Ferritin ALWAYS low but other iron tests ok or too high?

"I’ve had a bit of dizziness"

What kind of dizziness? I've been feeling dizzy when getting up from sitting down, which I know can be low blood pressure, but mine is more on the normal-high side.

Mines between 10-12
I have been taking hemeplex it's the only iron supplement that doesn't give me horrible stomach issues.

[quote Reluctantadult]@Gwenhwyfar I was almost veggie, very low meat. On advice of my doctor I went back to eating more meat overall and red meat. But I really think my levels are low again. Blood test on Wednesday so will see. Millions of people round the world are veggie aren't they and they can't all have low iron...[/quote]
Why can't they? Low iron is a huge problem around the world. Maybe not so much for men who don't need much.

This is just ridiculous.
Yes, complain about GP laughing at you!
Yes, your hair will be worse, because your body is desperately diverting iron to essentials.
Yes, it's possible to feel normal but I suppose it might depend on your version of normal? Are you doing exercise 3-4 times a week, sleeping well, working full time, looking after small children? Because I could manage, but I certainly couldn't have done all that.

There's always a reason your number is low. It's not just "one is those things".
The most common is this like coeliac and ridiculous periods, but it can also be things that over time add up.

If you have heavy periods, and eat a vegetarian diet that includes a lot of legumes, or drink tea/cola etc near your food. All sorts of things affect absorption, but it's far more likely that it's your gut and /or bleeding.

Anyway.

I'll get off my soap box.

I’m recently diagnosed coeliac but was asymptomatic so unaware I had this. I had low ferratin and would take a course of iron yearly but never knew the cause of why. Need to take VitaminD and calcium now too.

Thanks for starting this thread. Mine has been low twenties for years and gp insists that is ok as I’m menstruating despite having very light periods.

It’s so frustrating because all my symptoms (breathless despite being fit, terrible fatigue, brain fog) could be explained by low ferritin. Nothing else is wrong. The last visit she prescribed a podcast for positivity ffs.

I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that iron uptake is better if the supplements are erratic. But I’m just too tired to track the article down or work out if that related to ferritin or not. Has anyone else come across this?

My ferritin levels tend to be really low and I hit some sort of crises point at the start of the year as I stupidly got lazy about taking my supplement - tinnitus, constant heart palpitations, breathless even sitting still, massive fatigue and RLS. My tense of taste went completely weird and I was itching all over.

I've been taking Iron Bisglycinate (often sold as Gentle Iron) and find it's much much easier to tolerate - no nausea, no effect on bowels, nothing.

If I need tests I get them done privately via an online company that sends out fingerprick kits. It's not madly expensive and if you can afford it it's so worth it not to have the faff of trying to pursuade a gp why you need certain tests and actually get an appointment, only for them to claim your ferritin level of 13 is "normal". I also check my Vitamin D annually privately to make sure my levels of supplementation are about right.

I'm not a major pill popper btw, I don't take any other supplements apart from magnesium every few evenings, but I tend towards deficiency with these two things.

My ferretin is 30. No idea why. I eat plenty of red meat but am always tired and anxious. Put it down to being a young mum working full time but it's actually debilitating. I've been prescribed lexapro twice in the past and not taking it now as TTC but it does concern me that the anxiety could be exacerbated by my iron levels. Also agree with PP it's misunderstood and misdiagnosed because typically it's a women's problem. I've been told I'm borderline anaemic for a decade but the advice has always been to just keep powering through with diet and supplements.

Reading this with interest! My ferritin was 5. I’ve been taking iron tablets and it’s risen a bit but is still on the low level of normal apparently. I thought I was feeling fine with it all but thinking about it I’ve had a bit of dizziness which I put down to the after effects of covid. Also my hair isn’t as thick as it used to be so maybe that’s a sign too.
Do other people take one iron tablet a day? The doctor said studies have shown one tablet can be more effective than 3…

[quote Willowcat77]@TeddyisMydog Yes, maybe we have no idea what normal actually feels like. If we had an iron infusion we might feel reborn. I did once ask my GP for an infusion when my Ferritin reached 2, but she said it wasn't an option on the NHS 😞[/quote]
I'm actually allergic to iv iron, in pregnancy I had to have blood transfusions as baby was just rapidly taking all my iron
Feel slightly better now that isn't happening but I'm exhausted all of the time, more than just newborn exhausted like I feel it in my bones.
I'm still taking iron tablets but they've never done much before x

@Gwenhwyfar I was almost veggie, very low meat. On advice of my doctor I went back to eating more meat overall and red meat. But I really think my levels are low again. Blood test on Wednesday so will see. Millions of people round the world are veggie aren't they and they can't all have low iron...

Are any of you vegetarians? I'm coming to the conclusion it's just not possible to get enough iron without meat.

Thought this was interesting. My ferritin was 3, tablets got me to 23 and GP said to stop taking them.

Those with low stores - especially under 5 continue to ask your gp for an infusion!! They absolutely are available on the NHS and can be quite life changing.

My ferritin is 22, I feel like shit. So tired I could cry. Breathless even though I'm really fit. Gp was horrible, just laughed at my concerns and said it's in the normal range. Anyone have any recommendations to see someone privately (South East). Sorry to derail but hoping this might help other people too!

It is confusing isn't it. I wish there was a simple way to monitor things too without the mission to get a blood test.
The iron protocol group on Facebook / Instagram is good.
Off for a blood test on Weds, I'm expecting my ferritin is low again. Daily headaches, feeling sick, fatigue.

Another question for anyone with super low ferritin. Do any of you have normal hair? Mine seems to get worse the lower my ferritin levels get.

@TeddyisMydog Yes, maybe we have no idea what normal actually feels like. If we had an iron infusion we might feel reborn. I did once ask my GP for an infusion when my Ferritin reached 2, but she said it wasn't an option on the NHS 😞

Thanks for the info - will pester my gp. I’m heading towards breathlessness again and (this is gross, sorry) I’ve got failure to heal issues with skin and all my gum skin peels off…..back with a vengeance. It’s perimenopause and I’ve got an ultrasound and hystroscopy booked (terrified of that). Nice gp but I felt so ill that she started with are you. Suicidal? Nope just fucking fed up of feeling so ill, so don’t give me antidepressants!

My ferritin has been extremely low for years, between 1 and 6 when they test for it. GP has never been that bothered and iron supplements don't seem to make a difference. I don't feel particularly ill though. Is this normal or am I a medical freak? 🤔 Does anyone else feel normal with extremely low ferritin levels?