How to resolve anemia/low ferritin - been unwell for over a year now

[TATFT]

I have been feeling awful for over a year. I am horribly fatigued and have a number of unpleasant symptoms that I suspect are anemia related (palpitations, feeling cold, breathlessness, brain fog.) Blood tests a year ago showed low haemoglobin and low haematocrit (and low but just above cut off point ferritin.) I had some tests and found a bleeding ulcer. Thats now healed and I was prescribed iron tablets. But despite the tablets, I just haven't recovered. I am still so horribly fatigued. I recently asked for more bloods as a result, and this time my ferritin is low and the other 2 borderline. I have been taking iron tablets for most of the past year. The GP just prescribes more and says my iron etc levels "...are not that low." But I feel awful. Really awful! I haven't worked in a year, Im living off savings and my partners goodwill, I have no life because I have no energy to do anything. Can anyone advise on what I could do next? No one seems to believe how awful I feel.

What Iron are you taking? Mine was 26 and GP said was fine despite lots of hair loss, restless leg syndrome, fatigue etc. I went to a private dermatologist about my hair and she said that ferritin way too low. Just for hair loss alone it should be min 100. Got mine up by taking 210mg ferrous fumerate daily (2 tablets daily initially) along with vit c as helps it absorb and stops stomach pains.

Once my levels improved my hair stopped falling and growing back and my legs were better. Recently tested again as same symptoms appeared and I'm low again after reducing iron to every third day because my levels were good. I have heavy periods so think that must be why. Hope this helps.

@Powderblue1 Oh bugger, yes my hair has been falling out too now you mention it. And my ferritin is same as yours funnily enough! Im glad you got your levels up, I never seem to get them up more than a few points, and before I know it they're down again. Im menopausal and periods have stopped this last year so cant even blame that any more! Think I'll try 2 tablets a day like youve been doing x

Are you taking omeprazole for your ulcer? I think iron needs stomach acid for absorption. I’ve just started taking Better You spray iron which is absorbed in your mouth (you spray it into your mouth), so I think it bypasses the stomach. I’m no expert, but I’m guessing that might help for people taking omeprazole (which I am).

@Mustardfan Ah yes I am taking omeprazole so thats interesting, thanks x

Iron needs to be taken with a source of vitamin c for better absorption. Something like a small glass of Orange juice.
could you get an iron infusion or pay privately for one?
If your iron levels are not going up this needs to be investigated. Maybe you need to go back to GP and be a bit more pushy.

If you're on Facebook join the Iron Protocol group. Read the guides (needs to be on a pc I think). It will tell you how much iron you should be taking. It's probably a lot more than you have been. I got my ferritin from 4 (felt like death), to 39 (feeling pretty good).

Omeprazole made me very anemic, I’ve had to stop taking it

Mine is 11. I'm currently pregnant and keep being told it's borderline low but I don't need to take any thing? Is this why I'm so tired?

Those sound like low b12 issues. Often low iron and low b12 goes hand in hand. Ask for blood tests if you haven’t already. Don’t take b12 tablets until you’ve had blood tests as they can create falsely misleading results. The nhs has a stupidly low pass level however. You can get b12 injections without prescription in some health clinics or self inject if your levels are not low enough for nhs treatment.

Following with interest, I feel shocking most of the time - fatigue that I just can't explain, achy, brain fog.
Iron levels were checked and "OK" apparently, but I have no idea what they were..

It might not be the only reason, but yes. It's very frustrating that GP's aren't better about low iron. Ferritin under 30 is considered deficient by NICE but many areas still have refernce scales that say under 12 is, which is probably why your GP says "borderline".
Optimum levels are much higher.
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anaemia-iron-deficiency/diagnosis/investigations/

And here's a link to the Iron Protocol website that another poster mentioned
https://theironprotocol.com/

How long was ypu on ppi before it made you anaemic