source and very little is replenished by your diet. Donating 6 times in a year is very likely your cause. At the pace your RBCs are being manufactured, you need a lot more iron.