Low Ferritin? Feel horrendous!

Hey OP (@Emiliex1o), this is such an old thread and you may not use this site anymore. But your whole story is me to a tee! Even the bradycardia, I'm exactly the same. Really hoping you improved since your last post? And if so, any tips?!

I was similar to you - my levels were so low they tried to hospitalise me as they were afraid I'd so into heart failure. My hair ws falling out, losing weight, fainting left right and centre. I didn't want a blood transfusion or iron injection for personal reasons so I started the long process of lifting my levels with tablet. I took ferrous fumerate 3 times a day and this was for around a year but I felt much better in a couple of months. I'm now on 1 tablet a day still to maintain. You can buy 210mg tablets online - they're the same as the ones the chemist give.

It's crazy isn't it?

If I were you I would ask for an iron infusion, or religiously take iron bisglycinate every other day for a few months AND try something for the periods like the mirena coil or mini pill.
A friend of mine had an iron infusion and she cried afterwards about how much better she felt and the fact that she lost years bc of feeling so crappy. Unfortunately bc of heavy periods (she is late 40s) the effect wore off so she will probably do a Novasure procedure. It makes me so angry that we have to put up with this shit as women and that when we ask for help, we are not taken seriously.

If the c section niche causes inflammation this is also a constant energy drain on your body, and when you are iron deficient its also harder to deal with inflammation I would think.

If your doctor doesnt listen, find another one who will.

I just read your question about being off work due to the lack of energy and brain fog. I have been off for a year now, had therapy etc because there were other issues leading up to it too (Lots of stress with the (mental) health of my DS) and only recently know about the ferritin issue. I have all my hopes on this because I long to go back to work and into the world. I definitely feel a difference in energy since taking iron but I'm not there yet. I think if at all possible you should take some time off to figure this out and recharge.

I found this a while ago, not sure about the source but I tick all the boxes except for 'burning feet' and hair loss. The thing is that all of these symptoms can be caused by so many different things, but you don't know until you test for and treat the possible causes. I was sure my symptoms were that of perimenopause and they might still be, but the only way to know is to get the ferritin to an acceptable level and see how I am doing. 🤷

Yeah same here. I've just started POP to see if it helps and maybe in the future I will ask for the Novasure procedure. It's ridiculous how I feel during/after each period. I thought it was in my head but decided to measure the blood loss and came up to around 200ml on the two heaviest days alone. I lost a lot of blood when my babies were born (2 liters with my first DS due to placental abruption) so I guess I downplayed my periods because it wasnt as bad..

I found once you get in front of a haematologist they are very willing to give iron infusions. It is such a simple, quick and effective fix for low iron (which as you have said can be absolutely debilitating). In the US and many other countries you’d have them no questions asked. Obviously won’t address the root cause but it’s much easier to focus on that once you’re feeling a bit better.

I don’t actually think it would be too extreme to go to a & e in your circumstances given the heart symptoms etc. once your haemoglobin drops below a certain level it is treated as a life threatening emergency but the NHS (or GPs at least) doesn’t seem to be able to pre-empt that happening by offering treatment just before that stage. You might then get in front of a haematologist and get an infusion. I got one within a couple of hours of going into a&e so it’s definitely possible.

This breaks my heart OP. I hope your health issues get taken seriously and that something changes for you soon. It would be such a shame if the cause turns out to be something easily treated and you have given up all your dreams!
Have you had a colonoscopy to rule out issues from your bowels/stomach etc? Sometimes bleeding occurs from polyps or ulcers etc. If its just caused by heavy periods then treating those can help exclude causes. If your inflammatory markers are constantly raised I would be suspicious of something besides (or adding to) the loss of iron through periods.

Get tested for autoimmune and insist on seeing a rheumatologist. I'd also go private and get an infusion.

It's not nice at all and I find that people don't really understand the exhaustion, they think you're just being lazy!

Heavy periods, they've done other tests (endoscopy, colonoscopy) but all came back clear. I'm hoping for a hysterectomy in the next year or so 🤞 but I'm thinking an iron infusion could help in the meantime

That sounds horrible, have you found out the cause of your anemia?

So glad I've found this thread! I've been anemic for over 20 years, my last ferritin done in March was 6 and has been as low as 3, the highest it's ever been is 10 and no one has ever offered me an iron infusion. I've got another blood test on Friday and if it hasn't raised much I'm going to ask for one, been feeling like crap since I was 14 😫

What were your inflammatory markers on the last blood test?

My ferritin was at 11. Only thing that sorted me out was an iron infusion paid for privately as NHS wouldn’t do it.

Few things that are important with iron tablets you don’t always get told. Take it with orange juice if possible (aids absorption). Don’t take it within 2 hours of a cup of tea (inhibits absorption). Take it every other day, otherwise the body thinks you have excess iron and won’t absorb it. You need to take it long term - general principle is take it for 3 months, repeat blood test and continue to take it for at least 3 months after you get back in to therapeutic ranges (over 70 usually advised).
When you say you have joint pain, is it worst at any specific time of day? Raised inflammatory markers, joint pain and anaemia, I wonder if you should be asking for a Rheumatology referral.

Yes me too (the skipping beats) it"s why I had the 24h monitor. It seems to be hormonen related (mostly around my period) and I think it has gotten worse due to perimenopause. But, interestingly heart palpitations can also be caused by anemia and iron deficiency.
I am very curious which of the symptoms will still be there once my iron levels are up