Question..... Ferritin??

I was told by my nurse to have my Ferritin level rechecked and it came back at 651. I've done a little research and have found that "normal" levels are 20-400. To me that seems like a pretty big spread but I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and what it means??

Thanks.

Dave

Ferritin is stored iron.  Ferritin levels need to be evaluated in the context of other blood levels, such as iron, total iron binding capacity, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.

so basically what your saying is that i have an elavated iron level?? Is that going to have any impact on my WLS??

Dave

WLS?  Probably not.  Typically WLS patients have to monitor their iron levels because of absorbtion.  I discovered I have a genetic iron overload called hemochromotosis after getting it tested.  It probably won't be a surgery issue but it will need to be checked often.

IDave,

'm 4.5 yrs post RNY and have a problem keeping my iron stores up. I had a full panel of bloodwork done last month and my ferritin was at 3. So I have to have IV iron infusions for 8 weeks while taking 3 iron pills each day. Hopefully this will bring it back up and I can maintain a healthy level. My PCP and I believe this is due to the malabsorption caused by my WLS since this is the third time my levels have dropped since having surgery. I will more than likely need to have an annual round of iron infusions to combat this issue.

A friend of mine had her RNY a few months before me and she has never had any problems with her iron levels, but does have issues with B12. My B12 levels have always been fine just  using a sublingual dose weekly...she needs shots to keep her levels up. We are all different in how we respond to the surgery, but the common factor is our need to keep tabs on our "levels" of vitamins/ minerals/ protein, etc.

I guess the most important thing to know is that RNY changes how your body metabolizes / absorbs vitamins and minerals and the results although similar can vary widely from person to person. When choosing RNY to fight obesity, just know you are also making a lifelong commitment to taking supplements and getting annual (or more frequent) check-ups  and bloodwork done to ensure continued health.

I agree with Paul that it probably won't effect your surgery but will need to be monitored.
Good luck!