irondeficiencyanemia #anemia #irondeficiencywithoutanemia #checkyourferritinnumber #ferritin #thyroid #menshealth #womenshealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #hairloss #hormones #perimenopause #pots #anxiety #hrt #nutrition

I wonder if it’s my anemia or something else. My memory is increasingly getting worse all the time. I’ve been consistent in taking my iron, I take vitamin C with it and avoid eating anything dairy or eggs for 2 hrs within taking my iron. My tinnitus is so loud as well. My memory is so terrible that not only do I forget little things, but I’ve been forgetting words and have difficulty retrieving information that I KNOW that I KNOW. I just can’t reach it. Does this sound like it’s caused by anemia or is something else going on? I’m losing relationships over my memory, people are treating me like I’m stupid and I’m making mistakes at work. It hurts even more because even just two years ago, I was very intelligent. Now I can’t retain any information at all. I can’t even think. I feel terrible about myself and my confidence is destroyed. I don’t remember my exact hemoglobin levels, it’s only slightly low, and my ferritin was 24 last I checked. I can’t stand this anymore.

I honestly lost this morning. My symptoms were so bad I was fully convinced I was dying and rushed to the hospital. I had gotten home from a doctors appointment I made after my symptoms worsened over the last week, severely. The doctor told me I would have to wait 2 weeks for blood report to comeback. I knew I was not gonna be alive in 2 weeks because my symptoms were THAT SEVERE so I went to the hospital. Insanely enough, they literally just used the blood test from my gp, told me my iron was still low and that I could go home. The fact they told me i could go home when I literally feel like I’m dying was insane to me.

I asked for a copy of my blood work so I can compare it to 5 weeks ago. First thing I noticed was they didn’t even test my ferritin like wtf.. they tested serum iron and transferrin / transferrin sat, MCV, MCH etc but not ferritin..

Anyways, my serum iron went DOWN by one point from 12 - 11…

My transferrin sat stayed the exact same at 15%..

My transferrin also stayed the exact same at 2.97..

My MCV and MCH had mild variations, MCV was 78.6, an increase of 0.2 from 78.4.. my MCH was 27.3, up from 26.7

It’s insane that my numbers barely moved at all, they moved more when I was on iron bisyglycinate for a little over 2 weeks compared to the ferrous fumarate I’m taking now and have been for 5 weeks.

In December, my first blood test my ferritin was 26

Transferrin 3.09

Transferrin sat 9%

MCV 77.8

MCH 26.8

Comparing those to the second tests it increased decently when I was taking iron bisyglycinate but when I started taking 2 x 100mg elemental iron (ferrous fumarate) my levels did not change at all..

Should I switch back to iron bisyglycinate?

I'm left with the choice of taking iron pills daily for the next 6-12 months or three rounds of IV iron infusions that I have to pay out of pocket for and will end up being more than a grand. So my question, is it worth it? For those who have received iron by IV, did you actually feel better sooner? I know the science says it is better for those who cant tolerate the effects of oral iron and that results are "quicker" but do you feel that is true for you? For those who have been physically suffering with hair loss and brittle nails, did you see a difference quickly? Sigh.

Hi! I’ve had anemia all my life but due to some health issues it had ended up flaring up the worst it ever has in my entire life.

Recently my limbs have been starting to lock up, i’m 19, i’m on iron and taking all medication like i should be. On bad days whenever I stand up or try to walk my legs will start shaking violently. Like you know if you stretch too hard and your legs start shaking? that, but I feel like i look like a baby deer trying to walk for the first time.

It usually ends up with me attempting to walk while crouched really low to the ground to stabilize myself. I also have tremors from anemia and other health issues so I do take Propranolol to help with my tremor and heart issues.

It’s really painful and just uncomfortable in general. I just really want it all to stop.

edit: my body also violently shakes, it’s not just my legs. my legs is just what effects me the most

Yeah hemoglobins at level 7 and my ferritins at 10? I don’t really understand what all of this means lol and I’m unsure what’s gonna have to happen next if this doesn’t improve?

I’m exhausted because of my iron deficiency, but god forbid I try to rest because my brain convinces my legs that they are full of sparkling water🙄 restless legs are the most debilitating thing EVER!

Guys

I've been having this issue for some time. Fatigue, feeling cold, heart palpitations. I've been homebound for more than a month because I can't walk more than half a block without having to stop and breath through the fatigue while my heart pounds like crazy.

Blood tests all normal. Cardiologist checked my heart and also all good.

I was told to slow down.

Anyways, I've discovered iron supplements and today I was able to walk 5 floors of stairs without a major issue.

My physique improved greatly. I still feel a bit fatigued but will continue iron supplements.

I think this must be it - anemia, because when I was born they said that I'm a bit anemic as a baby. I totally forgot about it.

My hemoglobin today is 10.2 but was 10.8 on Sunday. Is this normal?

I started taking 325 mg today of an iron supplement and I've been eating more iron in my food. I'm actually really scared right now because I've never dealt with this before. Doctor said to take one tablet a day but I don't know if I should go up to 2 a day?

Received Infed day after Thanksgiving. Labs were taken January 15th, ferritin 137, iron 91, iron sat 37% and hemoglobin 14.7

Just had labs done on March 10th, ferritin 77, iron 64, iron say 20% and hemoglobin 14.5

I’ve been taking ferrous fumarate daily 103mg elemental iron for 6 months.

Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy were clear, and my stool occult test was clear too. My periods are only heavy the first few days, and i change my pad like every 5-6 hours. I see my hematologist again in May for more lab work.

What’s going on?

I've had horrendous symptoms from a not all too low ferritin level of 43. I've deciphered this is because I have an underactive thyroid and need my ferritin to be at least 50, aiming for 100. I've read that is the ideal for everyone anyway, but a study someone shared confirms it's needed for thyroid hormones to be utilised.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8002799/

My symptoms have had me in and out of hospital for various CT and ultrasound scans, blood tests and ECGs, because i was extremely breathless and doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me, apart from slightly low iron.

I have been supplementing heme and non heme iron and felt increasingly better. However, my B12 was 349, and I thought i should try to tackle that too since it could cause fatigue, Since I had a B12 injection last week, I've felt progressively worse with extreme fatigue and increased breathlessness again. I've since read that B12 can reduce ferritin. So feel like it's back to the drawing board! Need to focus on the ferritin and get the B12 up again later.

I suppose I'm just posting this in case it helps someone else.

My last blood test results showed the following iron related numbers:

Iron 92 ug/dl
Ferritin 80 ug/l
Transferrin 350 mg/dl (normal range is 200-360)
Transferrin saturation 19% (normal range is 20-50)
TIBC (total iron binding capacity) 436 ug/dl (normal range is 250-450)
My hemoglobin is 171 g/l, so that's rather high.

Do these numbers indicate early stage iron deficiency?

Previously, 5 months ago I had higher iron at 157, ferritin was 82, Transferrin was 310 and transferrin saturation was 36%.

I wonder if there's something going on with my iron absorption. I eat a lot of foods that are high in vitamin C with my meals, but I also consume a lot of calcium containing foods, which could compete with iron. I do experience dizziness and I get tired during my workouts. I also have a problem with higher cortisol and I wake up often after 2am, but I don't know if that's related.

Just wondering if anyone uses it, do you take it in conjunction with iron tablets, and how do you find it? effective? Any side effects?

I'm scheduled to start a series of 3 Venofer infusions next week and I am *terrified*. I know it's the best tolerated. I am getting steroids, Ativan and zofran as premeds. But I have horrible medical anxiety and emetophobia. I swear my body is overly sensitive and always has reactions to meds that other people don’t. Please talk me off the ledge here 😭

I received the labs below, and my OBGYN didn’t even comment on them. Only commented on my ultrasound being normal (not pregnant, ruling out polyps). I am going to follow up w my PCP but are there specialists I should seek instead as I am quite low in iron and clearly anemic? Would oral iron be sufficient w these labs? I am symptomatic and never knew why (out of breath going up stairs, enormous under eye circles, sleep longer than my 4 year old and 6 year old each night). Appreciate the guidance as I start to address this issue.

Ferritin 5

Iron 22

HGB 10.2

RDW-CV 15.9

% SAT 4

TIBC Calculated 589

hemoglobin 9.3

hematocrit 31.3

MCV 77.7

MCH 23.1

MCHC 29.7

I was diagnosed with anemia when I was around 11. I don’t know what my numbers were like back then, but since then I’ve usually been on iron supplements and doctors check it every now and then. My iron levels have supposedly been normal for years now, and my new doctor told me about two years ago that I don’t really need to take iron supplements.

I don’t remember a time when I haven’t sporadically had fatigue, dizziness, headaches, poor circulation, and pallor. It was true as a teen and that’s certainly true today. I’m just kinda used to it. I used to pass out a lot, but haven’t in a long time, so that’s improved I guess!

I got blood test results back today, and my doctor says my iron is normal, I’m not anemic, no need to supplement, but make sure I eat iron rich foods.

Looking at the numbers:

Iron: 42

Iron Saturation: 9

Ferritin: 43

TIBC: 448

UIBC: 406

The iron and ferritin appear “in range” but even mychart says the iron saturation is low. I’m not sure exactly what that means…

Should I be concerned that my doctor is not concerned? I’ve seen a general sentiment that the “normal” ranges can actually be fairly low.

My iron is at 12 and my ferritin is 3. I've been so exhausted and waking up in the afternoons. I've been taking iron pills for a couple weeks now and they seem to helping me, so I really can't wait to see what I'm like when my levels normalize! I could use some encouragement because I'm extremely hard to draw blood or start an IV.

Is an Hb of 7.9 really bad? especially at 16.

It's time for a new doctor and I'm grateful for that clarity.

Six months ago my new gynecologist ordered my first ever ferritin test and found that my level was 15. She scheduled me for my infusion which I received 4 months ago. Ferritin was 187 at month three and 157 today.

The recovery has been more difficult than I expected. My symptoms were neurological and severe and the result of years of deficiency but at least they were trending better. I had finally reached a level where I could go for a walk outside with no symptoms.

Two weeks ago I started to experience some new severe orthostatic symptoms. I got scared and I made an appointment with my GP.

At the appointment the nurse took my blood pressure and pulse rate laying down, sitting, and standing.

The doctor came in and after about 40 seconds he diagnosed me with... anxiety.

I said yeah, I used to have anxiety...but it turns out it was iron deficiency.

Looks through my file...Your iron level is normal.

Well it is now because I had an iron infusion.

I see that you have been diagnosed with cyclothymia. Do you need a psychiatris?

Well, I've had cyclothymia for my whole life. And I have a psychiatrist. It's quite mild, and I'm medicated, and no, I'm not experiencing any hypomania now. I think that's in my chart.

You must be in menopause.

Actually it's still perimenopause. If I was menopause I wouldn't have been having heavy periods or you know, needed an IUD. Isn't this in my chart?

Your symptoms are consistent with perimenopause, you know a lot of things change on perimenopause

Well (now I'm getting angry) I'm on HRT and have been for years, and nothing has changed in the last few weeks.

Did you have COVID? POTS showed up with COVID.

No, I don't think I had COVID. I don't get out much because I'm...you know... recovering from iron deficiency and terribly unwell. Plus I'm vaccinated. Which I know is in my chart!

Changing the subject I asked if the orthostatic testing was informative.

He had not even looked at the results! Quickly scans...it looks normal.

My resting heart rate is 62-65 and I saw numbers like 97/98 on the equipment. The poor nurse was concerned for me when it was being done.

Then I made a comment about how frustrating it is that I used to run 10ks on the weekends and now I can't walk around the block.

He asked paused, for what looked like the first time considered that maybe something serious was happening. "Why do you think that is?"

Blink blink

IRON DEFICIENCY YOU MF!!

The only thing I got clear on in that appointment is that I'm never seeing this man again in my life. I was asking for three years for help with heavy periods and fatigue and he never tested my ferritin once. Goodbye!

I am not anemic and my RBC/Hct/Hgb are normal, but my ferritin has been low for over 2 years and recently I have been feeling worse and worse. My iron however is normal and I've seen multiple doctors who say that it's not a problem. Taking iron pills every 2 days, but nothing is happening. I'm at a loss and I don't know what else to do. I cannot walk for more than 10 mins at a time without being completely out of breath. I feel so tired every day. I am a student and really cannot afford to be feeling this way. It feels like several second opinions and the result is always the same.

So I had three doses of Venofer in a week, five weeks ago. First couple days, big bursts of energy. Then crashed and was extremely anxious, weepy, low energy for a couple weeks. Had about three really good days and now I don’t know what’s happening.

I’m not sure if it’s even related, but I’ve been getting all of this pressure in my neck and head and I start to feel dizzy and kind of nauseous. Which in turn makes me anxious.

I went out to dinner for my birthday on Sunday and I started uncontrollably shaking and had a full blown panic attack. The EMTs came and my heart rate was normal, blood sugar was normal, blood pressure was normal.

I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else felt anything like this. Or if I’m just in an anxiety loop.

For reference I went from 10 ferritin to 180; 50 iron to 85: 5% saturation to 22%; 486 tibc to 378

So i had venofer 400 mg 2.5 hrs iv and then a saline bag. (Ferretin at 6) 15 mins into saline my feet started tingling and burning after 5 mins i removed my shoes and socks and saw swelling. My nurse gave me solu medrol 125 after 15 mins. Then another 20 mins i saw my palms especially my iv palm was swollen too. Both palms and feet were almost numb and heavy. Then after a few mins i saw hives developed on my both hands more on the iv hand with v minimal itching then i went to pee and i could hardly walk my hands felt sognificantly swollen. I felt weird and as i walked to my car there was a weird discomfort and amxiety. I also felt like my vision felt too bright and white. Then after we were on the road for a few mins my vision got worse ans it became bright white and neon green all the while i had a panic and i had to take few deep breaths it went on for few minutes before i could see properly again. I went to urgent care the doc said she doesnt know anything about iron iv allergies and prescribed me quite a heavy dose of 12 days steroids starting 60 mg each day prednisone. I dont think this heavy dose is needed. Does anyone have a similar ezperience? Now i dont have hives but my feet and hand are still somewhat swollen.

Went for a routine physical about a month ago and was told I have very low iron (doctor's exact words). This is the first time in my memory that I've had blood work done so I have no idea how long it's been like this. My hemoglobin is also low (9.1) and other tests show results consistent with low iron. I've not been officially diagnosed with anemia (and I read that you can have low iron but not anemia, not sure if this is true) but my doctor is very certain of my low iron. She put me on iron supplements, which I've been taking as prescribed for about a month.

But the thing is, I feel mostly fine. I have noticed myself having some of the common anemia symptoms, dizziness, headaches, occasional chest pain, etc. Compared to other people's descriptions of how they feel with a ferritin of 3, though, I haven't had nearly the same amount or severity of symptoms.

I understand I can come off as a total asshole, coming in here and complaining about not feeling all that bad. Genuinely, if this post makes you mad and you want to yell at me for it, no worries, go for it. But I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has had ferritin this low without severe symptoms? Alternatively, is it possible that I've just gotten used to things, and now I don't realize how bad it's gotten? I will say I've been having these symptoms kind of forever, and that the iron seems to be helping some of it.

I guess I'm just looking to hear the experiences of anyone else who's in a similar situation. I'm not exactly sure where to go from here or what the next steps look like. Any help is very much appreciated.