What's the deal with cooper?

[Marquis Mark]

As I previously posted, my iron's always been borderline low but, with the DS, it tanked. I just got back an interim set of 5-month results:

Ferritin is higher (went from 39 to 77), but Iron (37 to 35) and TBC (302 to 296) have dropped a bit and Saturation has not improved (12%).

In addition, HGB (12.6 to 12.5) and HCT (41.2 to 40.3) have dropped a bit more. Also, the immature Reticulocytes are way above normal (.28).

I've been taking 300/day of the recommend forms of iron with 1000 C and 2 of copper, per Vitalady.

My cooper (77 to 71) and Cerruplasmin (20 to 17) have also been dropping. I've been taking 100 of Zinc later in the day and an additional 1 of copper that comes in my Jarrow calcium. I've read that zinc can interfere with copper and that copper has something to do with iron absorption so I'm wondering if that might (also) be hindering my iron absorption.

So I've cut the zinc to 50 (my level was plenty high anyway - 96) and added an extra 2 of copper in the am. So now it's 4 of copper with my iron in the am.

Any thoughts on this? Any explanation for why the Ferritin has increased but the other numbers haven't?

I'm getting a bit anxious. I'm male (I'm told) and this is somewhat atypical, ever for a DSer.

Any insight/experience would be appreciated

Thank you, MM

 

[Larra]

My very limited understanding is that copper deficiency causes an anemia that is not iron deficiency anemia. This is confusing for docs because in the USA and other first world countries, most anemia is iron deficiency, which in turn is secondary to blood loss from somewhere (ulcer or heavy period, for example) so they do a big work-up to see where the patient is losing blood and go from there. Copper deficiency related anemia is unusual in our country and unrelated to blood loss.
I have no idea how any of this relates to your numbers, but if your copper level is low, do supplement more, and cut back on the zinc, in other words fix everything you can fix and go from there.

 

[Marquis Mark]

My very limited understanding is that copper deficiency causes an anemia that is not iron deficiency anemia. This is confusing for docs because in the USA and other first world countries, most anemia is iron deficiency, which in turn is secondary to blood loss from somewhere (ulcer or heavy period, for example) so they do a big work-up to see where the patient is losing blood and go from there. Copper deficiency related anemia is unusual in our country and unrelated to blood loss.
I have no idea how any of this relates to your numbers, but if your copper level is low, do supplement more, and cut back on the zinc, in other words fix everything you can fix and go from there.

Will definitely cut back on zinc and increase copper. Thank you. Any thoughts on why my Ferritin went up but the rest of my iron numbers stayed flat or went down a little? Is it normal that the Ferritin increases first and then the other numbers catch up, or...?

 

[Larra]

Beats me! I would hope a nematologist could answer that one, even if they don't know about the zinc and copper stuff.