ferritin level is 3

[Ispywith]

Has anyone else had a very low level? Dr said it should be between 20-150. I went as have been exhausted recently and thought I had burnout from working crazy hours and juggling it with two small children. Had a MOT of blood tests and my Hb was 12 and Ferritin levels were 3. They have now asked me to have another blood test to test caelics (or however you spell it!). Would a low ferritin level make you feel exhausted? I am very pale also.

They asked if I had heavy periods and to tell the truth I am not sure! They have always been the same so can't really compare them. They are not really long etc. Getting a bit worried as if you google things it scares the hell out of me! I know I just have to wait to see what they say next, but I just wanted to see if anyone else had similar problems. I have been signed off work for a few weeks as originally thought it was some kind of post viral fatigue as I seem so run down and seem to get every bug/cold under the sun!!

Ispywith ,sounds like you are severely anaemic and you will feel exhausted, your memory might not be very good as well. I was the same last year, not for the first time, so my doctor gave me the full works trying to find a reason. My other tests came back ok, they put me on iron tablets., it could be without knowing it your iron intake has dropped.
If they give you iron you will have blood tests to check if the levels are increasing, if they start to come up they will just keep you on them, till everything is normal and then they should keep an eye on you to check they don't go down again by doing blood tests for a while. if your levels don't come up they will do further tests to pin down why,
talk to your doctor, mine explained all the possible reasons for it and I found that took a way a lot of the worry. They never found a reason for my levels dropping it just happened but I am fine and take an iron supplement now to try to prevent it happening again

Yes a low level will make you feel exhausted. In 2009, after months of feeling exhausted (running a home, 2 children and husband a way a lot, I thought it was the norm) I started having fainting episodes. My Hb was 9 and ferritin was 4. It was definitely due to very heavy periods - as iron tablets made me feel even more faint, I tried to manage with liquid iron and eventually had a Mirena coil which has reduced my periods and sorted me out. Good luck. X

Low iron can definately do that to you.
Your hB level is fine though.
Increase iron rich foods into your diet, any green veg, red meat, beans, etc .
Im nearly always anaemic, I've had to have blood transfusions and iv iron (cosmofer) fusions.

Good evening.

Your Hb would be bottom of the range here. Your ferritin is abysmal. Your doc is doing the right thing checking for coeliac disease. He will be trying to work out why you are not absorbing iron from your diet.

As your ferritin is so low, I hope your GP will be referring you pronto to someone who can give you injections or infusions to get your level up to the >70 that it should be.

Because low ferritin often goes along with thyroid problems, there are lots of knowledgeable people on the various UK thyroid forums who can advise on this problem.

You are not currently in a situation where handfuls of spinach will sort this out. You need your level raising and as it is so low, this may be too big a job for oral supplements, which a lot of people struggle to take.

I hope you doc can help you sort this out. Mine couldn't and I am still fighting the NHS for proper treatment two years on.

D

Thank you for your replies. I am having coeliac test on monday and seeing GP again on Friday. They still haven't mentioned or organised iron tablets so will try and get some started as need to get back on my feet as can't have too long off work! At the moment I am wiped out going up the stairs let alone doing a stressful 13 hour shift (NHS - need I say more)! Does make me wonder about coeliac as my diet is very good iron wise as know how important it is (still can't believe I have had two babies and Hb has been fine, but maybe all along the reserves have been dropping)!!

Does anyone know how long ferritin levels take to come back up to normal (so you feel ok), is it the same as normal iron for Hb? Think that takes over two weeks to start working.