Iron blood results very low normal- frustrating.

[SilverDragonfly1]

I have nearly all of the symptoms of anemia, but after a blood test the results have come back with ferritin at 20.5 (normal range is 10-300) and folates at 6.2 (range 2-20, so maybe not too bad). I've started taking good quality iron supplements this week- had to wait until after test so as not to skew results- so it'll be a while before I see if it helps.

But- I am so frustrated! I have been so unwell all year, starting with pneumonia and pleurisy over April/May and now I'm deeply tired, can't think clearly, constantly forget what I'm saying, skin is appalling, lost 4kg in 8 weeks from lack of appetite and I really wanted an actual diagnosis so I could understand and tackle what's going on. It's quite upsetting to be left in this limbo after feeling quite hopeful of a solution.

Has anyone else had similar experience?

I have seen that ranges in other countries are narrower and must admit a similar thought to Pumpkin's crossed my mind re the USA and other countries with private healthcare! On the other hand, the NHS ones could be artificially broad to limit the need for treatment. I'd hope not, admittedly...

My doctors have been very good consistently about all sorts of health problems over the years so I am hoping that my symptoms along with the low reading will be taken seriously. I can't go on like this too long, I am meant to be my husband's carer and he is being great but really starting to struggle! I got mild hayfever last week and now coughing, having more breathing trouble etc so I am going to have to insist they do something, whatever that might be.

Got results but HB is not mentioned in those terms. I have hemoglobin
estimation (and I can't get this browser off US spelling check!) of 121 g/L so I guess that would be 12.1 d/l if I'm looking at the right one. Vit D, MCV and MCH are all marked as low, but still within the normal range.

Oh and lymphosyte is 0.9- 'normal' is 1-4

Anyway, doctors far less use than I'd hoped. The GP doesn't feel any of the results are causing the problem and I now have an ECG next week and an NHS Healthcheck, which I can't imagine will cover anything I've not had done numerous times already this year so is presumably just being ticked off the list of possible tests.

She seemed to think it might be related to gallstones and I have an utrasound on sunday for them, so we'll see.

When I was training at medical school, one of the haematology professors told us that normal ranges for Hb and iron in women of child bearing age were unreliable and that many menstruating women are indeed iron deficient. He favoured treating many women in the lower end of the 'normal' range with iron. Just because a high proportion of women are iron deficient should not mean it is regarded as 'normal', or that they should tolerate being anaemic.

Hope you get on treatment that suits you and are feeling more sprightly very soon OP!

Have you had b12 levels tested too? Often a B12 deficiency can have the same symptoms as anaemia.

B12 is pretty good- 479.

I think I'm just going to have to assume it is anemia and behave as such!

Hb levels should be between 120 and 160, so again the low side of normal. Being breathless is also a sign of anaemia!

I am pretty much certain it is tbh. Really, the tests plus the symptoms make it seem unlikely to be anything else! So I am taking my posh Holland and Barratt Iron+C, B12 and Vit D and my husband has bought a giant bag of spinach. I'll still do the tests the doctor wants as well.

So grateful for the help and support.

It took me multiple visits to the doctors and a few rounds of blood tests where ferritin, folate and others were decreasing each time before I was finally diagnosed with iron deficiency anaemia (interestingly with a different doctor that I had not previously seen).
I had been feeling awful for such a long time and was getting progressively worse (unsurprisingly!!) it was getting to the point where I was so exhausted by everything I was in tears and the dizziness and mental fog was horrible. It really does seem that levels need to be ridiculously low here before anyone will do anything.

Hi. I think you might struggle to raise ferritin levels with an OTC supplement. My iron stores were 19 in January this year. I wasn't excessively tired but my hair has been coming out and thinning for two years. I started talking ferrous fumarate two to three times a day and iron stores have now reached 50. I think that I have been low on iron for years and was therefore not experiencing or noticing a lot of the day to day symptoms as I has got used to feeling the way I did.

My ferritin was 30 and I felt terrible. Luckily where I am 30 is borderline and I got an iron transfusion. I find it shocking that the NHS won't automatically give you one if your ferritin is that low and you are pregnant! It takes a long time to raise ferritin with supplements

Sorry OP I realised you aren't pregnant, I was skimming and reading the post where the PP was pregnant with low ferritin But my point still stands - you need a transfusion and in many other countries you would get one!

I'm menopausal sadly mountain so def not pregnant ;)

Waiting can you tell me a bit more about what you take? Did it have to be prescribed?

Hi silver, it's called ferrous fumarate. There are different types of iron supplements and I think this one is the most easily tolerated. I'm on the standard dose and it was prescribed by a GP.

I agree that it's different for different people. I'm permanently anemic, my normal is about 8, it doesn't really get higher, I notice symptoms if it drops lower ... I suddenly get really panicked phone calls to go for iron infusions lol. I've got it about 10 after an infusion but it drops soon after.

Keep taking the iron and hope you feel better soon.