Open Community Question @HomeCuffTracker_OH • 30-44F • 25 mg elemental iron bisglyc • Week 12

▲ 57 Helpful • 2 Peer Replies

What ferritin level should I aim for with hair shedding and fatigue, and is iron bisglycinate enough?

Ferritin is the standard blood test for iron stores. Many labs flag below 15 ng/mL as low, but the AGA 2020 guideline suggests below 45 ng/mL is a more sensitive cutoff for iron deficiency. Some dermatology sources suggest keeping ferritin above 40 ng/mL for hair shedding, but the evidence is mixed. Ferritin also rises with inflammation, so a value of 60 ng/mL with high CRP can still hide low stores. Check hemoglobin, transferrin saturation (below 20% suggests deficiency) and CRP alongside it. Iron bisglycinate at 25-30 mg elemental iron once daily or every other day is often better tolerated than 65 mg ferrous sulfate. Expect hemoglobin to rise in 2-4 weeks and ferritin to rebuild over 8-12 weeks. Unexplained iron deficiency, especially in men or postmenopausal women, needs a clinician workup for blood loss.

⚕ Pinned FDA / NIH / PubMed Clinical Context • Siriporn Wattana — Literature & Label Auditor

The AGA 2020 iron deficiency anemia guideline supports a ferritin cutoff of 45 ng/mL for diagnosing deficiency. The levothyroxine DailyMed label advises separating it from iron and calcium products by at least 4 hours.

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Verified Peer Replies (2)

@MaintenanceMode_WA • Verified Cohort Member • Week 12

If you take levothyroxine, keep it 4 hours apart from iron. A practical schedule is levothyroxine on waking and iron mid-afternoon with a little vitamin C. Recheck TSH 6-8 weeks after any change in timing, because iron can reduce levothyroxine absorption.

@SpineRecovery_PA • Age 45-59 • Week 10

My ferritin was 14 and my hemoglobin was borderline. On 28 mg iron bisglycinate every other day, ferritin reached 41 by week 10. I had less constipation than with the sulfate form.