Blood test results iron Extremely low please help

[Thisyearisshit]

I went for a blood test last week as I have been experiencing light headedness / dizziness.
I did put a post the other day as the receptionist rang and said I needed a high dose of folic acid as my level is low. I rang today & asked for a copy of my results. I have found that my ferritin level is 4.
I rang and asked why the doctor has not given me any iron tablets for this as even underneath it says ‘consistent with iron deficiency’
Doctor rang and said yes take iron but just a cheap supermarket one.
I did some research and have bought some ferrous fumarate from boots to take instead.
Am I wrong in suggesting I should ask for a second opinion? I feel this doctor is quite laid back really and has always been when I have encountered her and quite shocked she’s not taking my ferritin level more seriously.

Other results incase they help:
Serum TSH - 0.87
B12 - 525
Folate 3.4

Any help please

Have you ever been identified as having low iron before? If not have there been any recent changes to your diet or anything that could account for a sudden drop. For example have you gone vegetarian/vegan and aren't eating iron rich foods elsewhere?
Or a sudden bout of heavy periods? Given blood?

I have had low iron since I was about 14, at the last count I was 8ish and was prescribed iron tablets, Ferrous Fumarate also. Additionally however I was also asked to provide urine and stool samples so they could check for blood and rule out unidentified internal bleeding. That is with a history of low iron.

If there have been no sudden changes to diet or periods that could explain it, i'd seek a second opinion definitely to try and get to the bottom of why it's so low.

Yes, ask for second opinion. Not sure if over the counter iron will be high enough dose. Also, they should be looking at why.

No reason for the levels to be lower, I have 2 heavy days on my period but it’s not really changed. I also am not vegan/vegetarian but I will admit I haven’t been looking after myself as much, my child was in hospital and I didn’t look after my diet, didn’t eat much, I’m not sure if this would explain it or not.
Not sure about history of iron levels but have been on iron tablets after both my children.
Don’t given blood, can’t as I had a blood transfusion after one of my child’s births.

Wow that is low. Does it say what the reference range for the lab is? Your folate could be low too but, again, it depends on the lab values.
Is there another dr at the practice you could speak to? That would certainly generate a prescription, and follow up blood test to re check levels, at our practice.

Iron causes constipation. You should get some fybogel or dulcoease too.
Also your iron levels boost better if you take double dose every other day rather than daily, take on an empty stomach and take with orange juice as vitamin C increases absorption, avoid eating and drinking tea/coffee for an hour after taking it though.

acpinternist.org/weekly/archives/2017/10/17/2.htm

Lab ranges - 10.00 - 291.00 for iron

5.40 for folate

Also thank you for your advice, really helps. I have taken one so will leave it tomorrow and take double the day after.
I will also ask another doctor to look at my blood results.

Mine was 6 and ferrous fummerate I buy in eBay. I take 210mg but double that if low. Gp advised me to stay on it. Also need to identify cause and check hb levels to see if iron deficiency. I'd ask another gp. That sounds poor advice.

I get iron infusions every 6 weeks .. my iron levels are just slightly lower than yours .. for you to reach 'norma' levels it will take nearly 1 full year with oral iron tablets. ask your GP to refer you for infusions 🌺

That seems mad op. My ferratin keeps going around 15ish and every time my gp phones me urging me to take 3 tablets a day of prescribed iron!!

ladies Im not sure if this helps... but make GP's refused me these infusions... a female GP initiated them immediately ... and the difference is night and day ... she also gave me HRT which other GP's declined to offer me.. but this is just my personal experience ... good luck OP 🌺

• male GP's

🌺

Do you know what your haemaglobin was? Sometimes if that’s normal doctors are less worried (rightly or wrongly) about ferritin levels.

It says :

Haemoglobin estimation 115 lab range 115-165

There’s another one that says
Mean corpusc.haemoglobin 24.1 lab range is 25.60-34.80

All she said was that I wasn’t quite anaemic, didn’t explain anything more than that really.

Thanks everybody for your help, I asked for a second opinion and another doctor has put me on ferrous tablets and follow up bloods in 2-3 months time.

That’s great news. I hope you feel better soon

Make sure you are taking enough. I was only taking 1x a day and checked this a few days ago on the back of your thread. 1 is a maintenance dose. I'm now trying to take 3x and feel better after 3 days. You can buy it without prescription.

www.nhs.uk/medicines/ferrous-fumarate/

Thank you, 2 days later from taking 3 x iron tablets a day I feel like the colour has come back in my life. I’m not exhausted, my head dizzyness has almost gone, I’m absolutely shocked how quickly they have taken effect. Gut feeling is always right, ask for a second opinion if doctors try to fob you off. If I had listened to the first doctor I would still be too weak to drive/look after my kids!!

Same here. I forgot the symptoms and didn't realise why I felt ill still 2 weeks after a bad cold. Headaches, exhaustion, leg cramps, ringing in ears. I felt motivation today for the first time in ages. Day 4 of 3x a day. So I'm glad I posted on here :)

Yay @CottonSock so glad to hear that your feeling much better too!!