Does iron deficiency anaemia explain why I feel like I could collapse with exhaustion?

[Candycoatedwaterdrops]

Recently found out I have iron deficiency anaemia. My haemoglobin is 90 g/L. Does this explain why I feel I need to drag my limbs everywhere and can barely hold my head up by the end of the day? I’ve been started on iron (a month ago) but don’t feel better. I feel too tired to work, aaarghh.

In a word, yes. I couldn't even do the washing up and felt like I'd been hit by a toon of bricks at my worse. Have they looked at why you're deficient? It's important to look at the root cause, look at your diet if you haven't already to include iron rich food. Did they check your b12 and any other deficiencies too? There's lots of support groups on Facebook/online too.

Extreme tiredness and iron deficiency can also be signs of Coeliac's Disease. So worth checking your symptoms with Coeliac UK.

isitcoeliacdisease.org.uk/overview

Yes. My MIL described me as 'someone who' s had the plug pulled out of them' and I'm only just anaemic. We literally don't have enough oxygen in our bodies.

Yes. It also feels a lot like clinical depression.

I find Spatone gets me out fastest with least digestive trouble. Plus lots of steak and green veg along with citrus fruits.

If I get severely anaemic it takes me a good six weeks of intense iron loading to get me back to normal. It's something to do with the limitations of bone marrow regeneration if I recall correctly.

Nowadays I eat a lot of red meat and veg as well as taking Spatone daily. Am not coeliac luckily.

Yes. Mine was 65 and in hindsight I was going at about half speed doing everything, couldn’t climb the stairs without being out of breath and lots of other symptoms I explained away as being age-related. I’ve been on iron tablets for a month and I feel noticeably better - nowhere near 100% yet, but improving.

Are you being monitored to check your level is coming back up? I’m on fortnightly blood tests with the promise of a transfusion if it’s not rising as fast as they would like. The cause has been identified and a plan is in place to fix it so that it should stay up at normal levels once it gets there. Are they looking in to what’s caused it for you?

Cottontail - yes, depression and anxiety here too. Terrible that it can have such a huge impact both mentally and physically.

This was me last year! Blood tear showed ferritin levels of < 5 units, should be over 5 units (can’t remember what the units are). GP put me on iron suplements for 3 months, before sending me for a second blood test. He told me that the lifecycle of a red blood cell is 3 months, so no point in doing another test sooner. Second blood test showed much improved levels, which showed that I was absorbing iron, I just was not eating enough.

Yes. Make sure it's sorted.
Mine was left for 12 months to drag on - I had another major health problem and it's only because of this the shocked hospital sorted me out. I went in for an iron infusion a couple of weeks back and am now on a course of B12 injections and soon folic acid. Mine is because of fibroids and heavy bleeding. I was told by the original doctor to wait until the menopause and it should improve. I'm 37.

Ask for your ferritin (sp?) B12 and folic acid to be checked as well and make sure they follow up on it - have you been put on iron tablets? I cannot tolerate them - as a lot of people can't hence the infusion but I think it's the best way to get it 'jump started' so to speak.

My symptoms are pica (addiction to ice) breathlessness, dizziness, unable to concentrate and generally feeling like I've been run over. Trouble is you get used to it and just carry on.

Oh god I'm vegan with an appalling diet.ive felt ill for years,run down ,low mood ,just yuk...I am a bad bad advert for a vegan..I must get some sparton.i remember having to take iron tablets every time I was pregnant

Oh Greyhound turns out fibroids is what I’ve got too. My anaemia has crept up on me over a number of years and I absolutely just dismissed it as age-related/peri-menopausal stuff and carried on but looking back now, I’ve had textbook symptoms all that time. Still, getting sorted now.