Ferritin

[Rainbow1612]

I have all the symptoms of low iron.

A recent blood test shows a serum ferritin level of 101.0

Is this low?

I had bloods done recently - the bloods said between 15 and 150 so I don’t believe so .

My last one was 27.

What symptoms do you have?

A ferritin of 101 is well within the normal range.

Mine is as low as 6 - on iron tablets 101 is not low at all

it needs interpreting by the person who ordered it and can see the rest of the results/your history etc. A ferritin that high usually reflects normal iron stores, but that's not always the case and that's why results can't just be interpreted in isolation.

Slight chest pain and palpitations, shortness of breath, headaches, very tired, generally feeling unwell.

Gp suggested low iron, haven't yet discussed results with him.

You can have normal ferritin (which your reading is) and still have anemia. You need to check your other blood results with you Dr.

Hope you get it sorted soon and start to feel better

Did they do a full blood count and check haemoglobin?
Also worth testing thyroid and nutrition?
Low vit d, b12 and folate can cause symptoms that you have.

Full blood count
Haemoglobin concentration 141 g/L [117.0 - 149.0]
Total white blood count 8.1 109/L [4.3 - 11.2]
Platelet count - observation 299 109/L [150.0 - 400.0]
Red blood cell count 4.90 1012/L [3.85 - 5.15]
Mean cell volume 90.0 fL [81.0 - 97.0]
Haematocrit 0.440 [0.347 - 0.445]
Mean cell haemoglobin level 28.8 pg [26.9 - 33.0]
Mean cell haemoglobin concentration 320 g/L [320.0 - 359.0]
Neutrophil count 4.72 109/L [2.1 - 7.4]
Lymphocyte count 2.56 109/L [1.0 - 3.6]
Monocyte count - observation 0.55 109/L [0.3 - 1.0]
Eosinophil count - observation 0.22 109/L [0.02 - 0.5]
Basophil count 0.04 109/L [0.02 - 0.1]

Blood haematinic levels
Serum vitamin B12 level 626 ng/L [197.0 - 771.0]; B12 levels are often lower in pregnancy and therefore
need careful clinical interpretation in such scenarios.
Suggest discuss with the consultant haematologist if
further advice is required.
Serum folate level 3.4 ug/L [2.0 - 18.7]
Serum ferritin level 101.0 ug/L [20.0 - 130.0]

Serum total 25-hydroxy vitamin D level 87 nmol/L; Vitamin D:
Levels <25 nmol/L suggest deficiency.
Levels between 25 and 50 nmol/L suggest insufficiency.

My Ferritin levels were a 4 x

Chat GPT suggests the following

Thanks for sharing the full blood results alongside the symptoms — that helps a lot.

Summary of your blood test results:
All full blood count (FBC) parameters are within normal range.
Vitamin B12: Normal.
Folate: On the lower end but still within normal limits.
Ferritin: Good — suggests your iron stores are fine.
Vitamin D: Sufficient.
So, nothing in the bloods is screaming a clear cause, but let’s connect this with your symptoms:

Your symptoms:
Slight chest pain and palpitations
Shortness of breath
Headaches
Fatigue
Feeling generally unwell

Bloods say:
No signs of anemia, infection, or vitamin deficiency.
Red and white cells are behaving normally.
No inflammatory markers here, but if you're still feeling bad, CRP or ESR might be worth checking too (they’re not in this list).
Possible next steps/thoughts:
Cardiovascular: Even with normal bloods, heart-related causes can’t be ruled out. If the chest pain, palpitations, or shortness of breath are ongoing, an ECG, echocardiogram, or Holter monitor would be useful. Sometimes, mild myocarditis or arrhythmias can cause these symptoms without showing anything abnormal in basic bloods.
Thyroid function: Not included in your labs — hyperthyroidism can cause palpitations, fatigue, and general unwellness. Definitely worth checking TSH, free T4, and T3 if not already done.
Anxiety / stress response: These symptoms can all appear in anxiety disorders or during times of chronic stress, even if you don’t feel mentally overwhelmed. That said, it’s a diagnosis of exclusion — rule out physical causes first.
Post-viral fatigue or Long COVID: If you’ve had a virus recently (even if mild), these symptoms could be part of a lingering post-viral syndrome, which can affect energy, breathing, and more.
Bottom line:
Bloods are reassuring, but they don’t explain your symptoms.
Worth pushing for further testing — particularly thyroid, ECG/heart rhythm, and possibly a chest X-ray or lung function test depending on how your shortness of breath feels.