Anyone else had low ferritin and low B12 levels?

[JodieO]

I'm 14+3 now and have felt really crap for weeks, breathless, faint, palpitations, very tired, even standing up and walking a few feet is making me out of breath, weight loss, headaches and more and I've had blood tests a few times.

My iron levels were borderline at 12 weeks being 11.7 but I've felt so ill that my dr sent me to have my ferritin and B12 levels to be checked. He left a message on Friday afternoon to say they are both low and that he'd call back Monday to arrange management but I wondered if anyone else had any experience of this and what I can expect?

I also have low blood pressure and am under a lot of stress which isn't helping matters, oh and spd has started up again too..... Thanks

I had this and had to have vit B12 injections during my pregnancy. It all corrected itself afterwards. I felt great after the injections, btw.

Hi JodieO - I have had low ferritin when I was pg with DD. I had to take iron and have regular blood tests to check levels but I was fine. I had no side effects from the iron and noticed a difference almost immediately.

I have no experience of the B12 though

Good Luck

How often did you have the injections? Silly question but did they hurt? I have a real phobia of needles and so that won't be great. I think my levels may have been low for quite a while as I'm a vegetarian and that was the main reason he asked for B12 to be tested for. Glad to hear that the injections do their job so quickly!

Did you take iron tablets or something like spatone? I've had spatone before due to low hemoglobin levels and found that OK.

Forgot to say that I'm also having an ecg tomorrow morning to rule anything else out because of the palpitations.

I had palpitations with my 2nd pregnancy and they were thought to be connected to low iron. Again, it all cleared up afterwards.

I can't remember how many injections I had, I think it was 1 every 3 months or so?

They didn't hurt at all.

Thank you I'm hoping mine are to do with the low iron as well.

I took tablets as I really didn't notice any side effects (except darkened poo!) - no stomach cramps or constipation etc. I'm not sure Spatone would be strong enough, I do take that now to keep topped up as I'm also a Veggie with heavy periods.

I had palpitations due to the low iron too. They went as soon as the iron started working

I had v low ferritin levels early on in this pregnancy - level was 6 whereas normal is between 15 and 150, iirc. Took iron tablets (ferrous sulphate - 3x per day) from 10 weeks and was re-tested at 20 weeks - my levels had gone up to 19, so comfortably within the normal range. Like littlebabynothing, I started feeling better almost immediately and have had none of the dreaded side effects apart from darker poo. I've always had heavy periods, so think I was probably anaemic before being pg, just didn't realise it.