My quest to reduce ferritin

Someone also shared that zeolite helped with reducing her ferritin level.

Quercetin has been mentioned in the context of covid and it is suggested that it might block certain actions of the virus, especially when taken with vitamin C, which helps to recycle quercetin in the body.

You can see more at https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-supplements-for-covid-19-quercetin-emerging-as-an-adjuvant-for-covid-19-treatments

Thank you for the added information on Quercetin and Covid, Andy.

Mart,
Did you redo your lab results after the supplementation? Would be interesting to see.

I have beta thal and take a bunch of supplements, but honestly if i had 700 ferritin i would not wait and hope all the supplements and tea/coffee etc work, i would just go and donate blood every 60 days if you are feeling in good shape generally.
Definitely avoid vitamin C with red meat.

Most mainstream docs see high ferritin as fine until 1000 as you say, but there's a lot of new info that says Ferritin over say 150 can be problematic long term. High F can also be caused if you have a lot of inflammation too though caused by something else.
I try to keep mine under 100.

Hello TonyF,

Yes, I checked my blood about 3 weeks ago and it would be an understatement to say that the results were discouraging. My ferritin just won't bulge - it measured 730 but what's even worse is that serum iron was 24,6 µmol/L which is probably the highest result I've got so far. On top of that I've got elevated phosphates which made me stop taking the supplements immediately. I need to check my kidneys before I even think of taking any of them again.
I can't argue that high iron (and ferritin) is a bad thing. God knows how much damage it does to my cells and is probably the cause why my body's aging so fast.
Regarding blood donation - I gave it a lot of thought but I'm afraid it may worsen my anemia because my Hb is constantly below limits. They may not even allow me to donate if they check it.
My hematologist doesn't approve therapeutic phlebotomy as a treatment for ferritin either which means I can't get this. So what choice have I got - a DIY blood-letting? Sounds a bit suicidal...    But joking aside, any advice is much appreciated!

Slade,
I definitely would NOT advise a DIY phlebotomy you could damage a nerve, maybe you could find a nurse.

How low is your HB? Might is always around 13. The blood donation level is usually 13. Interestingly HB is usually higher in the morning than later in the day, so i donate in the morning so they don't disqualify me for 60 days lol. That was super happy when i discovered that information.

Any how good luck and report back if you make some progress.

TonyF,

Unfortunately my hemoglobin is about 12,6 lately. You can't donate if you're under 13,5 and you have to be interviewed by a medic before that (quite possible to notice my pale skin and yellowish sclera).
Even if I get to trick them once or twice what good it will do me?
I asked the doctors for chelation treatment with Exjade or Desferal but they deferred it saying I need to have at least а four-figure ferritin plus an evidence for build up of iron in my organs (i.e on a Ferriscan, etc.)

I've got some good news regarding my ferritin - it has dropped from 730 to 611 in just 6 weeks! Serum iron has also dropped from 24,6 ot 18 µmol/L and Hb raised from 12,6 to 13,5.
What did I do to achieve this? Absolutely nothing except I stopped taking the supplements.
I have a theory which may explain why this happened - when I got tested the previous time I didn't feel so well and I think I had an episode of more intense hemolysis at that time. I think that when hemolysis is intense a lot of iron is released and this causes the numbers to go up. Later on things get better, new red blood cells are being produced with the existing iron and ferritin drops a little bit. What I can't explain to myself is how I got such high ferritin in the first place. I guess when Hb drops the body thinks it's getting iron deficient and increases absorption from food. I wonder if it's a good idea to switch to a vegetarian diet when I notice signs of more intense hemolysis? Maybe I'll try that next - it may not work but it won't harm I think.

Yay Mart! Good to know that you managed to reduce your ferritin.

Slade, is there a possibility that the higher ferritin is a result of inflammation or infection in your body? This is a common cause of higher ferritin.

Hello Andy,

Yes, it's quite possible but I'm unable to identify it. The gastroenterologist made a thorough ultrasound and elastography exam on my liver and also asked me to test for hepatitis B & C (both came back negative). He said the liver was OK but nevertheless asked me to stop drinking alcohol for 6 months and recheck - there was no change. I visited an endocrinologist to check my thyroid and test the hormones but everything was normal as well. Routine blood work and CRP are unremarkable.
When I tested my ferritin for the first time in 2013 it was around 600 and hasn't dropped since. I assume if there was some underlying inflammatory condition it would have developed or advanced by now. I'm a bit lost and would like some advice.

Slade,
Have you had any other iron tests that would help determine your true iron status? Serum iron and TIBC would be helpful.

Hi Andy,
Yes, when I test my Ferritin I always ask for serum iron, TIBC and UIBC as well.
Here are my last lab results from March - they are the best so far:
Ferritin 611 (ref. 30-400)
Serum iron 18.77 µmol/L (ref. 11-36)
UIBC 30.9 µmol/L (ref. 20-62)
TIBC 49.67 µmol/L (ref. 42-78)

Just one month prior to this test my serum iron was 24,6 and ferritin was 730. Strange... heh?

Slade,
The other numbers don't show anything wrong with your iron. The ferritin is high for a reason other than too much iron. The lower TIBC level shows that your body is not trying to absorb more iron than needed.
Some possible explanations are discussed at https://www.newhealthadvisor.org/Causes-of-High-Ferritin.html
(Low grade urinary tract bacterial infections have often been reported and may be a common cause of higher ferritin).

2.   Causes Without Iron Overload
Hyperthyroidism: When your thyroid is not working properly, it can alter your ferritin levels. Hyperthyroidism is one of the causes of high ferritin. You will need to undergo thyroid function tests to make sure whether there are something wrong with your thyroid.

Liver disease: Liver disease is another cause of high ferritin, brought on by altered iron and glucose metabolism. If you are suffering a viral infection associated with hepatitis, you may suffer from elevated ferritin levels as well.

Alcohol excess: Heavy drinkers may experience increased iron stores which will lead to high ferritin levels.

Inflammatory conditions: The high ferritin level is often the reflection of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, if you are suffering from high ferritin level, consider it as a possible cause.

Bacteria infections: When you have an infection, your body will start stockpiling iron to ferritin to prevent the bacteria from using iron. In this case, you also will have a high ferritin level.

Malignancy: High ferritin levels can be an indication of cancer related with blood.

Hi Andy,

Thanks a lot for these suggestions. I've investigated some of these potential causes but I haven't found anything yet.
I checked my thyroid function some 2y ago - all OK
My gastroenterologist ordered HCV and HBV tests and a DNA test for hereditary hemochromatosis - all came back negative. He then put me on alcohol free regime for 6 months, even though I'm not a heavy drinker but ferritin didn't budge...
I also suspected an infection or some low-grade inflammation but my WBC, CRP and ESR tests were normal.
I think I can rule out UTIs because I did several tests for bacteria in urine over the past few years and they always came back clean. My problem with high ferritin has been present for  many years now and I would think that if the culprit was something different than my thal condition it would have revealed itself by now... but who knows.. Maybe I should keep looking and hope that the actual cause is not something like the last line in your quotation..