My serum iron levels are consistently high, but I have symptoms of iron deficiency. Why?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am consistently doing tests to know my iron levels every month and the results are confusing. I have low ferritin. I am exhibiting classic signs of iron deficiency and even my sclera of eyes have a blue hue on them. But my serum iron levels are consistently high which causes my saturation percentage to remain high. I am not taking any iron supplements. What is the cause of having high serum iron with low ferritin?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You need to consult an endocrinologist for having a high transferrin saturation greater than 50 percent. It creates non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) which is toxic and creates damage to certain cells in the body through an oxidation process. When your transferrin saturation is high, you should not take any iron supplements as it is poisonous. You need to do a test for mutations in your HFE (hemochromatosis) genes (C282Y, H63D, and others). Take this seriously as having high transferrin saturation for a longer period can cause irreversible damage to certain tissues like heart and brain.