Ferritin level is 7.8 and I feel atrocious, help!

[Avad]

Can't remember what my hb was, but it warranted further testing and my ferritin came back at 7.8 which the GP wanted to try to correct through diet. Fast forward a week and I feel atrocious, in bed by 7pm, no energy, lack of concentration, muscles don't want to work etc. Back to the surgery and saw a different GP who was surprised that nothing had been done and has put me on ferrous sulphate 200mg x3 daily and said it'll be 3 months before my blood cells are all renewed, but surely I will feel better earlier than that?? I can't carry on another day like this never mind 3 months Already had to take time off work this week.

Anything else i can do to help it along faster?

Combine your ferrous sulphate prescription with regular amounts of vitamin C-rich foods and drinks. Vitamin C helps the body absorb more of the iron but the body cannot store surplus Vitamin C. If you take a vitamin C supplement make sure it is the kind that releases a little bit at a time over the course of a day. And foods like kiwifruit, oranges and cranberry juice should be consumed several times a day (every time you take your tablets) to keep your levels topped up naturally.

By contrast, caffeinated drinks can limit absorption of iron into the body. So avoid all coffee, tea, cola drinks & things like Red Bull for the time being.

I think mine was like that after I had DD (I had a PPH) and it came up really quickly with the tablets..a week or two and I felt better

Well I don't take milk/dairy or caffeine, so good on those two counts. I eat really well, nothing processed, all fresh and natural, red meat about 3x a week, eggs, nuts, green veg (esp spinach) a lot, will up the vit c stuff (assume in juice form is ok?)

Fanjo, I can't imagine feeling like I am now and trying to function re work and homelife for another 2 days never mind two weeks

I don't think I felt as bad as you , as my levels weren't low for a long time before I got the tablets though, so it might take a bit longer..at least you can know with every tablet they will get a wee bit higher and you will be heading towards feeling better

I don't mean it will take longer than 2 weeks. I don't know how long it will take of course, you might bounce back really quickly, its only when levels get to a really low level you feel bad, so they don't have to go back to normal to feel better, if you know what I mean.

as in you could feel miles better at level of 90 even though that's still low.

I know what you mean fanjo lol

I don't actually know what the normal range for this kind of thing is, so if 7.8 is just a bit low or bloody hell low.

I think it is pretty low.

My levels are 14 which is good for me to be honest , went down to single figures once felt dizzy , pulps , and lack concertration to .

i actually feel like that around my period to .(very heavy flow)

i take tesco iron 14mg a day now to try keep toped up , but i dont think i will ever be really high ...

and have taken spatone thats a natural iron , but only 5mg per sachet i thiink and im not sure if you can or should take 2 .

These tablets are 600mg a day so I think that spatone etc would be uneccessary.I have really light periods so that can't be a contributing factor. GP thinks it's the way my body pocesses/absorbs it (or doesn't)

I have googled trying to find the ideal level but can't find anything much.

My son was really low on iron when he was 2 years old, and as he reacted badly to the ferrum, we had to rectify through diet alone, with only a general vitamin with iron supplement.

In this time period, I made scrambled eggs from 3 egg yolks and one white, with whole meal bread and orange juice for supper. He snacked on redcurrants sprinkled with sugar (high in iron AND vitamin c), he had green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach with his dinners. We made lamb kebabs with brown rice, he ate beef, I made beef bolognaise where wholemeal spaghetti cooked (rather than separate) in the meat sauce to soak up the juices from the beef, we had tacos with cucumber and tomatoe, and minced beef, we had home made chicken goujons (ok, not much iron at all in chicken, but he liked it). He has baked beans, which is rich in iron, with frankfurters and egg, etc. Every meal he ate was thought through with regards to build his iron reserves. He drank fresh orange juice with every meal. Etc.

Just try and make sure you stay away from milk and youghurts as the calcium inhibits the uptake of iron, whereas vitamin c (as already mentioned) helps.

He too felt dreadful and had no energy, so I sympathise with how you feel.

avad have had similar issues with bad iron absorption (tablets don't work for me either0 and can relate to how you are feeling now - have been there (I think my ferritin was around 6).

In the end I was offered iron infusions in hospital as I just don't absorb it well through food or tablets. The infusion was basically a drip straight into my bloodstream. Was a bit odd (the liquid itself is extremely cold) but didn't hurt or anything. I have it done once a week for 3 weeks every year to two years and that keeps me really well topped up for now. May be worth asking doctor about that if you don't absorb the iron well.

I've been investigated for underlying causes as have v. light periods too, and so far the best they've come up with is that I don't re-cycle or absorb iron efficiently so lose it quite quickly from my system.

Hope you feel better soon!

I can't imgine how a 2yo would be feeling like this poor thing, must have been a long long road - how is he now QS?

30something, I wasn't aware that you could get infusions of iron, will definitely ask about it if it turns out these tablets aren;t doing the job.

Have been reading up about horrid side effects from the iron tabs and am taking it slowly with just one tablet a day for a few days, then will up it slowly. Taken my first one with orange juice after eating and also had oj with my meal tonight(minced beef and onions) missing the cup of (decaff black) tea though

here is a website I can thoroughly recommend www.cytoplan.co.uk they sell food state vegetarian supplements, I have found them to be fantastic, very reasonable in price and prompt delivery.

Also ensure you are having plenty of fibre as ferrous sulphate can cause constipation.

He is fine now, Avad, thanks for asking. It was a long road, as he had no apetite. However, he responded quickly to the diet change, but he did not have any issues with iron uptake.
He developed the deficency after a 3 month trip to India, where he first lost his apetite due to the malaria profylactics, then got a local viral flu which knocked him for six. I was lucky if I managed to feed him half a slice of white bread, and a couple of grapes in a day! 3 months on hardly any food had dire consequences in such a young child.

He is 8 now, and has both had an appendectomy and a tonsillectomy, and only really regained any kind of apetite 2 years ago, after his tonsillectomy. He is a very slender little boy, but with massive amounts of energy, he loves skiing, football and tae kwon do. A massive change from the small boy who would not do any other activity than sitting still and doing puzzles.

It was horrible though, he would get out of bed, bounce with energy like only an enthusiastic 2 year old can, run a few meters, and slink down in a heap on the floor, and say nothing at all.

I hope you feel better soon!

I should add, the ferrous sulphate gave him stomach cramps and watery black stools. So I guess it might work differently on different people.

I am pregnant, and have very low iron levels, am taking 600mg iron a day. Spatone (which had helped before) made no difference this time. I feel knackered all the time (that could be being 33 weeks pg with 2 under 4s though!).

The iron tablets have given me alternating constipation and watery poos - warning they are shockingly black!

I have been trying to up my vit c, and have been drinking tons of water (they also make me headachey).

As regards avoiding milk, does anyone know if it would be the same with soya milk, which I usually have on cereal etc?

Floradix is good. Liquid supplement and natural ingredients.

hazyjane, I think it is the calcium that inhibits iron uptake, so if there is any calcium in soya milk, then I suppose yes?

My ferritin level was 5 in March and I felt atrocious too. Chest pains, shortness of breath, depressed, ill, exhausted. I couldn't manage 3 tablets a day because they make me feel bad, but took one a day, which I didn't think would make a difference quick enough. But within about 10 days I started to turn the corner. Blood test 2 weeks ago and my ferritin is on the way up (13) - doc pleased, although I will have to keep on the tablets for a while as she wants to see it at around 30 at least. You need the tablets - the other stuff like spatone, floradix etc is probably ok for maintenance when your ferritin is back to normal, but when it's that low you need to take the tablets really. You will feel better soon, in the mean time look at your diet too, and rest as much as you can.

Also, has the underlying reason for this been discovered? For me it is heavy periods, which also need addressing.

I sympathise - I felt bloody awful.

Hi all,

Don't actually feel too bad today, muscles still achy and am still irritable and not concentratey, but not the crushing fatigue of previous days.

No underlying cause as yet, no heavy periods or suspicion of internal bleeding - I guess the reason the GP wanted me to try out simply diet first was to see if my diet was a problem? (It's not, I eat uber healthily) Due back in 3 weeks to see them again and will ask what they think has caused it. It's the first time it's ever happened (am late 30s) so it is somewhat out of the blue.

Already sick of OJ with my meals so have dispatched the husband to Boots in his lunch hour to see if they have any slow release vit c, if not some normal vit c and will just take each time I take the iron tablets - I think I read once you can't od on Vit c?!

No poo problems to report as yet!

My ferritin was about 7 when i was tested a couple of years ago, 3 months of taking iron tablets religiously (600mg ferrous sulphate), avoiding tea and coffee whilst taken them, drinking orange juice, generally trying to eat healthily having black poo! and constipation from time to time and my ferritin got to ...9

Did stool samples to check for internal bleeding, had a coeliac test to check that wasn't the reason for not absorbing correctly but didn't show up anything although i do have fairly heavy periods but they weren't concerned with that.

I carried on taking tablets sporadically but side effects of constipation got worse, then I moved house and new doctors never test for ferritin so I don't bother taking anything.

Maybe your GP will refer you to a heamatologist.

haematologist