AIBU to request an earlier GP appointment- low ferritin

[HariboFrenzy]

Recently had blood tests and though haemoglobin fine MCH, MCHC and ferritin were out of range (below). Ferritin is 12. Had a message from GP for telephone appointment on 22nd May.

Thing is I feel like utter shite. I'm carer to a young child with complex needs and really struggling.

AIBU to request an appointment sooner?

Which brand do you take?

Speak to a pharmacist. I had a ferritin of 11 and buy Ferrous Suplhate 400mg over the counter. Far cheaper than a prescription. Pharmacist can also advise on dose based on your results. To begin with I was advised to take a loading does of 1 tablet, 3 times a day, then had my bloods repeated 3 and 6 months later to check for an improvement. Now I just take 1 tablet daily.

funilly enough I had my ferritin re ran as it was low (previous GP said I was reading too much in to it but I am exhausted, have dizzy spells and feel weak they re ran it and it dropped from 28 - 15 since 2020 its gradualy been dropping and boy do i feel it!. I was putting in a request to see the GP anyway as i have had a chesty cough for 6 weeks and as I am in for a laporoscopy I need to make sure not an infection as waited 2 years for this appointment and can't afford for it to be cancelled as i can't take the constant pain anymore - anyway I digress when I saw the GP we touched on my low ferritin as well and she agreed that whilst in range its not optimal and we agreed this is not anemia but the fact my body just can't store iron doesn't matter the amount of veg i eat or have red meat im just not storing and she said this happens with many people and you would have to eat 20 steaks in a week to get the amount of iron a tablet can give,. she has suggested i get either Ferrus sulphate or ferrus Fumarate and as i pay for pescriptions she said get over the counter as its the same strength and cheaper. I have just bought 2mth supply as we are testing my ferritin again in 2mths and she has said take 1 tablet every other day, she said that they used to recommend 3 times per day and then once per day but the side affects outweighed any benefits as the benefits didn't change with the amount of tablets but the side affects mainly consitpation were worse. so I would look to do the over the counter iron supplement maybe put a request in to the GP and ask if this would be what they recommend in the short term until they have the telephone converstaion with you. My GP also suggested Multi vitamin with iron in to help. (1st GP I have actually felt has listened to me not going to lie)

my DD had ferritin of 8 when she was 14 and GPs didn’t care. She had more issues earlier in year and iron panel showed a deficiency (iron deficiency without anaemia). I paid for a private iron infusion via the London clinic as sick of her being fobbed off for over 5yrs. It did help, and hopefully will get her through her A levels but she does have ongoing issues. It annoys me so much how GP’s de-prioritise this and other women’s health issues.

It's been going on for well over ten years. I get an infusion, then the wait begins again. I also can't absorb many other macro and micro nutrients.
B12 jabs are usually every three months, although I'll have a loading dose every so often if it get too low, the same with Vitamin D.
Vitamin D, folates and copper are the three that probably make me feel the worst day to day.
If you can, I think it's worth having as many tested as you can. It has amazed how badly even slightly out of range minerals and vitamins can make you feel, but I also know my bloods go to more than one lab and the three monthly testing is expensive.

I'm getting my iron levels checked soon because they've been trending downwards since my infusions, think I'll ask to check vit d when I get the doctor appointment afterwards.

I found a difference on the supplements within about 5-7 days. Like you I had a gap between diagnosis and prescription and I just bought OTC in the meantime- you’re right it isn’t as good, but it is better than nothing

Yes sure - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5986027/

I last read this a couple of years ago so my memory of it is sketchy, and not sure if more studies have been done since but it states that if someone is presenting with symptoms of Iron Deficiency without anaemia, they should be supplemented until ferritin levels are at 100.

I take these:

https://www.pharmacy2u.co.uk/shop/products/Ferrous-Sulphate-200mg-60-Tablets_0113807?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMax_P2UShop_VITAMINS&utm_id=19891902374&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19884833406&gbraid=0AAAAApDr58tPeQMJCWHAhA4-8HbMiyUOR&gclid=CjwKCAjwntHPBhAaEiwA_Xp6Rj4kFkasm8cykjUzhZvPcs-DM9Eb_rhwugXOcmlqvcN5lkoSryYR1xoCAS8QAvD_BwE

Sorry pressed send too soon.

Agree with PP that says it’s unbelievable how much low vitamins and minerals affect how you feel. I had low vit D once and felt absolutely dreadful. It was a chore to walk up the stairs and my mood was so low!

I get regular-ish blood tests done through Thriva to check the main ones. My ferritin was at 34 so much higher than a lot of peoples but after reading the study I linked above, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to supplement it until it got to 100. Within two weeks of taking it, my legs didn’t feel heavy any more and I stopped getting heart palpitations. My mild anxiety also disappeared. After I corrected that, as my B12 wasn’t optimal either I started paying for private B12 injections - my local pharmacy does them for £30 and you don’t need to show them blood test results or anything - anyone can get one after completing a short medical questionnaire. I then corrected my Folate which was the last one to sort (I staggered these corrections on purpose) and can honestly say that I have more energy and less anxiety now in my early 40s than I ever have. It seemed to almost fix everything from night sweats to low mood to IBS!