Low iron symptoms

[Olivia37]

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.

Have you tried better you - oral iron - 10 -
With orange juice
Its a spray

Also theres floradix gentle iron liquid
10ml twice a day

15 is not acceptable

Nice guidelines - that Gps are meant to go by - says should be above 30
.
Many females who have periods feel better if its 80 - 100

@worldwidetravel2017 How are you?
Thanks I haven't tried the spray. I had floridix and I just couldn't deal with the taste. I will see if my GP is prepared to prescribe some more ferrous sulphate, he may not as my ferritin is 15, You can buy ferrous sulphate but not sure if I should without medical advice.
I will look at the spray.

I took floradix for a month - made no difference to my feretin number

I have some 30 mg iron tablets on prescription..
Took my 2nd of those today

My feretin is 82
But thats lowest its been in 6 months..
I have regular colonoscopies and polyp removal - i bleed then
I also have CFS .. i feel brighter when my feretin is at least 100

When it was 252 - after iron iv - my mates were like wow you have colour in your face

You absolutely can buy it without a doctor telling you to.

My surgery couldn't get any in at the pharmacy and sent me to boots.

I take 200mg of ferrous sulphate when I need to, it's a few pounds over the counter.

Think you accidently quoted the wrong person

@worldwidetravel2017 sorry! Hopefully it will make sense when people read the thread!

My ferritin is 5 😦. Will the iron tablets bring that back up or just the low haemoglobin?

@Ironlights the iron tablets got my ferritin up very quickly - if you take it properly, no food/caffeinated drinks (including herbal teas due to polyphenols) within 2hrs and with vitamin C to help absorption.

Thank you, I've cut right back on caffeine but struggle not to eat for 2 hours at any time. I'm quite underweight and just eat little and often. The agitated legs thing I definitely get, didn't realise it was related until I read this thread so thank you all.

Mine was down at 4. Main symptom was massive exhaustion and dry skin, hair falling out.
spoke to a dietician who said it should be AT LEAST 50 for menstruating women.
My GP thought heavy periods were the main cause. Taking supplements and eating lots of iron rich food has resulted in much less heavy periods and said dietician echoed that this is the case.
GP never advised the need to avoid caffeine and take supplements with vitamin c, these are crucial.

My GP told me to avoid caffeine/polyphenols and to take the iron with orange juice for the vitamin c. I dont like sweet drinks and so went for the vitamin c tablet.

Something worked as despite heavy menopausal bleeding my levels went from 16 to 70 something in 12 weeks.

I wake at 5 every day so I would take the tablets then with water and then I could have my coffee when I got into the car with the children at 7am

At lowest mine was also 3.
I was cold, unbearably exhausted and had awful mouth ulcers

Cant they give you iron iv ? - iron direct into your arm ?
What did they suggest ?

I need coffee twice a day
With caffeine for my fatty liver / liver fnh

Nothing yet as suspect I've got caught up in Christmas/New Year slow down. Feel pretty dreadful atm, presume you shouldn't try and push yourself too much when feeling like this?

Definitely rest

Talk to 111 if u feel bad - fast to get iron iv in hosp if you end up in a n e / in hosp

Eat iron rich foods - blueberries - dried apricots - peas

Saltana bran cereal - iron rich

your symptoms are so similar to mine. My worry is my symptoms are now one one leg only. Which iron tablets did they prescribe you initially? I feel like shop ones do no good to me.

I was prescribed Ferrous Fumerate 210mg tablets, 1 tablet 3 times a day.

I just googled and it says each tablet is equivalent to 69mg of elemental iron.

The shop bought Feroglobin capsules I take now say they have 17mg of iron and that's once a day, so the prescribed ones were way stronger.

When I went to the docs I had no idea it was iron, I thought I had some sort of nerve problem in my back that was causing problems with my legs. It was so painful!

Nope, nothing for me just further investigations, scan of my ovaries to find the root of it. It will take ages. How am I supposed to carry on till then? I’m beginning to think I have neurological issues.

You may need to take control yourself, take the vitamins and iron.

Sorry you're going through it! I'm currently on my iron journey, being 41, a vegetarian and not getting enough iron in my diet as well as first 2 days of period being heavy. My symptoms (which are improving bit by bit) were excess tiredness, feeling weak, unsteady on feet. A feeling of being drunk without the buzz. Palpitations, cold hands and feet. Having to be careful walking up and down stairs, getting out of breath easily. I'm not on a better diet with more greens, beetroot, vitamin c and taking Floradix twice a day.

Sorry for the spelling mistakes, I typed this too fast lol

Floradix for a month.
Made no difference to my feretin number

Has it changed// improved yours ?