Help! Ferritin of 6 but not anaemic. Feel like a shadow of my former self :(

[TheBananaFaceOfEvil]

I nearly passed out in a meeting at work two weeks ago. I went to the GP and had a blood test, which showed my ferritin is 6, but my blood count is normal.

I feel terrible. I'm absolutely exhausted. I can't concentrate on anything. I have a permanent headache. I'm dizzy and I get palpitations and feel short of breath just walking up my own stairs. I'm having crazy mood swings. My hands and feet are freezing cold.

All classic anaemia symptoms AFAIK, but GP says I'm not anaemic (because blood count okay) so it's not that. They've prescribed iron tablets but only one a day and they're not doing follow-up blood tests to see if they're bringing the ferritin up. (I've actually been taking two a day, but they don't seem to be making much difference.) They just say my ferritin's a bit low, but it's really common in women

What can I do? I've already had a week off work, and I've been working from home all week this week, but I've barely got anything done because I feel like I'm in a fog. I'm trying to up iron in my diet, take the iron pills with fruit juice, don't drink tea or coffee.

Has this happened to anyone else? How long did it take to feel normal again?

Mine was 5, Hb almost normal, was referred to local hospital and given a transfusion on a day ward. I felt better within a few days, maybe a week. I can't take oral iron but it would have taken much more than a week to feel better again on oral iron. Insist on a transfusion.

You can't insist on an iron infusion from your GP. They can only be ordered by a consultant (at least in our PCT no idea if its a national thing)

INfusions in my experience take effect within two days - iron tablet can take a fw months BUT infusions carry a high (ish) risk of anaphalactic shock (hence doing them in hosptial) and are obviously much more expensive (even with newer drugs which can be infused within and hour or two.

I've had a reaction to an infusion once - it really isn't pleasant and if iron tablets are a possibility then personally I'd chose those if I could. They also give you a shot of antihistamine and steroids (from memory) to minimise the risk of anaphylactic shock which really wipes me out for the day.

My ferritin was undetectable despite taking 600mg of ferrous sulphate a day. GP referred to Gastro for iron injections, Gastro did an endoscopy and discovered I have Coeliac Disease. Blood test for this was normal, and I had no other symptoms. Been gluten free since Christmas and my ferritin is now 5.

I spent months just being tested every month before I asked GP if weighing a pig made it fatter? He said in the past he'd have just done iron injections in the surgery but it wasn't allowed anymore. Gastro said that they needed to find the cause rather than just treat the problem. All in all it took from March (first fainting session, rather gracefully in front of 30 teenagers!) till Christmas to get anywhere. I still feel rough but at least my ferritin is going in the right direction.

Keep pushing for answers, they'll fob you off with iron pills if they can, even if they don't work.

I also had low iron after my daughter, if you want to consider foods so that are very high in iron;
liver
beetroot is very high and very good for you, super food
spinach
dark chocolate
dark green veg, squeeze fresh lemon (vit c) which helps you absorb iron
Hope you feel better soon, your iron will go up, it normally takes around 3 months to show, but do ask for another blood test in 3 months just to put your own mind at rest, even if the doctor says you don't need it. x
Don't take too many iron tablets though as they can effect the lining of your stomach, I would stick one a day as doctor recommended.
Also our iron levels tend to fluctuate as we have periods so i think the average in uk is surprisingly low between 13-20 for most women. x

Hi Banana, I'm also not anaemic, but have a ferritin level of 7 (tested last week) and feel dreadful. No headache, but exhaustion, achey legs, swollen lower legs/ankles, hair falling out and mood swings. Also a bit teary which I never am usually. But coping OK with work (just go straight to bed when I get home in the evening).

My GP has put me on 2 x 35mg ferrous fumerate daily, and I have a sachet of Spatone too, with juice. Haven't had any tummy issues from the ff, thankfully. I'm hoping the pills will kick in fairly quickly as life is very dull at the moment and I have no energy for anything but work.

Given your work situation I would go back to the GP. I'd also ask if you can take Spatone as well as the pills you're on - it is absorbed more quickly by the body and might give you a bit of a boost. Hope you feel better soon.

Also, do you know WHY your ferritin is so low? Mine is due to v heavy periods, and I had an ablation about 6 weeks ago to hopefully fix. So at least I know the cause of the low ferritin has been dealt with.

I had a mirena fitted to help with heavy periods due to continually low ferritin.

I had been borderline for years and nothing was done, was told I was fine, I suffered.
One day I came home from work and just cried and cried. My body was exhausted. My bones ached. My chest ached. I had lost lots of hair. My ferritin was 3. Was sent away with some iron pills, no mention of a transfusion.
It wasn't until I did some research I realised how important ferritin is. I truely believe GPs aren't aware of its importance

Just been to GP. My ferritin is now up to 6. It was 3 at the last check. My haemoglobin is 11.

I feel absolutely awful mentally with it. I am struggling so much at work.

Just spotted an error in my post above - I'm on 2 x 350mg a day, not 2 x 35mg!!

Equiem, are you feeling better now? How long did it take?

My last blood test was a couple of months ago, it was at 40. This has taken a few years.
What frustrated me was my GP refused to refer me on to see what was causing the loss. My periods weren't heavy, I am not a veggie I ate lots of iron rich foods etc.
Because I was tired all the time I got used to the tiredness and didn't realise how bad I actually was. It became usual for me to sleep for 4-5 hours every Saturday and Sunday during the day. What upset me the most was losing my hair. My GP (male) really was an arsehole about this, he said low ferritin didn't cause hair loss and to stop stressing about because that would cause my hair to fall out! He also said that what I had read on the Internet about low ferritin and hair loss was published by supplement companies trying to make money. I left the doctors in tears.
It's now slowly creeping up by itself, I don't take anything more than a multi vitamin, I had to stop giving blood, I wish I could but I need it more.

Sorry purple I didn't really answer your question.
I still get tired, sometimes very tired. I'm actually going to the GP next Monday because I want my thyroid checked.
My hair still isn't back to its pre low ferritin thickness and my nails aren't great either, have to use acrylics to get any length on them.
I am a gym member but I haven't been for ages because I feel wiped out aftewards. Walking up stairs makes my legs ache.
I am much better compared to what I was. I am quite fair so naturally pale but when my ferritin was low I was grey. I look much healthier now.