Dizziness - Ferritin level 4

[Ginsodden]

Just looking for some advice as GP not really interested.

For the last week I have had constant lightheadedness with frequent dizzy spells. It’s affected work, can’t focus and I haven’t felt safe to drive. Have felt tired for some time before this, worse around my heavy periods.

Anyway, asked for a blood test on Monday and got results today. GP says I’m not anaemic as iron levels an haemoglobin normal, but my Ferritin is a little low and my B12. Ferritin is 4 and B12 is 174, folate is 44. Vitamin D is low at 42. He has prescribed ferrous sulphate and told me to come back in 6 weeks if I still feel unwell.

Felt a bit dismissed really and he didn’t seem to believe low ferritin would make me feel unwell. Later googling seems to indicate this is a very low level and ferrous sulphate may not cut it, or may take months to have any impact.

I really don’t want to go on feeling like this and I need to work and drive the kids around. Should I just wait and see if it improves or ask for a second opinion? Anyone else experienced this.

Thanks for reading.

When I was a teenager my ferritin use to be around 3. All they would do was send me off with iron tablets that I didn't always take. No wonder why I did so badly in my gcse. No-one ever mentioned iron transfusion to me.

Thank you for your helpful information. I am going to drop in to see my specialist on Tuesday when I go to see my pain specialist. Hopefully they will book me an in-office visit. I think getting only telephone doctors visitvid not helpful to my current health status either.
Thanks again!
Sandra

My ferritin is 5 and I feel like crap most days. I can’t tolerate iron as I have IBS. My gp knows this but just doesn’t take it seriously. I don’t understand why so many doctors don’t see it as an issue when it causes so many awful symptoms.

Take it seriously. I am armed with a bunch of data from reputable medical sites now and am going to bring it with me tomorrow to my specialists office. Go to emergency if not getting anywhere at physicians office.