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Original poster

Low iron symptoms

71 replies

Olivia37 · 21/12/2023 21:47

What were your symptoms when you had low iron and how low was your iron levels?

my iron/ ferritin level is 8 and I have weird set of neurological symptoms like very mild-occasional feet cramp, toe cramp and on two occasions tingling feet. It may not be iron related so I thought I would ask you ladies.

OP posts:
fruitbrewhaha · 21/12/2023 21:49

My ferritin was 18 at last test. Mainly very tired, brain fog, lose train of thought a lot, feeling like I’ve been exhumed in the mornings. There’s so many symptoms associated with low iron stores.

DustyLee123 · 21/12/2023 21:52

Palpitations, breathless on walking up the stairs, tingling in my hands and lower arms.

Shopalolic · 21/12/2023 22:00

Terrible brain fog, itchy legs and grumpy

Original poster
Olivia37 · 21/12/2023 22:02

What’s as your level? And how did you recover from it?

OP posts:
thenightsky · 21/12/2023 22:06

DS had it really bad. He was admitted to hospital after me nagging him. He had 2 blood transfusions and a bag of iron.

Symptoms: Palpitations, breathlessness to the extreme, ghost white face, freezing cold extremities and having to sit down due to feeling faint if standing up for more than a few mins. Final straw was collapsing.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 21/12/2023 22:06

Three months ago my iron level was 6, it's currently 16. I take 200mg of ferrous sulphate twice a day.

I was in the doctors so often with symptoms they dismissed as nothing before they did a blood test.

Pains in my legs, sleeping every few hours, headaches and blurred vision.

All of those have gone now my iron is on the way up.

LilacLemur · 21/12/2023 22:15

Craving ice was my weird symptom. I also had restless legs and fatigue

scoobydoo1971 · 21/12/2023 22:48

My ferritin is around 7. It rarely gets over 11, even on treatment. I am on ferritin tablets. My symptoms are feeling cold and sluggish, very tired, skin lacks moisture and lack of appetite. My hair and eyebrows usually give it away as they are brittle and fall out a lot.

Original poster
Olivia37 · 22/12/2023 09:23

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 21/12/2023 22:06

Three months ago my iron level was 6, it's currently 16. I take 200mg of ferrous sulphate twice a day.

I was in the doctors so often with symptoms they dismissed as nothing before they did a blood test.

Pains in my legs, sleeping every few hours, headaches and blurred vision.

All of those have gone now my iron is on the way up.

Glad you are recovering. Did you ever find out what’s was causing low iron?

OP posts:
Notmyrealmum · 22/12/2023 09:27

Mine has been as low as 3. Currently 5. I crave ice and have itchy legs at night. I'm absolutely exhausted all the time, cold and brain fog is terrible.

TedLasto · 22/12/2023 09:30

Restless legs, bone cold, brittle hair, dry skin (cracked fingers), brain fog, very tired

Ironlights · 22/12/2023 09:32

Breathless, exhausted, dizzy, cold and lightheaded.

Ironlights · 22/12/2023 09:32

Oh yes, brain fog definitely

noblegiraffe · 22/12/2023 09:36

Really restless legs when sat down in the evenings, literally couldn't sit still. Shooting nerve pains down my legs when walking. Super tired and napping every evening. Also my nails went a weird shape at the ends. My level was 11. Taking prescribed tablets helped quite quickly, never found out what caused it. Now I just take shop-bought iron tablets.

Sirian · 22/12/2023 21:10

I have coeliac disease so I don’t absorb vitamins very well. My ferritin is 14 and my Vit D is low too. I’m having muscle twitches and pain, pins and needles. The doctor isn’t concerned, says I don’t have any worrying neurological symptoms, neuro examination was normal and so were blood tests. They just gave me iron and Vit D pills. Been taking them for six weeks but not cured.

Ormside · 22/12/2023 21:27

My iron and ferritin are usually in single figures. They only give me iron infusions and blood transfusions when my haemoglobin level drops. The worst I've got to (when they forgot to test my anaemia bloods with my quarterly blood tests), was a Hg of 3 (or 30), iron 1 and Ferritin1. At that level it is imminently life threatening. My symptoms included...
Bone aching tiredness
Out of breath walking up stairs
Metallic taste in my mouth
Restless leg syndrome
PICA, craving ice
Memory and concentration problems, unable to think straight
I needed five units of blood and spent a week in hospital with that one. They said I was very fortunate to still be conscious at that level.

Ironlights · 25/12/2023 00:18

My ferritin is 5, how long does it take to come back up, I'm taking prescription iron tablets now. Felt dreadful. HG was 78

worldwidetravel2017 · 27/12/2023 19:36

Olivia37 · 21/12/2023 21:47

What were your symptoms when you had low iron and how low was your iron levels?

my iron/ ferritin level is 8 and I have weird set of neurological symptoms like very mild-occasional feet cramp, toe cramp and on two occasions tingling feet. It may not be iron related so I thought I would ask you ladies.

Did they not offer you iron iv
With feretin of 8 ?
They did me

worldwidetravel2017 · 27/12/2023 19:38

Daily 4 iron -

  • blue berries
  • iron rich cereal - wheatabix/ saltana bran
  • dried apricots
  • 3 olives
  • peas / broccoli/ kale / spinach

Also good are - kidney beans

  • chick peas
Moveoverdarlin · 27/12/2023 19:41

Back in the summer mine was 3, took iron tablets for 6 weeks and it got up to 8 which is what it is currently. My main symptom is tiredness. I’m constantly exhausted.

Moredarkchocolateplease · 27/12/2023 19:58

Mine was 16 this time last year (local hospital scale was 13-300)

I was feeling faint at work. Wobbling when walking. Breathless exercising.

Got my number up to 76 in three months - one iron tablet and one high strength vitamin c tablet every 48hrs on waking and two hours before consuming anything else.

General advice is that you don't improve any faster taking iron daily as your body can only absorb so much at one time.

worldwidetravel2017 · 28/12/2023 08:02

Iron rich foods help

Derb · 28/12/2023 12:28

Found out my ferritin was low as was tested ba use had bad hair loss. Also got cramps and restless leg syndrome where my legs ache at night time. To get my ferritin up, I take 210mg ferrous fumerate nightly (plus high strength vit c as helps absorbs and stopped me getting tummy ache) and after a year my ferritin 100+ and my hair has stopped shedding and leg symptoms reduced.

I now take one tablet every four nights to maintain ferritin levels.

Allthecatseverywhereallatonce · 28/12/2023 13:15

My ferritin was 6 with a low HB I am on ferrous sulphate once a day for 8 weeks. I didn't realise that is why I had restless legs just thought I was getting old. I was very breathless and dizzy, really unpleasant.
I know that the NHS has a low bar for ferritin so I am worried that I won't get another prescription for iron. I would like to get it above 50 at least, my GP is happy with 30.
Can anyone recommend a good otc iron that is a high dose but also easy on the stomach?

Allthecatseverywhereallatonce · 28/12/2023 13:41

Edit my GP says 15 is acceptable but I just don't feel great at that level.