low iron

[hazeyjane]

Saw Dr last week about having stupidly itchy skin for months. She referred for blood test to check liver function. Left a message on my phone today saying test fine apart from low iron (she said level is 7 and should be in 20s) - and to pick up a prescription for iron tablets and see if they agree with me.

I don't have heavy periods so am not sure what else could cause iron to be low (is 7 low low?) I had iron tablets when I had ds and know they gave me headaches and constipation - any tips to try and avoid these side effects?

I have no idea but would love to see responses as im having same problem!

Wow op that is low. Did they say what your ferritin levels were? Ferritin is your stored iron level.

If your periods are okay and you haven't recently been pregnant I would push to find the cause of the blood loss, usually bowel related.

from personal experience the tablets have fairly awful side effects, nausea and diarrhoea alternating with constipation. I did not find liquid iron eased these symptoms.

For me dealing with the cause of bleeding and eating a diet rich in iron and vitamin c sorted my levels.

Typical meals were black pudding and baked beans, lentil Dahl, chicken liver pate. With vitamin c fruit/vege and tablets.

Hope you feel better soon op.

My only knowledge of this sort of thing is based on a DC with unexplained low iron levels and it turned out he was Coeliac - low iron because he wasn't absorbing iron from food (Coeliac disease flattens the villii of the small intestine, hence malabsorption). So yes, look at bowel/gut issues as a possibility. There are probably hundreds of other possibilities, though.

Thankyou.

I think I'd better ring the gp tomorrow, I have been feeling knackered but put this down to having 3 kids, working, studying for a college course and being up half the night with a disabled son (god I'm so knackered).

I get a bit of health anxiety so would like to get to the bottom of why I am suddenly so low, otherwise it will just gnaw at me.

I have ordered a load of iron rich foods in the shopping order, I'm going to stick spinach in everything!

Noonewilleverknow - hope you get some answers too!