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Original poster

I think my iron levels are low but my GP disagrees - wwyd?

264 replies

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 21/07/2026 14:41

I lead a very active and healthy lifestyle and generally have lots of energy. However recently my hair has started to fall out and I do feel tired and a bit emotional esp in the evenings.

Based on MN advice (thank you!) I booked a GP appt and was pleasantly surprised to be taken seriously. The GP immediately said, might be low ferritin. She ordered full bloods.

Thing is, these have come back now and my ferritin is 18ug/L whereas it describes the normal range as 11-307. These results are flagged as normal, no follow up required.

I can obviously see this technically is in the "normal" range, but it also feels like it's right at the bottom of a very big range.

In this situation, would you pursue? Try to supplement naturally? Or just leave?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Itshotinherebutainttakingoffmyclothes · 23/07/2026 20:23

Placebo effects as it’s only when you’ve used the iron to make red blood cells will you start to feel better. You should only take iron tablets every other day as this way you will absorb more iron.

ShouldIStaySelfIsolated · 23/07/2026 22:51

MyDarlingRose · 23/07/2026 18:35

I would pay for a private iron IV. They’re £140 per treatment near me and full effects take 6 weeks rather than 6-13 months like tablets

Show quote history

Where's that!?! Ive only seen them from £600+

Good news @JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff

Bookloveruk · 23/07/2026 23:38

otherstories · 22/07/2026 08:04

It boils my piss that GPs and gynae are notoriously bad at interpreting iron studies - not all but certainly too many when they are the clinicians seeing iron deficient women day in and day out.

  1. ferritin should be measured with transferrin saturation. The interpretation of both diagnoses iron deficiency and TSats will indicate if inflammation is “hiding” iron deficiency
  2. you should have b12 and folate checked if symptomatic or anaemic (low Haemoglobin)
  3. ferritin is an acute phase protein and so is raised in inflammatory conditions, you can have a normal-high ferritin and still be iron deficient. They should check ESR and CRP
  4. serum iron is mostly pointless.
  5. things are changing, “normal” lab values are being revised. The lower limit of 10-14 reflects the point that the body becomes anaemic through lack of iron. This is not the limit of what is healthy. NICE guidelines have said 30 for ages, this should be alongside a normal TSat and MCV.
  6. Iron deficiency alone (without anaemia) is awful. Don’t be fobbed off when your haemoglobin (Hb) is normal. Your body is working so much harder to build proteins and cells, it is exhausting.
  7. they need to establish a cause. In most of us gals it’s likely to be menstruation, are your periods heavy/changing? You only get iron deficient by losing iron (bleeding) or not getting sufficient in diet (either restricted intake or malabsorption from gut). So if you don’t have heavy periods and eat well then they should be looking for other causes too - eg FIT screening.
  8. you should take medical-grade iron replacement consistently (usually alt days is enough, taking more than one/day is usually pointless), with OJ/vit C to aid absorption, and have levels checked after 6 weeks.
  9. if no improvement then you have failed ora iron, they can try another type but I’d see if you can have an infusion instead (some areas only offer this for iron deficiency Anaemia rather than “just” iron deficiency. You can pay privately though)
  10. recurrent iron deficiency requires gynae and gastro investigations. They might refer to haematology but it’s not really a haem problem as the blood isn’t the issue. Now with Advice and Guidance they would hopefully be told how to manage iron deficiency appropriately.

good luck! GPs are fantastic with so many things, iron is not one of them.

Edited

This is great advice. I’ve been struggling with iron issues for 4 years now and you highlight so many things to check

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
WinterBlues26 · 23/07/2026 23:51

Excellent news JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff. It's surprising how another GP can make such difference even from the same surgery.

Mcoco · 25/07/2026 19:34

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 21/07/2026 14:56

No I want the GP to advise on whether 18 really is just grand or might in fact be responsible for my adverse symptoms.

Obviously I can buy a supplement like anyone else, but if a supplement is not the right answer then I want to know what is causing my hair to fall out. Surely

Show quote history

Have you had your thyroid checked? I have not read all the posts so apologies if this has been mentioned? My thyroid is low according to a private blood test I had done but normal according to the NHS!

tiptoptoemaytoe · 26/07/2026 06:07

NHS ranges are far too generous- you need a top up. Ferritin for hair loss needs to be at 80 according to my dermatologist. I buy ferrous fumerate over the counter.

debrief98 · 26/07/2026 07:41

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 23/07/2026 19:59

Update!

I had a GP appt on the phone today and it was a different dr, and she was so helpful actually.

She said, of course 18 is too low! I'll prescribe you iron tablets.

I said she didn't need to as I'd bought some. She agreed the pharmacist had given me the right ones and said my ferritin levels should be much closer to 100. She booked me a blood test for 3 mos' time to see if the tablets were working.

I have only taken 2 but I think I might feel a bit better already! Placebo effect??? Who knows.

But there is so much useful info on this thread, I'm so glad I started it and hope it helps others.

Yay. Do come back and update us in 6-8 weeks time. When mine was super low, I felt a huge positive shift around the 3-4 weeks mark after starting tablets. But I have the stomach of an ox and can easily take tablets with a vitamin c tablet on an empty stomach and be absolutely fine. I’m sure you’ll feel much better soon.

ProfessorBinturong · 27/07/2026 01:11

Having just looked at my last lot of results, it appears my surgery uses 15 as the bottom of the 'normal' range. So it's no wonder my 'not far below normal' reading made me feel.a bit off.

ProfessorBinturong · 31/07/2026 11:25

They've now said I can stop the supplements because my levels are 'normal'.

Ferritin = 28.

I won't be stopping the supplements, thanks to the info on this thread.

Bimblebombles · 31/07/2026 11:28

Do you know what your Hb result is?

ProfessorBinturong · 31/07/2026 11:32

Hb estimate 134 g/l. Mean corpusc haemoglobin 30.9 pg. Mean corpus Hb conc. 334 g/l. RBC distrib width.14.4%.

ProfessorBinturong · 31/07/2026 11:33

That's ferritin fasting but on supplements, whereas the reference range the lab gives is for fasting and not on supplements.

JJkate · 31/07/2026 11:47

ProfessorBinturong · 31/07/2026 11:25

They've now said I can stop the supplements because my levels are 'normal'.

Ferritin = 28.

I won't be stopping the supplements, thanks to the info on this thread.

Wtf. 28 is so low!

ProfessorBinturong · 31/07/2026 12:17

It's a lot better than the previous 12.

Original poster
JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 31/07/2026 20:32

Hi all, just a quick update, I have been taking ferritin for about a fortnight now, ish? And definitely feel better.

I have been on a couple of long runs that felt really nice, more consistent energy.

I think it probably is partially in my mind and partially real! But not knocking it.

OP posts:
ProfessorBinturong · 31/07/2026 20:35

Glad it's started to have an effect.

CocksBolingey · 31/07/2026 21:23

Supplement with ferrous sulphate and ask for a repeat blood test in 3-4 months. Mine was <50 and my GP said whilst in the ‘normal’ range, this was too low for optimum health.
After a repeat test, it had risen to 105 after taking ferrous sulphate as directed every other night.

debrief98 · 01/08/2026 20:23

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 31/07/2026 20:32

Hi all, just a quick update, I have been taking ferritin for about a fortnight now, ish? And definitely feel better.

I have been on a couple of long runs that felt really nice, more consistent energy.

I think it probably is partially in my mind and partially real! But not knocking it.

I remember having extreme heart palpitations from low ferritin, they disappeared at weeks 2-3 of tablets. It still took about 3 months in total for my levels to get to 100, but the 2-3 week mark was the first time I felt a definite positive change.

CocoPlum · 06/08/2026 14:53

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 31/07/2026 20:32

Hi all, just a quick update, I have been taking ferritin for about a fortnight now, ish? And definitely feel better.

I have been on a couple of long runs that felt really nice, more consistent energy.

I think it probably is partially in my mind and partially real! But not knocking it.

I felt so much better within a week-ten days that I googled and it's real, you do start feeling better very quickly! My levels aren't great still, but I was shocked at how quickly i felt better - and at the realisation of how bad things had been. Hope it continues to improve.

FallenNight · 06/08/2026 16:00

On the back of this thread I have a blood test booked for next week. Expecting to find some low ferritin and hoping the Dr will suggest some sensible tablets for me so I can join the feeling better club.

ProfessorBinturong · 06/08/2026 16:51

debrief98 · 01/08/2026 20:23

I remember having extreme heart palpitations from low ferritin, they disappeared at weeks 2-3 of tablets. It still took about 3 months in total for my levels to get to 100, but the 2-3 week mark was the first time I felt a definite positive change.

Show quote history

May I ask what your starting level was? Getting to 100 in 3.months seems impressively fast.

JJkate · 06/08/2026 17:14

I

JJkate · 06/08/2026 17:15

It is. Mine was 19, went up to 45 after a month but has stayed at 51 almost a year later despite taking ferrus sulfate every day. I am now trying it every other day in the hope that will help.

MyDarlingRose · 06/08/2026 17:15

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 23/07/2026 19:59

Update!

I had a GP appt on the phone today and it was a different dr, and she was so helpful actually.

She said, of course 18 is too low! I'll prescribe you iron tablets.

I said she didn't need to as I'd bought some. She agreed the pharmacist had given me the right ones and said my ferritin levels should be much closer to 100. She booked me a blood test for 3 mos' time to see if the tablets were working.

I have only taken 2 but I think I might feel a bit better already! Placebo effect??? Who knows.

But there is so much useful info on this thread, I'm so glad I started it and hope it helps others.

Definitely a placebo. It takes weeks for them to take effect and months for them to get high enough to feel better.

Personally I’d go for a private IV. Way way faster.

debrief98 · 07/08/2026 09:24

ProfessorBinturong · 06/08/2026 16:51

May I ask what your starting level was? Getting to 100 in 3.months seems impressively fast.

Show quote history

My starting level was about 10 from memory. I do absorb the tablets really well. I take them the second I wake up on an empty stomach with a chewable vitamin c tablet before eating anything. I ate about an hour after the tablet. I’m also very tiny so I don’t need much in any tablet form to rocket levels of anything.

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