Any Doctors? Low Ferritin and numb leg, tingling body

[NeedAHuggle]

Can anyone help. Speaking to GP on Monday, but told ferritin levels are 13 and advised to get iron supplements over the counter. have done.

Reason for tests were various numbing and tingling in arms and hand. lack of fine touch sensation. This week my leg has gone partially numb from knew down and weird numb sensation elsewhere, with a little in the other leg but nowhere near as bad.

GP initially thought MS, but following this test, is it anaemia or would the whole leg not be affected in that way. Also had tingling tongue and mild pressure feeling on the throat.

The leg hadn't gone numb at the stage of last visit By the way,
thanks

I'm not sure about ferritin deficiency but I know Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause those symptoms - did your blood test check for that too?

quite a lot of boxes were ticked, not sure what the code would be so unsure. But reception said that was the only one showing as abnormal and what had been suggested.

I would echo to get your B12 and folate checked.

I don't know GP said bloods are normal.
I'm just gonna sit this out because trying to figure it out is more stress than needed.
Thanks all

I hope that the iron has done the trick and you're feeling better now.

Thanks. No, so far iron has made no difference. Have been referred for further review, so waiting for a few months.

NeedAHuggle - Your ferritin is awful...as bad as mine was when I was first found to be anaemic. I was advised to take very high dose iron tablets initially (300mg x2 per day). I think the GP saying to go away and only take OTC iron tablets is likely quite bad advice (unless they are referring to "over the counter" but not "off the shelf" kind of strengths? I'm not in the UK any more, but I do remember that you could generally get better "stuff" at the pharmacy if you were willing to ask for it ) but without further blood test results/levels I really hesitate to advise you to go against your GP.

Can you get your full set of results back from the GP? If they tested your ferritin, you'll have a Hgb result amongst that set, too, I'm sure...

And the question about your pulse is very valid, too. My resting pulse can be ~90bpm when my anaemia is bad!! It improves as my Hgb level does. Guess it's all down to the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood...

I also did have a long spell of numbness and pins and needles in my right arm before any anaemia was diagnosed. That was the reason I went for the drs appointment. That's all fine now.

You can go in and get a full set of blood test results printed off at your surgery (you'll have to pay for photocopying).

The first set of results are general to rule out anything obvious so keep going back until the symptoms are dealt with.

It takes a long time for iron tablets to take effect. You will need to keep going back to be retested. You can take too much at once if really doubling up very big doses, which is dangerous. Having said that, I take a lower dose and can double that up on days when I do a lot of exercise or for certain times in my menstual cycle. (E.g. during/ Just after period).

Pernicious aneamia is low B12. Anaemia is low ferritin. You need to know which one you have.

(Im not a doctor, just aneamic.)

You can get the same Iron tablets I get on prescription over the counter, but you don't just want to be taking normal ones.

How was your thyroid level? Try to get the actual numbers from them, write it down and then come back people can help interpret.

I believe my Thyroid was getting bad for years before it was diagnosed, probably ever since it was last tested.
My anaemia when bad makes it very hard for me to walk up stairs, even if walking on the flat is no problem.

Pernicious anaemia is a really serious condition too - a colleague was diagnosed a while ago and it has been really debilitating - make sure the GP is checking it all properly.

I have very low ferritin levels (I think they were 13 a while ago) but the GP said anything above 9 is normal I stopped taking the iron tablets because they made me so constipated and didn't seem to alter the iron levels significantly, but I did try Floradix for a while which was fine. I am not currently taking anything as I feel OK and manage to do quite a bit of fitness stuff, etc.

Thanks all.
I have pharmacy OTC tablets 200mg x1 per day. I also have fairly low Vit D and was prescribed 1000 x 1 per day. GP said he'll retest next year but said thyroid etc was normal. My referral is to Neurology to be safe, so he isn't sitting on it, although I'm surprised how each GP can interpret the results in different ways - some saying worse, others saying normal.

I am surprised he said come back next year. Are they trying to find out why you are Anaemic? I have had a number of tests to check there was nothing more worrying underlying mine.

How long have you been taking the iron tablets? Do you feel any better?

I would try to get the actual numbers from your GP. As there is a lot of criticism of the Thyroid test and the levels for concern. My numbness was written off as Carpal tunnel syndrome.

I second getting the numbers yourself or a second opinion.
I was told I was fine and to check in a year. However I don't feel fine, so I got another opinion.

I was anaemic and also had thyroid problems both needing medication and now feel great. So glad I got the second opinion!

Yep, thirded! My thyroid condition is the main cause of my aneamia too.

We're still not doctors though. Just because the gp says he'll see you in a year, it doesn't mean you have to suffer in silence until then. Can you see another gp at the same practice?

Hi I am currently waiting for blood test results on my b12 thyroid and iron levels... my last iron count last year was 12.2 which I was told although low was fine..I have had b12 defeciency years ago as I am vegetarian and I had similar symptoms to you so do make sure your b12 has been checked..my symptoms at the moment are palps,extreme tiredness, no energy and dizzyness but no numbness or tingling..doc thinks mine is thyroid or iron levels and as from today has told me to take 1 galfer 305mg tablet a day for 2 mths..hope it works feel like sh*te

Advice needed mums please .
I had my lb June this year . About 6 weeks after I went back on the pill . Up until novembers period I was fine but, during November and now December I have had another mini period two weeks after.
I have currently begun dieting and been under a lot of stress and during both those months I missed my pill for one day .
Could any of these be caused for an irregular period ?
Many thanks xx

Hi - did you ever hear back on this? I have this going on now, and cannot find much on it on the internet. Wanting to know if pins and needs can be iron related. Thank you!

I just wrote a long reply which disappeared instead of posting. Basically....I just had a lot of blood tests after gp said my tingly hands and wrists was most likely carpal tunnel. The blood tests showed very low ferritin levels, but most other results were normal. I've bought over the counter supplements of iron to start before I go back to the Dr next week. So not especially helpful but definitely seems to be a link!

Thank you for the reply. I hear it takes a while to get the iron stores back up, so hoping I’ll feel better in a month or so. Pls keep posted on this chain.

@NeedAHuggle I know this is an old post but did you ever get to the bottom of it?

I have these symptoms with low iron and Vit D. They can’t find anything else wrong with me.