When should I see doc again- low ferritin

[Mummyofbananas]

I had a blood test and my ferritin levels were undetectable. I've been taking 3 ferrous fumarate tablets for about 6 weeks now. Some symptoms have improved (less brain fog and no pains in my legs) but other symptoms have got worse. I'm more breathless, exhausted (slept for 10 hours last night and I'm still sleepy), feeling faint and I keep getting chest pains.

I wasn't anaemic but concerned I might be now.

should I wait till I've completed these iron tablets or should I go sooner?

bump- does anyone know? x

^

Did the GP talk to you about what may be causing the low ferritin? My understanding is that it's normally a symptom of something else. Did they look at your B12 too? Have you looked at ways you can increase your iron intake through diet (Google is your friend if you haven't used it already, there's lots of support groups on Facebook etc too).
I would go back to Dr's, esp when it's affected your daily life and if they haven't covered the above with you then go armed with information and questions and request answers.

Hi,
I had a similar situation with a level of 1. My hb level was also low however. The only way my levels were improved were by iron infusions and blood transfusions. I believe ferritin levels are the stored iron and take a long while to replenish, so 6 weeks on ferrous fumerate are unlikley to be long enough for them to improve, secondly if the stores are being used to keep your hb level up, they may not improve.
I would go back to the GP, and ask for printed copies of your blood test results so you can check your hb levels and most importantly the ranges. Your hb level may only just be in range, which may show on paper you are not anemic, but in fact are. The GP needs to be questioning why your ferritin levels are so low.

I'm surprised they gave you medication, my dads levels were similarly low, but not as bad & he had to go to the hospital for infusions.

I'd definitely go back to your doctor, they should be monitoring if tge treatment is working.

I'd also query your B12 levels, have they been tested, what are the results & range. Low iron can be a sign of & mask a B12 deficiency, this will affect Folate & B6 too as B12, Iron, Folate & B6 work together. The low end of range varies around the country too, so you can be diagnosed in one place, with higher levels than someone in another county.

If you google "Tracy Witty B12" you'll find a website with all of the correct information that you need.

Thank you for all your responses!

He said all my other levels were ok i'm sure. I think he said my vitamin d was slightly low but I was in work when they called so didn't take it in fully. I asked for my results but they were never sent.

The doctor was a bit dismissive actually- I mentioned that i'd breastfed and he just wrote it off as that (when I've read up on it I think it's unlikely) and when I asked if that's why I felt so bad he said it's probably more to do with working and having children :S

My diet hasn't been perfect recently but I eat red meat and plenty of food, I don't have heavy periods (they've only just come back since having my youngest). My youngest is only 1 and a half and nothing was ever mentioned after any pregnancy blood tests so it can't have been going on for a very long time, unless they don't check ferritin levels during pregnancy? It was low in my first pregnancy and I took iron then.

In the last two days I've felt very very tired and the ringing in my ears has increased a lot which I know is a sign of anaemia xx

Mummy

Your last post screams of B12 deficiency to me. Mine was missed post birth too & was exasperated by an overdose of gas & air plus pregnancy. Post birth is a common time for it to show up

Go back & see a different GP & Insist on those blood test results, turned out mine was actually diagnosably low at my daughters birth. They even kept me in hospital for it, but just told me anaemia, forgetting to mention it was pernicious anaemia & it was another 14 years before I was diagnosed & treat, which has left me disabled & it put my daughter in a wheelchair until we worked out what was going on & insisted they trial B12 injections on her.

I can't stress enough how important it is that you push for treatment & diagnosis as B12d will be affected by any surgery you might need, dental work, antibiotics & so on making it all gradually worse. Your diagnosis will making your DCs diagnosis easier to obtain too.

Unfortunately there is a HUGE amount of ignorance around B12 deficiency & too many doctors don't have a clue & the bad ones arrogantly think they do anyway & get it badly wrong. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia by a doctor who told me it was a mental disorder for middle aged women who couldn't cope with getting old I actually had PA & EDS which is linked.

If you live in an area with a lower low end B12 range, you might actually be low according to NICE Guidelines (200, which should be treat urgently) & yet still be dismissed. There are Facebook groups with tens of thousands of others, mostly women who have been misdiagnosed or missed completely & their symptoms ignored

This link has all the information in one place & the photo I will add, is from the NHS page on B12 deficiency & is what my DD was diagnosed with. The blood tests are often wrong & should be ignored in favour of symptoms.

They do need to properly treat your ferritin deficiency though too as B12 uses it to make healthy blood cells to heal your symptoms

www.b12deficiency.info/signs-and-symptoms/

This link explains it all

This is from the NHS page on B12 deficiency...

Oh & tinnitus is a neurological symptom

Thank you very much that's so helpful! Funnily when I was in labour I hallucinated on the gas and air and when I googled that some people say that's a vitb deficiency although I'm not sure how true that is. I'll definitely make another appointment, think I'll make it with a female doctor this time xx

Funnily when I was in labour I hallucinated on the gas and air

So did I !!

Plus numbness & tingling in limbs, which had the midwife panicking & taking the G&A off me. G&A inactivates B12 in your body, this is why this happens & this is dangerous fir anyone with low B12 or struggles to metabolise it

Thank you I'll definitely look into that xx

You've mentioned chest pains. If that is something that's not been evaluated with an ecg then that needs looking into tonight if it is happening today.

I had a feritin level of 4 earlier this year...it took me about 3.5 months of 3 x tablets per day to reach a level of 40.

I don't have a period either and GP asked if I was vegan.

I would keep going with the tablets a bit longer, ensure you drink orange juice with them to help with absorption and iron rich foods. The symptoms did ease off especially the breathlessness.

Thanks you @wineandsunshine did your doctor arrange to check your levels again or did you ask? Were you anaemic? Xx

Yes he requested a repeat blood test as so low - no not anaemic. Felt so bad though!!