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

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

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?

My ferratin came back at 17 and the gp dismissed as normal. However I was having very heavy periods. Began to used Tranexamic acid and took iron supplements and the broken nails, hair falling out, pins and needles at night, palpitations etc stopped. Recently had another blood test and the ferratin was higher. I don't know why the NHS threshold is so low but it is clearly too low for me.

buy some iron pills with it c and don’t take them within 2 hours of caffeine. Sorted and about £7 on Amazon 🤷🏼‍♀️

Mine was around 20 and the GP rang me to say it was low, and gave a prescription for a really high dose to take short term

Also with an iron supplement make sure you take it with vitamin C or a glass of orange juice for it to be absorbed properly

I had exactly the same problem (age 55 if that is relevant). As it’s in the ‘normal’ limits, the GPs don’t seem to want to suggest anything, but I agree that it’s right at the lower end. I now take a supplement. I’m not bouncing with energy, but I have a very busy lifestyle and seem to manage ok. Thought it might eventually help with my small patch of alopecia as well.

My DD suffers with chronic fatigue and muscle weakness. Back in february her ferritin levels were 14. We have been fobbed off by no less than FOUR doctors who all said this is normal - and one of them also warned me off giving her iron supplements as apparently if you take too much it can be dangerous, so I haven't got her supplements because I don't don't know how much she needs, I'm not a doctor. I am so fucked off with it all. Her quality of life is shit. I'm taking her back to the doctor tomorrow and asking for another blood test.

My iron level after I gave birth and hemorrhaged was only 4.2. I was given a blood transfusion because I was shaking with the cold and couldn't think properly. Then I was on iron and vitamins for 6 months.

The receptionist didn't want to, as the GP had reviewed the results and said no action needed. However I think I will follow up now.

YANBU I had years of heavy bleeding and generally feeling rubbish and was constantly told my blood tests were "normal". It's only recently (bleeding issues since resolved) I've seen a copy of those blood tests and one of my iron levels was actually below the normal range and on others they were barely above the bottom end of normal. Given how wide the range is it's no wonder people who have busy active lives feel rubbish when they're right at the bottom end of the range. I have since learnt to ask for a copy of all test results.

Just like @OriginalSkang my serum ferritin level is visible on the NHS app. Mine came back as 24 and it says "abnormal" and the level should be 30-337. I am on iron tablets for the next 6 months. They said they wanted me to be heading toward 75. I am early 50s and just started HRT.

Have you got the NHS app downloaded? It is great for actually seeing all sorts of levels and where you fall in the range.

I live in Scotland where you can't (or couldn't when I was taking them) get ferrous fumarate over the counter, but the prescriptions were free. Anyway, all the GPs have been happy to prescribe with levels in the 20s. Most recently my GP said 'the normal range is this, but most women feel better when it's over 50'. Iron is notoriously hard to absorb, and the current advice is to take it every other day with some vitamin C, avoiding taking calcium at the same time.

That is fine 🥰 I'm sorry to hear about your health issues too

do you have other health conditions? my serum ferritin was at 9 - I'd been struggling for years. i also have hashimotos. turns out, levothyroxine - the medicine i take daily - needs iron to work. so i felt dreadful as all my hashimotos symptoms (thyroid related) were basically flaring up all the time

For hair health ferritin needs to be minimum 70 but ideally closer to 100. Just buy supplements yourself, I take ferrous funerate

I know. That particular GP is a prize prick though, very dismissive especially if you’re a middle aged woman. I’d have bloody loved to see his face when I had my follow up blood test. He recommended I eat more spinach and eggs and probably thinks his advice was awesome as I went from a ferritin level of 5 to 113 after my infusion 😆

Yeah, go back to the doctor. Book the appointment for hair loss again if the receptionnist is giving you stick for trying to make an appointment about the ferritin.

It drives me nuts that the "normal" levels are so low (fun fact: normal levels are lower for women because "periods", which sounds more like an argument for more iron supplementation to me, and you'd be under normal levels if you were a man ...).

I feel like death with ferritin levels that low - the first time I thought I was going to be diagnosed with something really serious and yes, it absolutely cause my hair to fall out, breathless, heart palpitations and I was wiped out all the time. I was classed as in the normal range, but I couldn't exercise or socialise, it was affecting my life.

So many people are in this boat and not able to get supplements through the doctor (there's a very similar problem for B12). I got a protocol for supplementing from a very lovely chemist and felt so much better once I was sorted!

What do pharmacies say when you buy iron tablets? I tried this before as it was difficult getting an appointment for the repeat prescription I have and the pharmacy were very reluctant to hand them over. It put me off asking again.

@Magicpaintbrush if you look on the Three Arrows website, you can download a booklet which helps you work out how many tablets needed to raise iron levels. The heme iron they sell is expensive but it’s not affected by the usual things such as dairy products so you can take the tablets at any time. They also don’t cause constipation, heartburn or any of the side effects harsher supplements do. I’ve been taking them since my infusion and my iron levels have remained high.

My ferritin levels were undetectable about 10 years ago, < 5ug. Test done three times in total, at different hospitals. Was definitely me, not the test equipment. GP’s reaction was that he didn’t understand how I was standing up (I barely was; I fell asleep at any oppurtunity), and he prescribed me ferrous fumerate supplements. He told me to buy them online, because it would be cheaper than a prescription.

@CocoPlum is nutrion geeks a tablet one ?

DD really hasn't been feeling great recently. Only thing that came back was a low iron level. Whilst technically within range, GP acknowledged she isn't great, so prescribed ferritin fumarate. Pharmacist pointed out it's cheaper to buy over counter. Hers are quite strong, so she's been told not to take every day. She isn't tolerating them very well, but knows she needs to keep with it.

My trichologist says at least 70.
A ferritin level of 18 is far too low. Plus the guidelines have changed, and gone up slightly. DD’s was 30 ish and her GP said that was too low, and she takes a supplement now.

Being within the normal range doesn’t mean it’s within your normal range. I’d definitely get some iron supplements, they don’t cost much.

You definitely should supplement. 18 is really on the low side. And if you have e.g. heavy periods you could be losing more all the time.

Iron bisglycinate is more easily tolerated by most people.

Also if you have the funds you could try the private Iron clinic in London.

Hi Sadira, thanks. No I don't train for a competitive sport such as ultra running, so I am not an athlete as such, but I would say I hit the gym hard by most people's standards.

A typical week would be
M 1-1.5 hrs heavy weights, such as squatting/ deadlifting own bodyweight
T 1h intensive circuits that would involve around 100-125 press ups, lots of sandbag lunges, weighted jumps onto a plyobox etc etc
W 7-10k run
Th circuits again
F rest
Sa run of 14-20k
Su rest or short run

So it wouldn't be right to say I am a serious athlete but I think that is a fairly high work rate for most average people? I know others wjll be doing more!