Low ferritin but normal haemoglobin, should I ask for repeat blood tests?

[SeeingStarsFeelingDizzy]

My haemoglobin is 133 my ferritin is 9 . My GP has told me I’m not anaemic. Advised spatone water, leafy green veg and red meat. It hasn’t helped ? Do I go back and ask for another blood test I feel like I am anaemic ? Cold pale palpitations weak etc ?

My ferritin went down to 11 and I felt dreadful. I was prescribed iron tablets and feel loads better 2 months on and my ferritin is up to 41. I will kerp going with the iron tablets.

The things your GP suggested won't help because you need way more iron than that to fix a deficiency. You are low enough that the GP should be prescribing proper iron supplements (though the standard ones used by the GP will still probably be too low dose). The NHS considers ferritin under 30 to be an absolute iron deficiency that needs treating. Your symptoms will be caused by iron deficiency even if you don't have anaemia.

You don't need more tests; you need to supplement enough to get your levels up. A high dose supplement can increase ferritin by 10-15 points a month and you need to get ferritin to at least 125 for at least 6 months to be well. Iron dosing is based on weight; I'm heavy (fat) and would need 80 sachets a day of Spatone to get my levels up at the fastest rate, because Spatone is very low dose compared with many supplements.

I highly recommend joining the Iron Protocol group on Facebook. They're the world's biggest patient advocacy group for iron deficiency. There are guides in their files which, although they're rather long-winded, will tell you everything you need to know about what dose, how to find a supplement that works for you, how to take it so as to get your levels up ASAP.

Good luck.

https://facebook.com/groups/theironprotocol/

You can buy the same supplements the GP prescribes over the counter at the pharmacy - my GP will no longer prescribe them because of this. You may have to tell the pharmacist that you have had a recent blood test and have been recommended supplements. The sell a variety of different ones (sadly I haven't got on with any of them recently, but I used to take ferrous fumarate successfully). My trust doesn't classify ferritin as low until it's under 11, and Hb under 120, and needs to be well under that for a referral of any sort. So your GP might say it's fine anyway, but you can still take the supplements