Today you’re going to learn the seven causes of high ferritin and how one patient lowered her ferritin by over 1,000 points in just four weeks—while also improving her triglycerides, uric acid, inflammation, and many chronic symptoms.
My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano from the Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and I’m the author of the FreeDiet®. I’ve been blessed to have seen over 100,000 patient visits over the last 38 years, many involving gut and thyroid issues. This patient was one of them.
Her Symptoms: Years of Chronic Health Issues
A 64-year-old woman came in with a long list of symptoms, including:
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Heart palpitations
- Itchy skin and hives
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo
- Depression and anxiety
She had been to numerous doctors for years with no improvement.
Her Lab Results: Extremely High Ferritin and More
Initial lab testing revealed:
- Ferritin: 1,094 (normal for women is 15–150ng/ml; optimal ferritin is 50–80 ng/ml)
- High liver enzymes
- High iron and iron saturation
- High CRP (inflammation marker)
- High triglycerides
- High uric acid
- Low DHEA
- Low vitamin D
- Low B12
Functional testing also showed:
- Celiac genetics with gluten sensitivity
- Candida yeast overgrowth
- High gut inflammation markers
She finally had answers—but now we needed to determine why her ferritin was so high.
The 7 Causes of High Ferritin (LA5I’s)
I use the acronym LA5I’s to identify the seven main causes of high ferritin:
- Liver disease
- Alcohol use
- Insulin resistance
- Inflammation
- Infection
- Illness
- Iron overload
To determine which of these apply, you need more than the basic labs most doctors order.
The Minimum Testing Needed for High Ferritin
Most doctors only run:
- CBC
- Comprehensive metabolic panel
- Lipids
- TSH
This patient had been doing these for years—yet no one found the problem.
To properly evaluate high ferritin, you also need these labs:
- Ferritin
- Serum iron, Iron saturation, TIBC
- CRP
- LDH
- GGT
- Insulin
- A1C
- Uric acid
- Free T4 and Free T3
Additional helpful markers:
- ANA
- Thyroid antibodies: TPO and Thyroglobulin Abs
- Reverse T3
- DHEA
- Cortisol
- Testosterone
- Estrogen
- B12
- Folate
- Vitamin D
- Urinalysis
For iron saturation above 45% (hers was), test for hemochromatosis DNA.
Her Root Causes of High Ferritin
Based on her results, she had multiple causes:
- Liver Dysfunction
Elevated liver enzymes.
- Alcohol Use
She was drinking three alcoholic beverages per day (over 21 per week).
- Insulin Resistance
High blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL, high uric acid, excess belly fat.
- Inflammation
CRP was elevated.
- Iron Overload
Positive hemochromatosis DNA.
Only 2% of people with this gene develop iron overload. Why was she in that 2%?
Because the combination of:
- Liver dysfunction
- Alcohol overuse
- Insulin resistance
- Inflammation
- Genetic predisposition
…all contributed to her extremely high ferritin.
Traditional Treatment: Therapeutic Phlebotomy
She did three phlebotomies in the first month before becoming severely anemic and needing to stop.
Each phlebotomy typically lowers ferritin by about 30 points. At that rate, she would have only dropped to around 1,000—not enough.
We needed a deeper, root-cause approach.
Her Results After 4 Weeks
After following the FreeDiet® and targeted supplements, her results were remarkable.
Ferritin Dropped Over 1,000 Points
- From 1,094 → 92
Iron Markers Normalized
- Iron
- Iron saturation
Inflammation & Metabolic Markers Improved
- CRP
- Triglycerides
- Uric acid
- Liver enzymes
All dropped 50–60% into normal ranges.
Hormone and Nutrient Levels Improved
- DHEA
- Vitamin D
- B12
Symptoms Improved Dramatically
- Gut symptoms
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Tinnitus
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Vertigo
- Heart palpitations
She also:
- Lost 8 pounds of excess weight
- Lowered her blood pressure by 20 points
- Felt like a new person
How She Did It
Step 1: The FreeDiet® — An Anti-Inflammatory Healing Diet
The FreeDiet® is a diet I developed years ago while healing my own Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroid condition, rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, fatigue, and skin issues.
It is free of:
- Gluten
- Grains
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Soy
- Legumes
- Nightshades
- Processed foods
These foods are the most common triggers for inflammation, gut issues, thyroid dysfunction, and other chronic health problems.
I’ll include a link below for the FreeDiet® Phase 1 Food Chart.
Step 2: Targeted Supplements
She took:
The Functional Five
- Multivitamin
- Fish oil
- Vitamin D with K
- Magnesium
- Probiotic
Digestive Support
Liver Support
Adrenal Support
Nutrient Repletion
Inflammation Support
Detox Support
- Metal Cleanse
- Infrared sauna (2–3 times per week) to help excrete heavy metals, including excess iron
The Bottom Line
By:
- Getting the proper testing
- Following the FreeDiet®
- Taking the right supplements
…she was able to:
- Lower ferritin by over 1,000 points
- Normalize iron and inflammation markers
- Improve gut and adrenal function
- Reduce symptoms she’d had for years
- Feel like a new person
If you get the proper testing to determine your root causes and are provided the right solutions, I believe almost anyone can get better.
Go here if you would like a free copy of the FreeDiet® phase 1 food chart.
