Ferritin level 3 - help me to understand please!

[rageagainstbing]

I've had low iron levels for years and years but on the recommendation of the blood donation centre I had my levels checked as I didn't meet the criteria.

Earlier in the year my ferritin was 4, 2 weeks ago it was down to 3 although apparently my iron levels are up although under the minimum they'd expect.

I've been taking liquid iron as the tablets cause stomach issues like they do for most people I know. I've improved my diet and am actively eating more iron rich foods.

My dr, although lovely, doesn't seem too concerned about this, as my iron levels are up I shouldn't worry about the ferritin. I've tried to research but surely this should be improving? I asked if there was anything I could do to see why this was so low but he said something about me being female and having periods.

He's going to ask haematology if I'm a candidate for an infusion but his tone didn't sound like I would be.

I'm not sure what else to do! I feel rotten and am constantly out of breath and having dizzy spells.

When my levels were picked up my ferritin was less than 5, from what I understand, ferritin is your body's stores of iron, so you can have 'normal' levels in the blood but almost no stores. If your levels in your blood are now rising, maybe you will start to store iron again.

I'm not an expert and I'm sure someone will be along with a much better insight for you, but I didn't want to read and run.

Low ferritin can cause horrible symptoms (ferritin below 50 in women) similar to anaemia and make you feel terrible. I know when my ferritin is under 30 I feel really awful. It can also take a really long time to raise. You definitely need to be on more than the liquid iron; there's not much iron in it. Try iron bisglycinate, it's gentler in the stomach. Take three times a day with 500mg of vitamin c to aid absorption and counteract the constipation. You need to split doses as your body can only absorb so much iron at a time.

If that doesn't suit, I have raised my ferritin (albeit very very slowly) taking active iron - 4 tablets a day (again with vitamin c split into two doses). But it's very expensive.

With your ferritin as low as it is and not raising us push for the iron infusion personally.

Thanks both. It's a relief to hear that others have felt awful with low levels. It did feel a bit like I was told that because I had periods I'd have to take the consequences and just keep taking something that isn't really improving my health. They aren't even all that heavy really

I know I'm meant to be tired. I have 2 small kids, work and have a DP that is constantly ill but not this tired. Plus I'm active enough to not be so unfit that I'm out of breath climbing the stairs.

I'll push for the infusions as hopefully that would give me a decent starting point to work with and try to maintain my health. I've asked for a prescription for iron, no idea what I'll get but I'll try anything, I do take it currently with vitamin c so I'll keep on with that.

Thanks again

If you're not a candidate for the an iron infusion, I don't know who is, that ferritin is crazy low! Push for it, you'll feel so much better. As already mentioned, ferritin is your back up storage of iron, so that'll likely be the last thing to increase, after the serum iron. You'll be taking liquid iron until the cows come home, it'll have barely any impact, as the dose tends to be v low. Are you a meat eater? If possible, get some red meat in your diet, as it's the most readily absorbed form of iron. Liver is excellent, if you're willing to eat it!

That’s appalling, OP. It should be taken seriously, but often isn’t in the UK. If you get no where with the NHS, you can get an infusion privately if you can afford it. Obviously you shouldn’t have to.

A level of 3 is definitely below the reference range and also below the NHS's arbitrary cut off point for non iron deficiency anaemia, which was 22 the last time I checked.

Your level needs to be somewhere in the middle of the reference range for good health. If your GP won't play ball, ask for a referral to Haematology and go armed with the NICE guidelines and anything you can find online that is specific to your local area.

Trying to fix this orally will take years and will always be two steps forward, one step back. Go for broke.

Good luck

Have you tried different types of tablets as people tolerate different ones differently. So something like ferrous fumerate rather than ferrous sulphate.

You're all making me feel a lot less mad than I was earlier, thank you!

When I was last pregnant my levels were low although not as low as this. The midwife prescribed the sulphate ones but I still struggled with the side effects.

I had a celiac test a few years ago for similar reasons when already gluten free so that obviously didn't give much info. My iron was on the floor then too. I was in a constant migraine and the only thing that helped was removing gluten but I've since reintroduced it after the migraines stopped. I do wonder if I have an intolerance that's just stopping me absorbing enough but that was shot down too so no test offered. Maybe I'll cut it out again and see if there's any improvement.

I had an awful day last week where I was too giddy to walk and my heart rate was fast. My migraines used to be hemiplegic and my leg had stopped working properly as though I was having an attack although no other signs of it. My OH was going to ring 111, I kind of wish I'd agreed to it now, maybe there wouldn't have been these hoops to jump through.

I'm rambling, sorry!

My ferritin was 0 when I was diagnosed with fibroids, it's slowly creeping up but god I felt (well still feel) awful but they won't give me an infusion.

I'm currently on day 10 of a mega period filled with clots and flooding, so as quickly as I get it in me it comes back out, and my gynae consultant basically said there's nothing obviously wrong and just to deal with it

It's so frustrating, I'm sure if I had a problem with my penis they'd keep trying to find a solution but they seem to think that anything connected with periods should just be dealt with 🤬

They need to look into why it’s so low- mine wasn’t detectable and I was subsequently found to have coeliac disease

I know the feeling princess, periods seem to be a get out for a lot of things don't they? I really hope they do something for you. Zero is terrible!

Coeliac is definitely something I'd like looking at. I might be way off the mark but I'd love to know for sure before I cut it out of my diet again. Did it take them a long time to pin point it?

It’s a blood test for coeliac so def get it checked out. I ended up v ill and in hospital before I got diagnosed

I was diagnosed with low ferritin. I felt really unwell. I was put on medication and it went back up. Now I’m feeling grotty again so it’s back to the drs for me.

My ferritin is very low and I cannot tolerate iron tablets so I have a monthly iron injection at my GP’s surgery.