Ferritin level 6

[bobbleb]

My ferritin has been at 6 for a few months. HB lowest point of normal. I'm trying to increase it by taking iron but the iron gives me the most unbearable cramps and upset stomach.
I feel constantly unwell and fatigued. I'm currently on liquid iron but the side affects are just as bad.
I wonder what the threshold is for an infusion as each time I get my period I just feel horrendous.
Any wisdom or advice please?

Anyone?

Eat beef liver. Delicous sauteed in butter with onions and mushrooms.
An excellent source of bioavailable iron and b12.

Mine was at 5 and I was referred for two iron infusions, however, I was pregnant. Do you have private healthcare through work at all? As I know most providers will cover infusions. They made a huge difference overnight for me.

It might be worth joining the iron protocol group on Facebook aswell. Good luck

Apparently they don’t fund iron infusions anymore.

I was on 6 but struggling with iron tablets making me sick. Pharmacist gave me a different type and they’re so much better for me. Instead of ferrous fumerate I now take ferrous glucanate.

Thank you. I'm now on the third kind of iron. They all give me unbearable stomach cramps. It's agony. This then makes me stop taking.
Why don't they fund a treatment that's necessary? I could pay privately but don't think that's fair.

I used Galfer Ferrous Fumarate from Boots. It's behind the counter only.

When mine was 8 i was offeres iron iv

That took mine to 252

Felt amazing for a week - the best id felt in a year
.then positive qfit test - urgent colonoscopy
& 6 months of urgent referals that are still on going including mris

Its important that they find the cause - rather than just maybe treat the symptons

Are you vegetarian?

Do yoy eat fortified cereals - blue berries - kale - peas etc often?

They did a gastroscopy ( 2 actually)
To check my stomach as they wanted to check there was not a bleed anywhere

I took ferrous fumerate every other day and it worked very quickly. Could you try just twice a week or even once a week? Plus iron-rich foods.
You do obviously need to sort out the cause as pp said.

Are you on Facebook? I always recommend The Iron Protocol group as they have lots of info about low ferritin and how to treat with different types of iron. My ferritin was low and I started ferrous fumarate with high strength Vitamin C and have minimal side effects. The guides on the group will give you further info. There's lots of posters who are a bit obsessed though so I'd join, get the info and then leave if you find it annoying.

Thank you all for your help. Trying to get as much via my diet as possible. We historically have eaten minimal red meat but have scrapped that and yes to leafy greens and pulses.

The FB group sounds like it might be helpful if it's not too scary.

I am so so fatigued and foggy headed. I cried at the dinner table tonight as feel so awful. Dreading another period as feel like it will just wipe me out further.

If you can fund a private infusion, just bite the bullet & do it. I did & it brought my levels up very well for the past couple of years.

Obviously, I know this is different for everyone, but I was on iron (only one tablet a day) due to anaemia and I got diarrhoea and painful stomach from it. I persevered and after about 5 weeks of taking them every day without fail, my body kind of got used to them. I don't get a bad stomach anymore. But notice if I forget for a few weeks then go back on then.

I’ve had some tests results and my ferritin is 18 but the normal range is 10 to 291 according to the range on the results
18 therefore sounds very low although GP says as it’s in normal range it’s fine …

I think anything above 15 is classed as normal. I am still at 6. Hopefully will be referred for an infusion soon.

Just saw your thread OP- which was started 7mths ago. If you have been taking prescribed iron that entire time, I'd be very concerned about where you are losing blood from! Do you have heavy periods? Are they checking you aren't losing blood from your bowel or elsewhere? I say prescribed meds, because some people think they can swap a high dose iron supplement with say spatone, floradix etc. I can't recall the actual stats, but its something like 20x less than a prescribed dose, which is to correct a deficient. Whereas they are for maintenance, when someone isn't already deficient.

Many years ago my ferritin was 2. I felt dreadful, but did a huge amount of research into anaemia/diet etc. Are you taking your meds with Vit C rich foods? Glass of orange juice or food containing peppers? Never take your meds with tannin rich food, because it depletes the absorption of iron. I cut red wine, tea and anything high in tannins- not just when taking the meds but the till I was recovered. I'm not vegetarian, but ate more red meat and things I'd previously hated like liver. Lambs liver I found mild, and when cooked with onion/bacon/mash and gravy, its helps to hide the taste. Pigs offal of any sort is very strong, so avoid!

I hope you start feeling better soon, but I would be pushing for more testing and asking again about an infusion.

You are very kind to reply @JC03745 . Thank you. I cannot tolerate any oral iron. I have taken small amounts in fits and starts and I have tried multiple kinds. Unfortunately they all upset my stomach very severely.
I have very heavy periods. I am so weary with it that I am not sleeping or eating super well anymore (had tried to improve through my diet) which probably exacerbates things. I drink quite a lot of tea. My GP has said that she will consider referring me for an infusion and I am speaking to her next week.

Mine was also 6, got it to 14 on two months.
Ferrodyn from Amz
iron every second day on empty stomach, first thing.
on iron days - no diary, no tannins
So far so good. Kefir and tinned grapefruit every non-iron dat to keep things moving
good luck! X

Have you ever tried a haem iron supplement? It's the form found in meat, and is the only thing that doesn't give me awful cramps and diarrhoea - I've previously tried iron sulphate, fumerate, bisglycinate, floradix, spatone - couldn't tolerate any of them.

Hopefully you'll get referred for an infusion though!

I have very heavy periods Is this new or always been the case? What investigations have you had for this? Have you tried hormonal contraceptives like the mini pill to reduce this or tranexamic acid?

I forgot to say that spirulina can be a good supplement to help your iron levels too. Its a blue/green algae and comes in a powder form or compressed into tablets. Its not as strong as prescribed iron supplements, but if you can't tolerate them, maybe alternating or adding in spirulina can help.

Pay for a private iron infusion, doesn't matter whether you should be able to get it on the NHS, if you can't you can't. I'd then get a mirena coil fitted to stop the bleeding. You will feel like a new person within about 3 weeks.

I hope you can get an infusion bobbleb my level was at 4, so I got two infusions a week apart and level shot up to 233 and I'm feeling so much better.

That's ridiculously low and it will take a year or two to get that up through nutrition, and it will be impossible if you then lose it each moth with your period. Just pay for the private infusion. I went to the Iron Clinic in Harley St, who were amazing, and I got my life back.

Did you manage to keep your level up after your infusion?

I got tranexamic acid for heavy periods, my ferritin is at 6 when I was last tested a couple months ago. Tranexamic acid has really lessened the bleeding and I am hoping with that and supplementation I can improve it.