Does anyone know anything about ferritin levels?

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I've had bloods recently as I've been tired, hair thinning, generally feeling awful and run down. Suspected low iron but Gp said all normal.
I've had a look at the actual numbers on NHS app and my ferritin level is 39ug/L when the normal range is listed as 15-300. So I'm assuming although I'm in the normal range I'm in the lower end and could still benefit from an iron supplement or is that not how it works? All GP will say it's it's normal so doesn't matter.

I've just looked that up. Is it worth the price? And how quickly do you feel a difference compared with tablets?

I'm sick of feeling so exhausted!

If heavy periods are causing low iron you need to get that sorted too. My periods were terrible but tranexamic acid has been a game changer for me. At a ferritin level of 14 my hair was thinning and I was exhausted. After starting tranexamic acid during my periods and taking iron supplements for a few months my ferritin was back up to 70. As a bonus I had manageable periods for the first time in my life

Yep, you need the good stuff from the pharmacist. I couldn’t get any sense out of my GP as to what I should take when I had a ferritin level of 13. Pharmacist said to start ferrous sulphate 200mg twice a day for a month until I could get GP advice. I then dropped down to once a day. GP said more recent evidence suggested taking it on alternate days could be as effective.

But definitely speak to them about your periods as well. My GP was clear there were options around that, even though I’d never thought of mine as being particularly heavy.

When mine is at the lower end of the scale like yours I feel awful and take ferrous fumarate until it's at the upper end of the scale.
I mean really awful, unable to get up the stairs.
I take an over the counter iron pill all the time.

def up your iron intake a bit, I’m pretty sure you’ll feel better for it
is not a quick fix though, my ferritin has gone from 40 to about 65 since the beginning of the year through daily ferrous fumarate- gonna switch to sulphate and take every other day I think to see if that helps.

I feel a bit better for it, my hair doesn’t (yet) though. Plenty on the internet says you need to aim for 80+ ferritin

Ps GPs are useless at anything ferritin related

Hahah, my ferritin was 8, my old GP kindly and generously prescribed me three months of iron tablets which brought it up to 14, he then considered me cured and ready for day to day life.

Mine was 5 and I felt like death. Up to 54 now but took a year, an iron infusion, a blood transfusion and mega doses of iron to get it even to there. It's awful, debilitating and not taken anything like seriously enough.

I had ferritin of 4 and had no symptoms at all! Then a few months later I had a virus and became unwell with breathlessness. Nearly better now but ferritin still only 13. Reading these threads it is confusing. I take prescription iron everyday

Yes, mine said just take an over the counter supplement. No dose given or anything.
Righto so another 6 .months of feeling like death then.

Just go to pharmacy and buy ferrous sulphate. You don't need a prescription.

I order ferrous fumerate on line, cheap and quick

I'm heading into town on wednesday so I'll speak to the pharmacist then and see what they can give me

I did get my thyroid function tested for too to
the poster who asked, it says normal
but just had a look at the numbers and one looks slightly high.

Your thyroid results are normal. If your coldness (and other symptoms) was due to hypothyroidism you would expect your TSH to be above the range (above 5) and your T4 to be below the range (less than 7.9). Hopefully all the good advice you have been given about Ferritin will have you feeling better soon.

Thanks for that! I normally
dont even look at the numbers and just take the “normal” at face value

Mine was 7 and I felt generally crap but nothing too terrible. That was 10 years ago and my iron is still a bit low but not worryingly so. I've taken ferrous sulphate on and off over the years for a few months as I'm vegetarian. I don't feel that different on it tbh, defo less irritable but that's about it. Then again I also recently got diagnosed with hypothyroidism so lack of energy etc. could be due to that.

I've changed my diet massively as I don't want to rely on the tablets, so lots of tofu, chickpeas and leafy veg for me nowadays. I tolerate ferrous sulphate really well so I have no issue with side effects or anything I just worry it's rough on the stomach long-term.