Dr told me Iron deficiency DOESNT cause fatigue?

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I thought this was out dated. I understand the logic... haemoglobin carries oxygen around your body and Iron deficiency causes anaemia, and THAT is what makes you tired. so unless anaemia is present, there is no 'pathway' for fatigue

I thought that iron had other roles in the body, whereby a deficiency could cause fatigue, anxiety, depression??

and LOTS of people report feeling fatigue with low iron, when there isn't anaemia

anyone?😬

I would be tired having climbed the stairs and need to sit down, but anaemia never gave me the sleepy kind of tiredness, could that be what he meant?

Maybe. I found the headaches, leg cramps, shortness of breath way more difficult than any fatigue.

I wasn't so much sleepy tired with it. More a general run down unwell feel

Well anecdotally, getting my long term anemia sorted with prescription ferrous fulmerate helped massively with my tiredness, and its the same for several other people I know. Perhaps there hasnt been enough research done on it properly to state it as medical fact, not sure...

sorry, symptoms.....she said low ferritin doesn't cause symptoms. only when it is depleted enough that it causes anaemia

so yes @Lorelaigilmore88 , your symptoms are valid/expected because it was such that you had anaemia

@BalloonSlayer and @HowIrresponsible , did you both have anaemia (lowhaemaglobin etc) or iron deficiency without anaemia?

https://patient.info/doctor/non-anaemic-iron-deficiency …..of course it can cause symptoms ,perhaps not for everyone but we are all different in how we present,

My symptoms were more weariness, didn't have any get up and go, rather than falling asleep type of tired.

I hope you get sorted Op.,

Iron deficiency without anaemia is another commonly used term for non-anaemic iron deficiency

This sounds like a really frustrating doctors appointment. What’s your ferritin?

My GP recommends aiming for 70+.

Ultimately, there is no NHS pathway for iron deficiency without anaemia, so it’s at the distraction of each doctor whether they treat it.

How are you feeling?

My GP recommends aiming for 70+.

Whereas my GP stopped my ferrous fumerate prescription when I reached a level of 22 because the lab reference range said ‘normal’ was 20- 300 odd. This is despite Nice guidelines saying levels below 30 need treating!

Honestly, feeling well is a lottery. If you’re lucky you get a Dr who aims to treat symptoms rather than figures. My palpitations and air hunger didn’t even stop until I was up towards the mid 40’s level.

I had anaemia

I had a ferritin level of 15 for 8 months post-partum but no anaemia so the dr tried to fob me off with ‘try to eat more red meat’ and refused to prescribe iron! I was bone tired. Like my body was made of lead and my mind was just numb. Started self-supplementing and was back to normal in a week.

Tiredness is definitely connected to iron deficiency.
Have you been checked for Coeliac disease OP?

www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/your-gluten-free-hub/home-of-gluten-free-recipes/healthy-eating/iron/#:~:text=Iron%20deficiency%20is%20common%20in,lining%20caused%20by%20eating%20gluten.

My ferritin levels were down to 5 when I had my bloods done about a month ago. My levels fall and I'm put on ferrous fumerate for a few months then when I stop the supplements my levels drop again. However I don't think they've ever been that low.

Agree with a previous poster that I don't fall asleep but just lethargic to a point I just wanted to sit down and do as little as possible.

This is a random cross post, but watch it.
We are all tired and exhausted, we are all nutrient deficient. Normal, means as deficient as everyone else. RDA means, you wont die.
https://www.youtube.com/@PHCukorg

And this,

my ferritin is 7. it hasn't been above 33 since I have had it tested, so 20 years or so.

I feel dreadful. I have a diagnosis of CFS since 2016, so symptoms are normal attributed to that, which is frustrating. I am also menopausal. but the last couple of weeks have been on another level. dizzy, vomiting, weak, asleep most of the day and night.. very painful migraines that can last a week and doesn't respond to usually treatment. I don't feel like am a real human being, if that makes sense. it's hard to describe but it's like I am watching people and life from behind a glass wall. it's quite scary and unpleasant

nope.. I asked about coeliac. she said it isn't possible. I would definitely have anaemia if I had coeliac

I just bought ferrous fumerate myself. but I took a couple of months worth less than 6 months ago. and my diet isn't lacking in iron. I had a hysterectomy 7 years ago so there is really no reason that my ferritin should be low at all

GPs don't know much about vitamins, deficiency, minerals....they remit really is matching symptoms with a medication.

and have you achieved those levels just from oral supplements? you haven't had an iron infusion? I have contacted a couple of private clinic about infusions. but I have been a bit thrown off by the GP saying that low iron doesn't cause symptoms

NHS doesn't treat symptoms does it

No, it doesn’t, sadly.
A combination of ferrous fumerate that I bought OTC and adding iron bisglycinate, which apparently has better bioavailability, and following the new advice to only have every other day which is more effective. There is a long explanation as to why if you Google.
It has now dropped again down to 34, despite me having a hysterectomy, and the GP’s just don’t seem interested as to why I can’t keep my levels up. It’s so frustrating.

This is mentioned in a recent Zoe podcast about periods. Iron deficiency, even without anaemia, should be treated.

You can buy ferrous sulphate in the chemist which is what I'm prescribed for anaemia.

expectations you could try a digestive enzyme to help absorb from your food? Also watch intake of tea and dairy around meals

i think subtle gluten intolerance (or even coeliac but presumably you have been tested for that) can lead to it. So can certain parasites and bacteria like helicpbacter pylori.

OP - your GP is a muppet