How Do I Lower My Ferritin Levels?
Patients can lower ferritin levels in the bloodstream by donating blood, consuming calcium-rich foods, undergoing iron chelation therapy, drinking coffee or tea and limiting vitamin C supplementation at mealtimes, according to the Iron Disorders Institute. Elevated ferritin levels may occur because of medication, hormone replacement therapy or other conditions.
Doctors may prescribe weekly phlebotomies to bring down high ferritin levels, according to the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. A liver biopsy and an MRI may detect concentrations of iron in the liver to ascertain a cause of high ferritin levels. Voluntary blood donations may also help. A weekly phlebotomy of 500 milliliters of blood occurs when a medical technician draws blood from a patient through a needle.
Normal levels of ferritin in the blood range from 24 to 336 nanograms per milliliter in men and 11 to 307 nanograms per milliliter in women, according to Mayo Clinic. Higher-than-normal levels may indicate leukemia, enzyme deficiency, diabetes, hemachromatosis or liver disease. A patient who undergoes multiple blood transfusions may also show high ferritin levels. Low ferritin levels may indicate anemia.
High ferritin levels may be caused by disorders not normally associated with iron overload. Rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease and hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome can cause elevated ferritin amounts in the blood, notes the Iron Disorders Institute.
