On iron, but still tired

[BertieBotts]

I've been feeling tired for months, so I went to my doctor who sent me off for blood tests. When the results came back it flagged up that I was iron and vitamin D deficient, so I have been prescribed supplements which I have been taking for around three weeks now.

However, I still feel tired a lot of the time. I have the odd day where I feel great, and I don't think it's as bad as it was before (how do you tell/quantify this kind of thing?) but I still feel generally tired, especially in the evenings. I went to the council offices the other day and felt like dropping off while waiting for my appointment and tonight I put DS to bed at 8, thought "I'll just have a little nap with him for five minutes" woke two hours later and still feel sleepy now whereas I would expect to feel refreshed (annoying actually as then I don't get to bed until late)

I haven't been going to bed overly late and I haven't had trouble sleeping, I am a working single parent, but I don't think it's normal to feel this tired all the time, at least I hope it's not!

Should I go back to the doctor and say that the iron doesn't seem to be helping?

yes but not yet IMO - get them to test your ferritin levels again after about 3 months and see if the level has improved any. If not they might want to refer you to a gastro-enterologist. I don't absorb iron at all so all the iron tablets in the world don't make a difference to me.

I assume your B12 levels are normal?

Do you snore? Do you wake up in the night needing to wee?

Make sure you're taking lots of vit c rich foods too which helps the iron absorb.

Still early days, if you were very depleted it takes at least a month for the fresh new red blood cells with the increased oxygen absorbtion to get going round your body.

Oh okay, that' reassuring to know then - that they might not have taken effect yet. I'll try the vitamin C.

I think they tested B12 as well yes so that must be normal if they hadn't flagged it up.

I don't wake up in the night needing to wee, but I don't know if I snore - I don't think so.

Hiya, first lesson in dealing with GP and bloodtests - get the printouts with reference ranges and check them yourself! It is still early days but maybe there is another underlying 'borderline' deficiency like low b12 or a thyroid problem. If you get the results, can you tell us what your tsh, t4 and b12 were? Also, see if they tested folates. If you don't feel better in a month or so, ask for more tests, and also ask why you have ended yp iron and vit d deficient? Maybe an underlying problem like gluten sensitivity or thyroid?

Hiya, first lesson in dealing with GP and bloodtests - get the printouts with reference ranges and check them yourself! It is still early days but maybe there is another underlying 'borderline' deficiency like low b12 or a thyroid problem. If you get the results, can you tell us what your tsh, t4 and b12 were? Also, see if they tested folates. If you don't feel better in a month or so, ask for more tests, and also ask why you have ended yp iron and vit d deficient? Maybe an underlying problem like gluten sensitivity or thyroid?

Kewcumber - I wake up in the night needing a wee and I snore (very attractive not). What does this mean?? I have low ferritin and take iron tablets too.

Waking up needing a wee and snoring not related to low ferritin (as far as I know) but both are symptoms of sleep apnoea. If you are still tired go see your GP and google "epworth scale" its a test to determine degree of tiredness. If you "fail" it definitely go and see your GP as sleep apnoea can be a killer - though not in the way you might expect... highest cause of death (yourself and others) is falling asleep driving.

Hello!
I’ve been having these same exact symptoms for a year now. Had labs done and I as well had low vitamin D and iron after getting both of my levels up though I’m still really tired did you ever find out what your condition was or did it ever get better?

Hi got anemia been taking iron tablets for a couple of weeks still tired sum days not to bad how long does it take to feel better thank you

Hello on iron tablets but don't seem to be feeling any better sum days not to bad just wondered if any body else was the same thank you