Low ferritin, normal hemoglobin but terrible symptoms.

[Wilburbug]

Hello,

I have been on iron for 4 weeks for ferritin levels of 4. However my hemoglobin was in the low side but within normal. Unfortunately I also have bad health anxiety. My main, and most upsetting symptom has been extreme breathlessness. My usual dog walks have me now gasping and the smallest amount of exertion makes me breathless and my heart pounds. My Dr said that my low ferritin alone shouldn't cause such breathlessness. Now I can stop thinking my breathlessness has another, more serious cause and could even be a cardiac issue.

My question is, has anyone else experienced breathlessness with low ferritin and normal hemoglobin?

Yes, although my ferritin wasn’t as low as yours. I’ve had a quick Google and it is a known symptom of low ferritin:
www.healthline.com/health/ferritin#purpose

Yes, mine was down to 5. Breathlessness, exhaustion and hair loss were my main symptoms. HG levels were fine.
I thought breathlessness was a standard symptom.

Thanks for both your prompt replies, and reassurance. I thought breathlessness was a symptom too but the more I looked it was only listed with low ferritin and low hemoglobin and hardly at all for ferritin alone. I had felt better thinking my breathlessness was hopefully fixable with iron tablets, but the Dr thought it wouldn't be so bad if my hemoglobin was okay. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Hi love I suffered TERRIBLY with this shit still do occasionally ( heavy periods is my issue ) okie dokie iron tablets are to be taken 2 hours either side of tea/coffee there's a compound in there that leeches the iron out of your body...( and some foods also ) vitamin c will boost irons absorption by quite a large amount! What are your b12 levels like? I WAS Breathless/pale/hairloss miserable and exhausted 😩

My ferritin was 9 or 10 if I remember correctly, and I was slightly breathless and completely exhausted. Some days I could barely get out of bed.

My B12 and everything else was good, or in the normal range at least. I have been really strict with my supplements -take them first thing on an empty stomach with a large vitC supplement, no breakfast for 1-2 hours after. I have 1-2 cups of tea a day and nowhere near my supplement time. Thank you for your advice. I am so exhausted and definitely miserable. I can be patient and just keep taking my iron as long as I know my symptoms are what is expected. Was your hemoglobin level okay?

My periods aren't too heavy so we think it is probably diet. I suspect im rubbish at absorbing iron too.

You are the first person I've told that already knew about the tea,/coffee lol 😆 all my levels was on the floor even my b12, ferritine was 9! Fumrate was my favourite iron x3 a day it took me 3 months to lift symptoms horrible illness which people think is a minor inconvenience it's actually horrendous!!

Yes, absolutely I did. My ferritin was around 2 as far as I remember (this was because of extremely heavy periods). I felt faint and breathless just trying to go up the stairs. Going for even a small walk was impossible. It was awful. I hope you get it sorted out soon. It took a long time and I'd almost normalised it, but the difference now is like night and day. However, there's no harm in going and asking for more advice if you're worried.

I am exhausted and breathless at ferritin 14 and haemoglobin in normal range (137). I feel terrible, I have to sleep for a few hours in the afternoon. Technically my ferritin is in normal range, my gp only reluctantly prescribed a high iron dose after very heavy bleeding for 28 days on the trot (that was also awful!)

Same heavy periods so it's an ongoing battle and no medication has worked for me.

My GP was tosh i started buying the iron otc ferritin needs to be at 50 to keep the hair in your head I lost 30% of my hair!

BowlOfNoodles it turned out I had fibroids, I'd had no idea. The bleeding was unbelievable. I hope something helps soon. It was quite hard to get help and be taken seriously. (All that helped really was my periods stopped, menopause!)

It can take months to get your iron store levels up. You can buy ferrous fumerate at the pharmacy otc.

I'm pleased it's calmed down for you that will be my big benefit of going through the change and dude to this thread I'm going to get more iron today I've noticed I've been taking naps again and cancelling plans x

Yes, I think it is cheaper to buy the ferrous fumerate over the counter than to get a prescription. It probably will make you constipated, but annoyingly bran can hinder absorbtion. I think if you take it with vitamin C it is better absorbed. Prunes can be good!

Have you been investigated for celiac disease? Guy I know has recently been diagnosed... his main symptoms were fatigue/exhaustion. It impedes nutrient absorption in the intestines. You don't always get pains in the gut as the prominent symptom. Ask your doctor, and in the mean time you need to continue to eat bread/gluten as normal in order for it to show up on the test.

Vitamin c most definitely helped me a small glass of oj was better than a pill of vitamin c ( yeeeears of experiments lol )

Wilburbug the low ferritin levels may very well be making your health anxiety worse too. I felt deeply depressed and anxious when mine was so low, it affects everything.

Celiac disease too, as DogandMog suggests, would be worth investigating.

Low ferritin (under 50 in women) can cause exactly the same symptoms as anaemia (including breathlessness) so your doctor is talking rubbish.

Yes I went from being able to run for 2 hours to getting breathless walking upstairs, my feritin was 24 so nowhere near as low as yours. Palpitations, breathless, air hunger, and terrible health anxiety. It's been 6 months of iron tablets and vit b but now my symptoms are almost completely gone.

I'm watching this with interest, as I've been having investigations for breathlessness since lockdown, and my life has been seriously impacted. I can't get exercise, so I've gained weight, I am all but housebound, and it's miserable. My heart and lungs are fine. My oxygen saturation is low, and drops alarmingly on exertion.

My ferritin levels are 24, and that's with supplementation, but haemoglobin is normal at 27.

I've just had a blood screen, and will speak to my GP next week about the results. I wonder about asking for iron transfusions, but I know the NHS isn't keen, and technically 24 is a 'borderline' result. I also wonder about increasing my ferritin supplement dosage, which would be simpler, but I don't know if that would be dangerous. I'm taking (prescription) Ferrous Sulphate 200mg a day.

Honestly go for the fumarate over the counter with an orange for absorption

Thanks. I've ordered some with added B12 and Vit C. Do I continue with the Ferritin?

Most definitely continue but don't make my mistake of not maintaining it once you feel better

Thanks. I should get the fumerate tomorrow and will start taking it straight away.