Low Ferratin

[kayescrapp]

I saw the doc last week after feeling very very tired, low, weak, brain fog etc. Initially I thought I maybe perimenopausal how ever she told me my ferratin is sitting at 17 I have since had a very heavy period and spent 2 days completely wiped out. I feel awful I have worked nights before but the tiredness is worse than working nights, I am getting short of breath if I exert myself to much brain fog i.e really forgetful, dizzy. I mentioned all of this to the lovely doc who said I should start to take iron tablets she didn't want to prescribe me any as she said the dosage would shock my body as it would get to much iron, so I am taking some she recommended. When am I going to start feeling better? I am trying so hard not to fall asleep at my desk at work at the moemnt.

Nice guidelines say to treat anyone with ferritin below 30, so the dr should have prescribed. That said, ferrous fumerate/sulphate can give awful gastrointestinal side effects.
What did she recommend you take? A high strength Iron bisglycinate has better bioavailability, and increases levels quicker than prescribed iron ime.
Advice is to supplement every other day -there is a good explanation for this if you Google.
They generally say take iron for at least 3 months before repeating a blood test, so it can take ages to increase levels.

Did they also test B12/folate, Vitamin D or thyroid? All of these deficiencies can also cause extreme tiredness and need to be ruled out.

I whole you start to feel better soon.

They checked a fbc and everything was ok apart from that it has never been above 20 since 2008!!! Which is crazy as this is the 1st time apart from when I had my son that I have been made aware ( we have recenlty changed surgeries and the new one is great!)
The doc recommended iron tablets from Sainsburys as well as a multi vitamin so together I get 28mg a day of iron, once I have got used to it I can take the tablets at nightime aswell

You need to check what bloods were actually tested.
An FBC doesn’t include include ferritin levels, so they’ve at least ordered ferritin and FBC blood tests.
Do you have the nhs app that shows blood test results? You can ask the surgery what was actually requested if not.

28mg of iron isn’t very much. I will go and find a link for the ones I take that are 40mg, and I didn’t think they were particularly high, but they have managed to increase my ferritin levels better than the prescription iron I was taking for over a decade!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08SKKL9TS?ref=ppxhzsearchconndtbfedasintitle1
currently out of stock, but worth looking out for, I also take a beef liver capsule I will go and find a link for as they are good at boosting iron. The every other day thing does boost levels quicker, despite it sounding counterintuitive.

here
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D92F7FRK?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1

Taking both of these has worked wonders, my ferritin is now mif 50’s after being 15-22 for decades. Healthy hair growth needs a ferritin level of above 70, it’s ridiculous the ’normal’ range is set so low, most women need to be above at least 50 to feel really well. Good luck!

I don’t know why she felt you wouldn’t get on with iron supplements, it’s sometimes an effective way of raising your levels. If not, an iron infusion might help. Have a look at this article about low iron.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/02/why-do-i-feel-tired-iron-deficiency-symptoms-anaemia-fatique-exhaustion