Extreme Low Ferritin Levels
beastmode_kitty
Posts: 845 Member
Few weeks ago my doctor had some blood work done on me to figure out why I'm so tired. Then a few days ago he brought me in for those results. Turns out my ferritin levels were at a 4 when they should be a lot higher. He asked if I was donating blood and I said no but my periods sometimes tend to be heavy.
He's put me on 900mg of ferrous gluconate to try and raise my ferritin levels up. Have to go back end of March to get another blood test done to see if the levels come back up. If they don't then he will have to do some digging.
I asked him if this condition is maybe why I'm not losing any more fat and he said probably as my body is not getting the oxygen and iron that it needs. I can usually get thru a workout pretty decently but that's only if I have my protein coffee or a preworkout drink.
Usually after a workout I feel tired and exhausted and by mid afternoon I'm ready for a nap. Here's hoping that these supplements will help the levels to come back up so I'm not so damn tired anymore.
He's put me on 900mg of ferrous gluconate to try and raise my ferritin levels up. Have to go back end of March to get another blood test done to see if the levels come back up. If they don't then he will have to do some digging.
I asked him if this condition is maybe why I'm not losing any more fat and he said probably as my body is not getting the oxygen and iron that it needs. I can usually get thru a workout pretty decently but that's only if I have my protein coffee or a preworkout drink.
Usually after a workout I feel tired and exhausted and by mid afternoon I'm ready for a nap. Here's hoping that these supplements will help the levels to come back up so I'm not so damn tired anymore.
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Replies
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Make sure you are also getting enough Vitamin C - it affects ferritin storage.0
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Anemia is the most common symptom of celiac disease and can be found in other autoimmune disorders (like ITP). Perhaps look into that as a possible cause.0
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If you are considerably anemic -- say a hemoglobin less than 10ish, it could explain exercise related fatigue. If not then the low ferritin just says you have little iron stores and would not be an explanation.
Vit C does not affect 'ferritin storage,' it increases Fe absorption if taken concurrently.
For the same amount of exercise, anemia would *increase* energy burn. It would also be harder ;-)0 -
Iron pills saved my life - almost literally. I take 2 a day (breakfast and lunch) and still try to eat iron rich. The anaemia diagnosis as @nvmomketo mentioned, triggered my celiac diagnosis. Since I've been GF, my iron has bettered (as well as my other nutrients) but I still need to take it.
Also as mentioned, try to take with vitamin C or orange juice, it helps with absorption. Try to avoid taking with milk or calcium as it can inhibit absorption a bit.
It will take a few weeks but, if you're anything like me, you will feel a world of difference!!0 -
I'm doing a slow increase up to 900mg. Started off with one pill a day, now im at 2 300mg. By monday im gonna go up to 30
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Yep -- slow increase to avoid GI 'upset.' The pills can also cause constipation. FYIbeastmode_kitty wrote: »I'm doing a slow increase up to 900mg. Started off with one pill a day, now im at 2 300mg. By monday im gonna go up to 3
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ericGold15 wrote: »
Yep -- slow increase to avoid GI 'upset.' The pills can also cause constipation. FYIbeastmode_kitty wrote: »I'm doing a slow increase up to 900mg. Started off with one pill a day, now im at 2 300mg. By monday im gonna go up to 3
Ya so I heard lol. Not looking forward to that. Been drinking extra water and having as much fibre as possible too0 -
ericGold15 wrote: »If you are considerably anemic -- say a hemoglobin less than 10ish, it could explain exercise related fatigue. If not then the low ferritin just says you have little iron stores and would not be an explanation.
Vit C does not affect 'ferritin storage,' it increases Fe absorption if taken concurrently.
For the same amount of exercise, anemia would *increase* energy burn. It would also be harder ;-)
Sorry, Eric but Vitamin C affects both absorption and translation via the de novo synthesis pathways. It is accurate to state it affects storage since both levels of free ferritin and stored intracellular ferritin are impacted. Iron homeostasis (aka storage) is modulated by vitamin C.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »ericGold15 wrote: »If you are considerably anemic -- say a hemoglobin less than 10ish, it could explain exercise related fatigue. If not then the low ferritin just says you have little iron stores and would not be an explanation.
Vit C does not affect 'ferritin storage,' it increases Fe absorption if taken concurrently.
For the same amount of exercise, anemia would *increase* energy burn. It would also be harder ;-)
Sorry, Eric but Vitamin C affects both absorption and translation via the de novo synthesis pathways. It is accurate to state it affects storage since both levels of free ferritin and stored intracellular ferritin are impacted. Iron homeostasis (aka storage) is modulated by vitamin C.
So dont have it with orange juice?0 -
beastmode_kitty wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »ericGold15 wrote: »If you are considerably anemic -- say a hemoglobin less than 10ish, it could explain exercise related fatigue. If not then the low ferritin just says you have little iron stores and would not be an explanation.
Vit C does not affect 'ferritin storage,' it increases Fe absorption if taken concurrently.
For the same amount of exercise, anemia would *increase* energy burn. It would also be harder ;-)
Sorry, Eric but Vitamin C affects both absorption and translation via the de novo synthesis pathways. It is accurate to state it affects storage since both levels of free ferritin and stored intracellular ferritin are impacted. Iron homeostasis (aka storage) is modulated by vitamin C.
So dont have it with orange juice?
Do. The effect is positive. Sorry if I wasn't clear. Vit C improves both uptake of iron and de novo ferritin production and cellular storage.0 -
I am chronically anaemic but from Crohn's (an autoimmune disease) but I have chronic bleeding in my GI tract plus absorption issues.0
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Oh ok. Yesterday is when i upped the dosage to 2 pills a day, but I mistakenly took them both at the same time. Gotta spread it out I guess.0
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You upped your dosage on your own, or by doctor's orders? Do not take more without doctors orders.
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JanetYellen wrote: »You upped your dosage on your own, or by doctor's orders? Do not take more without doctors orders.
I upped as per my doc's orders. TOld me to start with one pill a day and work my way up to 3 as per my stomach.0 -
I was noticing very low energy in the past few weeks. Didn't really think about it being Iron deficiency but when I started taking a women's multivitamin (added iron) I noticed a big change in my energy levels. I can only guess that that may well have been the problem.0
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Could be. Ive been taking a multivitamin as well but obviously it wasn't doing anything for me. Just grateful I caught this all in time before my ferritin levels went even lower.0
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shadowfax_c11 wrote: »I was noticing very low energy in the past few weeks. Didn't really think about it being Iron deficiency but when I started taking a women's multivitamin (added iron) I noticed a big change in my energy levels. I can only guess that that may well have been the problem.
How much iron is in your multi and what form of iron is it?0 -
beastmode_kitty wrote: »ericGold15 wrote: »
Yep -- slow increase to avoid GI 'upset.' The pills can also cause constipation. FYIbeastmode_kitty wrote: »I'm doing a slow increase up to 900mg. Started off with one pill a day, now im at 2 300mg. By monday im gonna go up to 3
Ya so I heard lol. Not looking forward to that. Been drinking extra water and having as much fibre as possible too
I've had no issues with constipation from iron supplements since taking powdered vitamin C to bowel tolerance.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »shadowfax_c11 wrote: »I was noticing very low energy in the past few weeks. Didn't really think about it being Iron deficiency but when I started taking a women's multivitamin (added iron) I noticed a big change in my energy levels. I can only guess that that may well have been the problem.
How much iron is in your multi and what form of iron is it?
Very little actually. Nothing compared to an actual iron pill. Maybe 37mg if that,0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »shadowfax_c11 wrote: »I was noticing very low energy in the past few weeks. Didn't really think about it being Iron deficiency but when I started taking a women's multivitamin (added iron) I noticed a big change in my energy levels. I can only guess that that may well have been the problem.
How much iron is in your multi and what form of iron is it?
Ferrous Fumarate and 18 mg. The Multivitamin is One A Day women's. Certainly it isn't anything like what might be prescription strength. However I also doubt that I was that nutritionally unbalanced. Just that I was feeling really tired a lot and perked up a lot. I noticed a dramatic change in energy levels. The only change was the addition of the woman's multivitamin. Previously I was taking one that was just a standard adult formula.0 -
So very little. I would recommend a blood test if you think you are anaemic0
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singingflutelady wrote: »So very little. I would recommend a blood test if you think you are anaemic
I didn't say I thought I was anemic. Just noted a change in energy levels when adding a multivitamin that includes iron.0 -
I was diagnosed in December with anemia from a routine blood test. In the previous blood test (April), I was completely normal. The doctor sent me for a blood transfusion the day I was diagnosed. I felt SOOOoo much better soon thereafter. She has had me tested for many things (bleeding in colon, bleeding in GI tract) and has prescribed iron pills, which have slowly started to work. It is great that they are starting to work, but I would really like to find out why I had this sudden problem. Can you "get" Celiac's disease when you are 51? She is a great doctor and continuing to test, so I will eventually find out...I hope.
But again, that blood transfusion was AMAZING, FWIW. 0 -
I have dealt with significant anemia a couple of times. This last time, my hemoglobin was around 8, and I felt awful. I was exhausted, short of breath, and had no drive to do anything. Iron pills brought it up, and I am doing much better. It's amazing how iron can affect you so much!
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Try vitamin b. I took injections for years to keep my fertin up. If not that then you can recirve IV infusions at the hospital which are amazing.0
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HappyAnna2014 wrote: »I was diagnosed in December with anemia from a routine blood test. In the previous blood test (April), I was completely normal. The doctor sent me for a blood transfusion the day I was diagnosed. I felt SOOOoo much better soon thereafter. She has had me tested for many things (bleeding in colon, bleeding in GI tract) and has prescribed iron pills, which have slowly started to work. It is great that they are starting to work, but I would really like to find out why I had this sudden problem. Can you "get" Celiac's disease when you are 51? She is a great doctor and continuing to test, so I will eventually find out...I hope. But again, that blood transfusion was AMAZING, FWIW.
Yes you can get it at any age. And I agree about blood. I had 8 iron infusions and felt nothing but had 5 units of blood last year and felt much better for a while after each one.0 -
I was diagnosed with my autoimmune disease (Crohn's) at 38 (but had it for years before misdiagnosed as IBS). Autoimmune diseases can rear their ugly head at any time.0
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HappyAnna2014 wrote: »Can you "get" Celiac's disease when you are 51? She is a great doctor and continuing to test, so I will eventually find out...I hope.
Yeah, you can. About 1/3 the population has the genes for celiac disease, just hanging around. We are considered to 'have' celiac disease when something triggers in the body (and we don't know why it triggers) and suddenly it changes how the body treats gluten. It can trigger at any age from a few weeks old to 100 and some years old.
But a few things -
1. You have to be eating gluten, at least 1-2 slices of bread a day or the equivalent, for a few weeks before the blood tests and/or endoscopy tests. The tests are actually much cruder than you'd think - they look for levels of biomarkers that your body is reacting to gluten, and you don't MAKE the biomarkers if you stop eating gluten. on top of that, the tests require high levels, weeks of accumulated reaction, to detect properly, which is why you have to be eating gluten a lot when being tested. At this point, celiacs who are on their gluten free diet actually test negative to the disease with the tests we have, because they are no longer reacting.
2. IF you have the disease, the experts recommend that every, single person in your family get tested too, ASAP (most GI docs are NOT experts and rarely seem to be aware of this, sadly). This is because the risks of having it trigger are much higher if it's known you have the genetics in the family, the disease can be active for years, and doing damage, before any symptoms show up. And as it can trigger at any age, it's recommended that after a negative test, family members get retested every 2-5 years.
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beastmode_kitty wrote: »Could be. Ive been taking a multivitamin as well but obviously it wasn't doing anything for me. Just grateful I caught this all in time before my ferritin levels went even lower.
One thing to think about, from someone who has been in a similar situation: I would sincerely suggest you take a look at your diet (and by look, I mean look at the nutrients you get from it on a daily/weekly basis), and your multivitamin, and see what your iron intake has been recently. If you aren't sure what you usually eat, a quick food journal for a couple weeks can help you keep track (if it tracks amounts AND food) and then you can go over it and work out how much iron you usually get, you know?
If it's been super, super low, then of course it's obvious why you are low in iron. You add more to your diet, it goes up, and it's all good.
But if it has NOT been super low? IMHO, you should start checking things out.
If you are like most people I know with vitamin deficiency, your doctor has NOT asked you what your diet has been before this. Best I can tell, they just seem to assume automatically that you are not getting enough of the vitamin and give you a prescription of a vitamin supplement. Without actually asking anything about your diet to confirm their assumption. Which is, well, rather stupid, when you think of it, as making a diagnosis OR a medical recommendation based on an unverified assumption (that could be easily verified) is not really in your best interest, you know?
Because if you ARE eating enough of the nutrient, then that means something else is going on that is causing you to be low in this nutrient, but because they never found OUT if you are eating enough of the nutrient, you get to go for longer with the problem still present before it's obvious there is still a problem.
If you DO find you are still low, seriously, I would check your family medical history and see if anything in there can cause low iron levels (in my own history, I had celiac disease in the family, and that was causing low iron in both myself and my daughter. Doctors never had a clue; we had to suggest being tested to them, in the end). If you have any quirky symptoms (like insomnia, aching joints, stomach pain, things like that), you can google them along with iron anemia to see if they match any known conditions. And then go to the doctor and ask about what could cause the problem, because if it's not what you eat, then SOMETHING is going on that is causing this, and I imagine you'd want to know what, yeah?
The reason I mention researching beforehand is because doctors sometimes don't pay attention to your family medical history and might miss a connection there. And also that sometimes, we don't mention symptoms because we don't think they are a big deal, when sometimes they are important and relevant to the nutrient deficiency and the doctor needs to know about them. Research ahead of time can help us determine better that we need to mention some symptoms, you know?
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I think for people with low iron, celiac disease is more likely. From my understanding, iron levels are usually low in people with celiac due to nutrient absorption issues. While I once wondered whether I could have celiac due to symptoms of IBS, I think I can rule it out since my iron levels are certainly not low (and were actually a bit too high at one point).HappyAnna2014 wrote: »Can you "get" Celiac's disease when you are 51? She is a great doctor and continuing to test, so I will eventually find out...I hope.
Yeah, you can. About 1/3 the population has the genes for celiac disease, just hanging around. We are considered to 'have' celiac disease when something triggers in the body (and we don't know why it triggers) and suddenly it changes how the body treats gluten. It can trigger at any age from a few weeks old to 100 and some years old.
But a few things -
1. You have to be eating gluten, at least 1-2 slices of bread a day or the equivalent, for a few weeks before the blood tests and/or endoscopy tests. The tests are actually much cruder than you'd think - they look for levels of biomarkers that your body is reacting to gluten, and you don't MAKE the biomarkers if you stop eating gluten. on top of that, the tests require high levels, weeks of accumulated reaction, to detect properly, which is why you have to be eating gluten a lot when being tested. At this point, celiacs who are on their gluten free diet actually test negative to the disease with the tests we have, because they are no longer reacting.
2. IF you have the disease, the experts recommend that every, single person in your family get tested too, ASAP (most GI docs are NOT experts and rarely seem to be aware of this, sadly). This is because the risks of having it trigger are much higher if it's known you have the genetics in the family, the disease can be active for years, and doing damage, before any symptoms show up. And as it can trigger at any age, it's recommended that after a negative test, family members get retested every 2-5 years.
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