Low feretin * below 30 - ask 4 a Qfit test

[worldwidetravel2017]

I hear of So many females- a few of my friends included
With low feretin

Drs seem so quick to prescribe iron tablets - often just saying ' periods -

And many times not looking 4 the cause..

As someone that was luckily given a Qfit test last year - ( my mums dad died of bowel cancer in his early 50s ) - my feretin was 8 - no blood was visible to me but 2x qfit tests showed positive results - positive as in bleeding..

Urgent colonoscopy ( many thanks to the NHS) - many bowel polyps removed - told what they found isnt common / normal 4 my age ( im under 38) ....

6 months later - another colonoscopy - more polyps

Currently awaiting the next soon colonoscopy

And im on colon checking / colonoscopies very often for the rest of my life...

One of my friends last year - very tired - told her to get feretin checked- she did - feretin under 30 - given iron tablets - no offer of qfit test...

3 of my female friends are on iron tablets

Do ask 4 a Qfit test

You can also buy them online

I - like many others - feel the colonoscopy screening age should be lowered
And - qfit test s / poop tests offered more often when females have very low feretin

If this post encourages / helps / alerts one person - im happy....

Also _ those with ibs - dont just think ah its ibs , air on the side of caution - do a quick qfit test

Many thanks for reading

Not sure why you keep going on about blueberries and peas.

The RDA of iron for premenopausal women is 18 mg/day

100g of blueberries contains 0.7mg of iron.

You’d have to eat 2.6kg of blueberries a day if I’ve done my maths right just to meet the RDA. And you need way more than the RDA to increase your iron levels when they’re low.

Peas are a little better as 100g contains 1.5mg iron, but that’s still 1.2kg of peas a day just to meet the RDA of iron.

@worldwidetravel2017 yes they did a upper gastroscopy at the same time. There's a slight hiatus hernia that they think I got while I was pregnant but otherwise nothing. Everything else on my bloods is also low. I take supplements and do all the things I'm meant to, I just don't seem to be able to maintain any great level of anything.

I don't feel terrible, but also maybe I do and I'm just used to it 🤷🏼‍♀️

My ferritin has been down to 7 - a combo of autoimmune disease (my name gives that one away), lifetime of heavy periods and childbirth according to the consultant I saw.

I have top of the range haemoglobin. Looks like a few of you have had low ferritin dismissed for same reason ie you're not anaemic.

Low ferritin but normal haemoglobin = Iron Deficiency Without Anaemia (IDWA).

Do NOT be dismissed by GP - root cause should be investigated but it is common in women for reasons above. It can be a battle getting infusion with IDWA on NHS though and I had to go private. Now I monitor it and will take Ferrous Fumarate to top up if it falls too much.

Finally - taking 3 x 210mg ferrous fumarate per day is apparently a waste of time as you can only absorb a certain amount of iron in a 24hr period - so one a day max - this will also minimise any unpleasant side effects. For those of you with ferritin of 5 or similar this regime will take months to get you up to a good level (>70). See the Iron Clinic London website for more info.

You can buy your dose and higher over the counter. Probably for cheaper than prescription cost too, depending on how many the GP gives you at a time/presuming you don't get free prescriptions.

I'm lucky I don't get any side affects on that dose. I don't really feel any better though so you could well be right re absorption. Thank you re the Iron Clinic reference, I'm going to push for an infusion on the NHS and go privately if they just say wait.

If my qfit test hadnt been done - and my polyps hadnt been found - things could of been v different - & i still have colon cancer screening regularly 4 life now - im under 40

This thread is helping raise awareness and encourage some people to ask 4 a Qfit which im very glad about. I was v lucky my gp offered one. The more than know - the better - colon cancer can be very quiet.

Its rare 4 females to have their full recommended iron in take - given how high it is.
A consultant told me last summer that 4 in 10 go round with low feretin - without knowing. The removal of polyps saves lives.
Qfit tests play a role in saving lives.

Iron rich foods help.

I wish you well.

As someone that had multiple colonoscopies and multiple gastroscopies and multiple qfit tests last yr - im doing my bit

One of my parents lost a parent young 2 colon cancer too

Exactly.

Dont be dismissed by gp folks

Do ask them to help you look 4 the root cause

Have they ever considered malabsorbtion issues for you ?

Also those keeping an eye on and getting fererin tested - good to ask 4 b12 and vit d test too

A year ago - i waa low on all 3 @ the same time - i felt horrendous..
Got vit d up over a 9 month period - it now sits near 100 and i feel better 4 that ..

I take 2000 iu vit d a day - game changer

@worldwidetravel2017 “Iron rich foods help”

yes iron rich foods do help. Blueberries and peas are not iron rich, that was the whole point of my post.

Mine was 11 in November- I feel fine in myself. I had been on ppi and have bad acid reflux - was taking ferrous fumerate but it causes reflux (ffs!) so now am trying w the iron rich food. Taking iron doesn’t agree w me anyway really.
i did have Fit test about 18 months ago, but low absorption is prob from ppi and not having a rich iron diet. I’ll see what my mr t bloods say.

Glad you had a qfit test

Do ask 4 another if you feel the need / if feretin stays low

Thanks for this thread OP.

I have ferritin of 5. Doctor has taken me off HRT so she can do FSH level tests over the next few weeks and see if can change HRT to one that will stop my monthly bleeds. She thinks it's periods causing the low iron.
But I will look into that qfit test - no one has ever mentioned polyps to me as a possibility.

Glad your guna look into a Qfit test

Im.so glad they found mine when they did and i know theres others like me

@worldwidetravel2017 yes they mentioned it but never followed anything through. I think unless you're lying on the floor unable to move they assume you can crack on.

Its so wrong that they dont offer qfits more often / easily