What were your symptoms of low iron?

[Sparkles556]

I’m 37+1 and for the past couple of weeks I literally have no energy whatsoever. I’m finding it hard to get out of bed and get dressed and I feel as if could fall asleep stood up. I just feel crappy in general. I did have low iron with DS and was put on tablets but that was over 4 years ago and I can’t really remember how I felt. Or could it just be the fact I’m heavily pregnant?

Craving for steak! Coat a fortune but DH was thrilled!

You'll need a blood test to check. I can tell when my iron is getting really low because I have to rest going up a flight of stairs and get heart palpitations.

But mostly low iron symptoms are really vague.

@CrocodileFondue I don’t like steak but I have had urges to eat washing powder although I think that has more to do with the fact I’m just a weirdo

@physicskate ok thank you I’ll see if I can get a blood test when I see the midwife on Monday

Complete exhaustion and fatigue

Should have said "cost" not coat! Silly fat fingers!

Yes, get a blood test, they might put you on iron tablets. When they said I had low iron, it suddenly made sense of the steak cravings, it's so clever how your body knows.

Addicted to chewing on ice. Really tired. Low and anxious, moody.

I try to live a vegetarian lifestyle but I'm absolutely useless at eating iron rich things other than meat. I hate the supplements on prescription as they ruin my stomach. The OTC ones don't seem enough.

The only way I can get mine higher is to eat plenty of meat which isn't what I want to do, but I also don't want to feel rubbish all the time.

If your haemoglobin is below 95 that late in pregnancy, I'd enquire about an iron infusion. This is iv iron given at hospital. Iron tablets take 2-4 weeks to start noticing results. By that time, you'd be anaemic and potentially giving birth. I've done it, not a fun combo. Increases risk of pph and needing blood transfusions.

Have a look at what vitamins and minerals are in your washing powder, maybe you need something in it that you can get from a different source? Sounds crazy but you never know!

Exhaustion and pica (the desire to eat non food products.) Get some floradix herbal iron tablets or liquid as they are gentler on the stomach than the usual ones but very effective. And check what nutrients you may be deficient in causing the pica.

Tired.

Sorry if you know this already but many I know didn't.
To increase absorption eat iron rich food with vitamin C rich food, an orange juice would do it too. Don't drink tea, coffee, hot chocolate, milk with or after your iron rich food / supplements, they hinder absorption.

I've struggled with low iron for years:

• little to no energy
• restless legs
• hair loss
• headaches
• palpitations

get a blood test to find out for sure, if you're low they'll give you tablets. Funnily enough in pregnancy i have very good iron levels are mine were low due to very heavy periods. I still find spatone iron supplements good to keep topped up though!

Does anyone know what the range of what the iron levels should be? Under 95 is iron injections? I googled but I couldn’t work out (I blame the exhaustion).

*infusion not injection

I usually get cracks at the corners of my mouth, which I quite often get but it gets worse, and get dizzy and out of breath much more easily. Can also get chest pains if iron getting really low.

I'm 32 weeks pregnant and also have low iron (112) when I was last tested at 28 weeks. I had to have a blood transfusion after having my daughter due to blood loss and extreme amenia so my MW wants to ensure I don't go too low this time, however said she wants me to just take the usual pregnacare multi vitamins until my next blood test at 34 weeks to see if I improve. I was quite relieved as the iron they prescribe made me so poorly last time I really don't want to take it again. My symptoms are that I'm just very tired but that could be due to not sleeping well and growing a human 🙈 no other symptoms other than that really. I've heard liquid iron is good so if my levels don't improve I think I will try this first over the prescription crap they give!

Mine was 94 - restless legs, couldn’t climb a flight of stairs, light headed, exhaustion and persistent urine infection, low mood, and actually really awful. Take the iron! X

I take ferrous fumerate 210mg once a day. It was initially prescribed for three times a day but apparently recent research indicates there is no point taking more than one...the body can’t make use of it so there is no benefit but you just get added side effects.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I was suddenly craving steak and lots of it. Also very tired.

I was very anaemic towards end of first pregnancy, l was still working full time in an office and literally found it so hard to even get up off chair, zero energy , felt completely exhausted.
My midwife recommended Spatone water sachets with natural iron, l took two a day, and l still take one everyday now just to help keep my iron levels up. They are gentle on stomach, l mix mine with fruit juice, can't taste them that way, you can get them from tesco, Amazon etc.

I had no symptoms. Mind you, I may have had symptoms but as I was carrying twins I assumed it was normal to feel that tired. The tiredness didn't change after medication and IV infusion though 🤷🏼‍♀️

@LemonadeLocomotive - 'normal' haemoglobin range depends on phase of pregnancy. Should be above 110 in first trimester. Above 105 in second/ third. They generally will prescribe iron if near those limits. On iron, you should expect hb to rise by about 2 per week.

Ferritin levels are a separate blood test and not always performed. Basically, most people's ferritin will fall before hb as it is the 'store' of iron that you've got. Generally ferritin below 30 is considered abnormal and anaemic, regardless of hb level.

They will always prescribe iron before trying an infusion. If hb levels don't rise on the first iron tablet, they will have you try different tablets and will do almost anything to avoid doing infusions.

The reason I suggested having that discussion of below 95 is because op may not have TIME to get her hb levels up before she delivers because she is 37 weeks. Anaemia during birth leads to increased risks... so to avoid these, need to not be anaemic ASAP!! An iron infusion would do that.

If she were, say 30 weeks, should would have a bit of time to try tablets to improve the anaemia.

They will generally consider a blood transfusion if hb below 70. My hb was 73 after dd's birth. So they were like 'here are your tablets. Off you go!'

But guidelines are different everywhere. Choices made about treatment are based on symptoms AND tests. One person might feel absolutely shit with hb of 110. Others it might take hb 90 for them to feel the same levels of shitness...

Thank you, that’s really useful information @physicskate