Ferritin level is 7. Anyone explain?

[FennyBridges]

Basically I've got my haemoglobin up from 105 to 118 by eating spinach five times a week (Tesco's frozen defrosted and cooked. A wonder!) But I've had a ferritin level checked too and it's 7.

What does '7' mean? I've googled and I don't know '7' of what measurement. I don't understand if that's low, because I understand 118 for haemoglobin is only slightly low?

I was hoping someone could help explain. I'll see if I can get a Dr appointment this week. Bizarrely my legs are aching an awful lot and my hair appears to be falling out a bit. My breathlessness and chest pain have improved since my haemoglobin has gone up. I was going to Google the legs and hair but I'm reluctant.

Thanks

The problem is it's not current practice yet so maybe discuss with a pharmacist before trying it!

Yes, I’m fond of milky drinks so will maybe rein that in a bit!

Sorry, to answer your question it's an iron infusion. I was a day-case at the hospital; just sat in a chair with a stack of magazines for a couple of hours while I had iron liquid pumped into my veins. It was bliss sitting down for a bit!
I had the choice between that or a blood transfusion. I actually cried when they put the cannula in as I was so weak and pathetic! Looking back I was quite unwell but you just soldier on, don't you?

I loose a lot of blood every month; 300-500ml. :(

UterusUterusGhali what were your levels? I have just been soldiering on but surely for an infusion your levels were dangerously low?

@UterusUterusGhali sorry I went back; you'd already said. Mine are lower but I haven't taken tablets yet. Just regular spinach

Just ferrous gluconate. 300mg twice a day - or maybe alternate days because of the link above?

I haven't read the whole thread but has your dr ruled out coeliacs? Pre diagnosis I couldn't get mine above 10 and 7 would have been normal for me. I used to take liquid iron supplements religiously but nothing made a difference. Once diagnosed with coeliacs and on a gluten free diet my iron levels rocketed and have been perfect ever since!

Do you drink lots of tea and coffee?

Oh my goodness you will feel awful with ferritin that low! As far as I understand it your ferritin (iron stores) will be supplying your circulating iron so that has achieved a normal range because its drawing from your stores. You will have symptoms of anaemia with stores that low and you need to aim to get it at 50 or above.

My levels hover around 40, anything below that and I get symptoms. It fell to 12 after I had my son and I felt awful. Iron bisglycinate is good because it is readily absorbed (bio-available), even tho the dosage is generally lower, your body takes more of it in. I've also used ferrous fumarate on prescription and floradix is good too. Also worth adding iron rich foods to your diet. Tea/coffee inhibits iron absorption, vit c enhances it.

You will definitely feel better when your levels are higher but make sure you're getting your bloods checked fairly regularly to ensure levels are rising - if they're not there could be other issues that need investigated. Apologies if I've repeated a lot of previous advice on the thread!

No you're really kind. And I forgot to ask about my B12 levels. Presumably if I take tablets and it doesn't improve, that's when I'll need further investigation?

I really wanted to tell him about all my aches and pains. He wasn't unsympathetic but he simply said it was textbook iron deficient anaemia and any iron infusions should really be done if oral iron doesn't work.

And then he talked about poetry

I'd follow the drs instructions this time tbh. People have to up their iron again occasionally so you could try every other day if you have to again. Or speak to the Gp or pharmacist about the research; it's very new though.

Iron infusions are seen as a last option. Tablets aren't an option for me. I have a round approximately every six months but have medical condition that necessitates them for life.

Poetry eh?! That's very helpful!
I just meant that if supplementation wasn't raising your levels they'd probably want to know if it was related to any absorption issues, bleeding etc I think since you mentioned you had heavy bleeds, that'll be the culprit, it is for many women, especially since it's 'only' your iron stores that are low, so don't worry. If you're having heavy monthly bleeds it can be a slow process upping your levels (I think that's why I could never get mine over 50) so persevere with supplementing and find a supplement that suits you and your digestion.

Def worth getting your B12 checked, it often seems to be a culprit, as do low levels of vitD. X

Yes I have Googled and apparently ferritin is 'only' stores of iron. I imagine my body is super efficient at releasing iron from storage into my blood to keep my haemoglobin up?

@EllenRipley the poetry came up as I was trying to explain to him that i do feel poorly despite going to work. Just I've adjusted the way I teach. I teach sitting down a lot because I get dizzy and my legs ache. I've woken up this morning and gosh do my legs ACHE!

Oh @FennyBridges sounds like you've really been suffering! All these symptoms sound classic low iron. Might be worth adding in a good VitB complex, and vitD3 (tho you really should get levels checked). I hope you'll be back to all singing and dancing teaching soon.

Hi everyone. I was hoping you still might be around for advice and help!

I CANNOT take ferrous gluconate. Firstly it was the constipation, so I bought lactulose to deal with it. I had been dealing with the nausea by waking up at 4.30am or so and taking a tablet then, and sleeping through the nausea. But that hasn't helped the day time ones. I felt so nauseous yesterday that I had to leave my classroom on two occasions. It was unbearable. Basically I'd slept through my 4.30 alarm so took the tablet at 8.30 in school. The nausea makes me tremble. It's so awful.

I haven't taken one since and in the past week I've only managed eight 300mg tablets. My legs and wrist have stopped aching. So the iron has taken effect. I rang the Dr who said he'd prescribe ferrous sulphate instead. He also informed me that my body runs on 143-146 haemoglobin. Must be previously healthy blood tests.

Can you help me with:

1. Do eight tablets make any difference to my blood levels?
2. Shall I just eat a lot more spinach and steak and supplement with Floradix or similar?

I don't think I can bear to tackle ferrous sulphate...

Sorry if already mentioned haven't read the full thread but I couldn't get on with tablets and take Galfer syrup which is liquid iron. Now on month three and feeling so much better my ferritin level was quite low can't remember actual figure getting a retest soon.

I was put on ferrous sulphate a week ago - currently no side effects whatsoever. I have to take them for 3 months and then will be retested to see if my ferritin has come up - I’m not a tablet fan so have been looking into iron rich foods. Couldn’t be arsed with constant spinach, 10 million leaves which when cooked reduce to about a tablespoon.More promising choices are liver (90p for a two portion pack in M & S) and liquorice (so I’ve invested in a bag of liquorice allsorts)

Oh dear OP; Ferrous Sulphate had that effect on me.
What about trying Ferrous Fumarate? I could only tolerate twice a day iron therapy. Try prescription stuff first before OTC. Btw Spatone has the least amount of Iron. You need to take 3 sachets just to get the normal daily amount of Iron ?14mg. Never mind taking it to for anaemia. It's expensive too.

I have ferrous fumarate and find I can tolerate it quite well although it does make your poos black and slightly soft

I second ferrous fumarate! Much gentler, ask doc to prescribe that. A lot of people swear by floradix as being just as effective as prescription iron, i think it's well absorbed. Do some research on bio-available iron, think I mentioned it before; iron bisglycinate is smaller doses but absorption rate better.

There's recent research that suggests less is more when it comes to iron supplementation so it's entirely possible that your body has responded to 8 tablets in a week!

I listened to the BBC broadcast about the latest research study (linked by Ekphrasis earlier in the thread). To paraphrase, very little research has been done about the rate of iron absorption relative to how much is given, so it was previously just assumed that more was better. The latest study from Switzerland showed that iron was absorbed more efficiently if a set dose (60 mg) was given every other day rather than the same dose 2 or even 3 times a day. The scientists postulate that this may be due to the action of a protein called hepcidin - if a large amount of iron is introduced into the body, the hepcidin level rises and shuts down further iron absorption, so although it seems counterintuitive that would mean if you take in more you actually absorb less (I think that’s what they were saying anyway, if someone understands it better feel free to correct me!).

I realise that this is only one study but the reasoning seemed pretty logical to me. Just wondering if I’m brave enough to cut down the amount prescribed - FennyBridges you may actually be doing the best thing by having to limit your tablet intake! Or perhaps I should give up the tablets altogether & just prescribe myself 2 liquorice allsorts per day!

I don’t really subscribe to conspiracy theories but it is odd that not much research has been done into the possibility of massively reducing the dose.

I've been meaning to comment but mrsfezz has said it so much better - you could try what the research found which may be more tolerable.

I can't take any iron pills now but as I said upthread found that by cutting right back - completely- on milk and caffeine (I ate cheese last thing before bed) and lots of iron rich food with orange juice I was able to improve it by 30 points in a month with 2 heavy periods in that time. I can't remember if I took spatone; possibly, but no idea if it was that or not.

I had the vitamin free oatley in replace of milk (the others have added calcium) and took a calcium and magnesium tablet last thing at night to compensate. I have 'iron days' where I top it up; currently no periods though as bf.

Hi everyone. Really interesting read. It was ferrous gluconate I can't get on with, tablets of 300mg twice a day. So he's prescribed ferrous sulphate three times a day, at 200mg a tablet. That was Wednesday. So I hadn't taken iron since the disaster that was Wednesday morning. Apparently when I was anaemic ten years ago it was sulphate I had. Who knows why the other doctor chose gluconate (might have been me whingeing about constipation!)

I plucked up the courage to have a tablet this morning with a fruit smoothie and about half an hour later I had toast and tea. I know I shouldn't have but I'm frightened of that level of nausea again!!!

@EllenRipley I think my body had responded to eight pills. Until Wednesday morning I felt like a different woman. So much more energy and my legs and wrist had ceased to ache. Last night, before my ferrous sulphate bravery, my legs were sooooo uncomfortable, painful and aching. But presumably the iron I took hadn't gone anywhere?! It was still in my blood?