Will treating iron deficiency help me lose weight?

[Tootiredallthetime]

I’ve been struggling with low iron since having children 5 years ago. Over this time I’ve developed a long list of health problems including insomnia, 2 stone weight gain, restless legs/ sore muscles, tinnitus, headaches / migraines with aura, dizziness and vertigo (also cosmetic issues like flaky nails, hair falling out). My memory is very poor and I have to work very hard processing information. I also have PCOS.

I’ve been taking prescription 300mg iron for years, every few days because I can’t stomach daily. Plus the liquid spatone and well woman which has iron. I have had an incredibly healthy diet this last year (wholegrain lowish carbs/ I avoid ultra processed food, plentiful veg/fruit red meat and fatty fish, olive oil, full fat dairy, limit sugar, calories 1600-2000 per day).

Despite the oral supplements and healthy diet, I continue to have low iron and many symptoms of iron deficiency. My GP has finally conceded that I am unable to absorb oral iron, so he has referred me for an iron infusion (which I have to partly pay for).

My question is, will the infusion work for which symptoms and will it help with weight loss? I’m struggling to find evidence as weight gain is not one of the symptoms on NHS website. I know it sounds vain, but I’m obese and really depressed about it and desperate to lose weight. Of course I hope it will help with the other symptoms, which I’m sort of used to now so bother me less than the weight which I can’t get used to (I know that sounds ridiculous but I’ve just kind of accepted them and can’t remember what it’s like to feel normal!)

I don’t think boosting your iron will directly lead to weight loss. But if your other symptoms improve you may have more energy and mental clarity to continue with your weight loss plan.

Has your doctor investigated other reasons why you may have low iron? I’m going for a scan today because I also have very low iron (and have for many reasons) and my Dr wants to check there isn’t any internal bleeding etc.

What you are eating now looks good and healthy. Do you do any exercise, walking?

Just to add I’m about a stone overweight but don’t feel it’s my low iron that has caused this.

But weight gain could be an accumulative side affect from your other symptoms.

Thanks @GingerFoxInAT0phat and sorry that you’re also suffering with low iron. No my GP hasn’t investigated the cause, but hopefully the iron clinic will? If not, I will ask. I hope you get to the bottom of your iron loss.

For me, I think it was growing the babies in my womb that took my iron stores and I’ve not been able to get them back because I can’t absorb iron orally.

The rationale for the inability to lose weight is that your fat cells are not getting enough oxygen for your metabolism to work effectively, it makes sense but I can’t find sufficient evidence.

Yes I exercise daily, pretty active. I walk for 45 mins a day. I do 2x HIIt classes a week but struggle to breathe and have tinnitus afterwards. I also do a core class.

Just to add, if your body has a lack of iron, your body has to prioritise where it takes oxygen to. So that is why you get cold extremities because the oxygen is not reaching these parts of your body (organs are priority). May also extend to metabolism- it’s not a priority to use oxygen to burn fat. I don’t know if the scientific evidence is there to prove this hypothesis.

Insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality most definitely impacts on weight, and iron deficient anemia reduces sleep quality.

Sorting out your anemia should improve your sleep which should make it easier to lose weight and make you feel better generally.

Drs usually do an endoscopy in my experience to rule out bleeding if you have chronically low iron. Not sure why your GP hasn’t? Hope the iron infusion sorts you out.

Thank you, yes I’m praying that the infusion works to get rid of most of my symptoms- and that they’re not caused by something else!

I will ask the clinic Dr about the endoscopy and push for it on NHS if he thinks it’s needed. But I suspect it was caused by the children and then my gut’s inabilty to build back the iron stores with oral supplementation. I’ve been getting very high doses of iron and it’s not helped to bring my iron levels up.

I should specify, I’ve been taking 300mg of of ferritin, so that about 60mg of iron. 300mg of iron would be an overdose level!

Even in the worst case scenario that you are bleeding internally the infusion should help in the short term - but yes its something that should be investigated rather than your GP just guessing!

Chrones and ulcerative colitis can cause ongoing chronic internal bleeding in the intestine and do need addressing before scaring becomes a problem.

I am very anaemic and have been for sometime, I have all the symptoms you have. I, too can’t stomach the tablets so am really struggling. Unfortunately my hospital has refused infusions (even though my ferritin is only 4!) but I am having a uterine ablation this week so hoping I can build up my levels from there. I don’t think optimum iron levels in itself will contribute to weight loss but if you are anything like me just walking up the stairs whacks me out so hopefully once levels are up it will give us more energy to exercise and give us more motivation to be active. Hope the infusions help you, low iron is absolutely horrible.

My grandmother had chrons disease

My other grandmother died of diviticulitis

My mother and brother both have IBS. I have frequent bouts of diarrhoea which has been investigated over the years and I’ve been told everything is normal and no problem. Never had an internal investigation though.

Oh and the grandmother with chrons died from it (burst bowl and infection)

One was early 40s, the other in her 70s

Honestly it might well do. I was anaemic for most of my adult life until I had endometrial ablation in September 2020. Since then my weight has dropped off and stayed off - my appetite is much smaller than than it was so I eat what I like, I’m physically fitter than ive ever been and my crippling anxiety has pretty much vanished. It’s been the absolute best thing I’ve ever done.

I’ve spoken to my doctor about the fact that I felt I wasted my worst years feeling awful
Because the NHS’s existence to prescribe treatment that doesn’t work and makes you feel awful in other ways.

Sorry I have just read that you are already very active.

You should definitely push for a gastroenterologist appointment. After my iron came back so low I was referred for a gastroscope and colonoscopy.

I meant to write I’ve had low iron for many years not many reasons

Hopefully the iron clinic can give you more answers. When are you due the infusion?

Tbh I thought low iron was something everybody had, it was only when I went to Drs because I was struggling to breathe and was told it was probably down to the low iron that I actually started taking the tablets. (Numpty)

Definitely push for the scan, even just to rule it out.

@RedPandaWanda oh wow, it sounds like you are really suffering. My iron has never been that low and I’m not anemic. It’s always under 30 and lowest has been 10, but GP agrees that because I’m symptomatic and have inflammation it’s a problem for me to have iron under 30. It’s got up to 27 but that’s when I’m taking tablets religiously (which affects my stomach). Yes I’m pretty active

I have a senior job which I make work through sheer grit to be honest. I don’t know how I manage to carry on ... I’m hanging onto life with my (very weak!) fingernails!!

Have you been tested for other things eg pernicious anaemia and thyroid problems? Especially as you have a family history of autoimmune disease.

@flaunch wow thanks for sharing your story, that gives me hope! That’s amazing and I’m starting to feel I’ve wasted my best years too. Interestingly I’ve had severe depression and suicidal thoughts....no trauma or anything in my life... could this be iron related? I’m starting to think quite a lot of my GP visits in recent years have been connected to low iron/ gastro issues and they haven’t connected the dots!

@piglet81 what are auto immune diseases please?

I’ve not been tested for anything beyond the basic bloods, which continue to pick up low ferritin/ iron. I’m just prescribed more iron tablets and sent on my way. Get retested again when I’m feeling crap. Rinse and repeat.

I’m in England so using NHS. As I said I’ve been referred to a private iron clinic.

The only thing that will lose your body fat is if your metabolism is given access to your fat stores. The only way this can happen is if you eat a diet low enough in carbs that you do not produce insulin in quantities high enough to continue to store fat in the cells. Once you have depleted your sugar stores in your blood and then your liver, your body will start to mine your stored fat for sugar and energy.
Raising or lowering your overall iron levels won't affect the above.

You have a lot of symptoms that often leave in the face of an elimination diet like the lion diet for example.

@piglet81 just checked blood results and yes, was tested for thyroid. I’m in normal range.

Can’t see anything about pernicious anemia although I’m having another blood test tomorrow requested by iron clinic so I imagine that’s included among other things (the form specifies B12 for example).

I did have dysentery when young (abroad) and was hospitalised for a week. I was very sick. Could this be related?

@GingerFoxInAT0phat thank you I will push for the scan. Oh my goodness, I also struggle with breathlessness - is that iron too? I was told by GP it was asthma and take an inhaler. No tests or anything and they’ve never called me to an asthma clinic in years. I struggle with breathing when exercising- and it brings on tinnitus.

I never see the same GP twice and they only want to discuss one thing at a time. So I guess that’s why the dots haven’t been connected.

@Tootiredallthetime I’m not a medic, but basically autoimmune diseases are when your body attacks itself (helpful!), including things like Crohn’s disease, MS, lupus, thyroid disorders etc. I have an underactive thyroid and you’ve mentioned several of the symptoms (hair loss, fatigue, weight gain, tinnitus…). Apparently autoimmune diseases tend to cluster in patients and families.

You mentioned thyroid results being in the normal range but unfortunately people often do get fobbed off with ‘normal’ but not optimal results. If you have the actual results and reference ranges I find theHealthUnlocked forums very helpful and informative.

Hope the iron infusions do help, in the meantime. It must be miserable feeling so ill.

@FlapsInTheWind yes I’m aware of the science behind the Keto diet and have been following a Mediterranean diet for ages, not lost a single pound. It’s clear my problem is medical related and that going on a strict Keto diet is not going to help in my case - and might even make me very unwell.