Extremely low ferritin, no transfusion accepted. What else can I do?

How much is a fortune? My DD is even lower

I’ve been going through the same thing and have done a ton of research. I was at 18 in December and then 13 in February.

Don’t drink caffeine. Don’t take anything that interferes with your stomach acid so no ommeprazole/heartburn medication. Take your tablets with pure orange or a vitamin c supplement. Dont take any other vitamins at the same time. I Eat loads more spinach, pumpkin seeds , lentils and nuts. Every single day I take a prescribed 200mg ferrous sulfate and a nutrition geeks iron energy +. I eat liver twice a week( grim bit necessary) and plenty of sardines, mussels/cockles and prawns.

I’ve been doing this since late march on the advice of my NHS specialist and I have noticed definite results. I’m not as cold , at the beginning of the heat wave I was still wearing fleecy pyjamas and using an electric blanket/heated seats but today I’m wearing leggings and a T-shirt and IM NOT COLD!!! The palpitations have really improved and I haven’t actually had any in about 2 weeks so things are definitely on the up. I feel much better in myself. It did take me a few weeks to get used to taking the iron but I pushed through and now it doesn’t really affect me at all.

my next blood test is early August so keeping everything crossed but I know I’ve improved.

Mine goes up and down from 20 to low 30s and my GP also says that is fine, despite, like you, my hair not growing (in my case not past three or four inches) , chronic exhaustion etc.
I would get a private infusion but I am scared of having an adverse reaction as I’ve heard that is fairly common ?
My GP, when I pointed out that my levels are a bit low, actually said “oh but your levels are always like that, and read out over a decade’s worth of low levels as prove that it was obviously fine. Even though I have been to the GP multiple times with exhaustion and palpitations.

My husbands was the same - 18. The NHS has a range for which <11 is considered low in women and <20 in men. They also didn’t help my husband at all. He has been taking iron liquid (with vit c in it), eating more red meat and I’ve been using an iron fish. He has improved. Try and up the haem iron you ingest. Or you can get a private iron transfusion.

I had the same problem and had to spend a fortune on a private infusion. Worth every penny though.

Mine was 6, I only got tested for a work medicL

Are you taking the tablets every other day with vit c and avoiding caffeine/ dairy either side? Very few trusts will allow an infusion currently. Have a look at the iron protocol on fb for ways to get your iron up. The alternative is going privately for an infusion.