Anemia and iron levels
FL_Hiker
Posts: 919 Member
Hi y’all,
This community has never let me down and has always been so knowledgeable so I thought I’d ask here! I’ve been through a lot lately with my fathers health declining and dealing with that stress and you all had some great advice. I’m now dealing with my own personal issues... I just recently got my bloodwork done and my Ferratin level was 9 (range was like 15-152 something like that?). I’ve had low iron in the past but not quite this low. My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done... I’m curious if others have been anemic how did it make you feel? My memory is getting really bad... today I forgot my husbands birthday and how to spell his name when asked at the doctors.. I broke down crying on the way home. I’ve never experienced anything like this, usually my memory is superb. I’m suffering here and I can’t take anything to make it better yet. Did you have memory problems when you were anemic? I’m also not a vegetarian, I eat plenty of meat.... I’m wondering if it’s the anemia causing my memory loss or perhaps just the stress of my dads recent health issues and the added responsibilities. Otherwise I still feel really healthy, I’m still running well and feel pretty good. Besides the memory loss I’ve had some left arm numbness, and heart palpitations. Going back to the doctors this week.
Thanks for your thoughts!
This community has never let me down and has always been so knowledgeable so I thought I’d ask here! I’ve been through a lot lately with my fathers health declining and dealing with that stress and you all had some great advice. I’m now dealing with my own personal issues... I just recently got my bloodwork done and my Ferratin level was 9 (range was like 15-152 something like that?). I’ve had low iron in the past but not quite this low. My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done... I’m curious if others have been anemic how did it make you feel? My memory is getting really bad... today I forgot my husbands birthday and how to spell his name when asked at the doctors.. I broke down crying on the way home. I’ve never experienced anything like this, usually my memory is superb. I’m suffering here and I can’t take anything to make it better yet. Did you have memory problems when you were anemic? I’m also not a vegetarian, I eat plenty of meat.... I’m wondering if it’s the anemia causing my memory loss or perhaps just the stress of my dads recent health issues and the added responsibilities. Otherwise I still feel really healthy, I’m still running well and feel pretty good. Besides the memory loss I’ve had some left arm numbness, and heart palpitations. Going back to the doctors this week.
Thanks for your thoughts!
6
Replies
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When my ferritin was 5 (normal range of 10-154), other than being tired all the time (go figure!), I didn't have any symptoms I could put my finger on. I do have memory lapses and emotional events like you described when I'm very stressed.
Your doctor obviously knows more about your situation than we do, so please continue working with her. I hope things with your dad's and your own health improve soon.7 -
When my ferritin was 5 (normal range of 10-154), other than being tired all the time (go figure!), I didn't have any symptoms I could put my finger on. I do have memory lapses and emotional events like you described when I'm very stressed.
Your doctor obviously knows more about your situation than we do, so please continue working with her. I hope things with your dad's and your own health improve soon.
Interesting, thanks! If you don’t mind me asking.. Did you start taking supplemental iron? Did you immediately start feeling better once you were on it or did it take some time?0 -
When my ferritin was 5 (normal range of 10-154), other than being tired all the time (go figure!), I didn't have any symptoms I could put my finger on. I do have memory lapses and emotional events like you described when I'm very stressed.
Your doctor obviously knows more about your situation than we do, so please continue working with her. I hope things with your dad's and your own health improve soon.
Interesting, thanks! If you don’t mind me asking.. Did you start taking supplemental iron? Did you immediately start feeling better once you were on it or did it take some time?
My doctor did advise me to start taking an iron supplement. I'm...not the best about it because I find iron supplements (I've tried several) unpleasant and hard on my digestive system. It's been almost 6 months, so when I get retested soon, I guess I'll see if my hit and miss method of taking it actually did any good. If not, I'll have to be better about taking them.
I am feeling better now, but I suspect spring has more to do with that than iron. I was more diligent about taking it the first month or two but didn't notice a huge improvement overnight or anything.2 -
Do you happen to know what your iron total was? Even though my ferritin was low, my iron total was juuuust above the bottom threshold of normal (43 with a range of 40-190).1
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Everybody is different. I find it difficult to lift up my feet when my ferritin drops below 28ish and I'm out of breath very quickly. You do get used to low iron levels if it's ongoing for too long, thus it doesn't feel quite as bad. Your body is still suffering though. At a level of 5 you should probably have gotten iron infusions. Iron supplements: something like spatone is useless is fighting anemia as the iron dose is far too low. With 3 high dose iron tablets it takes about 6-8 weeks to get my iron levels from 28 or about 35. So there's no quick fix.3
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@yirara Interesting. My doctor didn't act like it was a big deal, just "You should probably start taking an iron supplement."
ETA you're referencing ferritin levels in your post, right? Or total iron?
That's what I was wondering as well. Iron level of 5 would be half dead, unless it's an odd unit I never heard of. But yeah, there's just one unit for ferritin, and 9 IS very low. 5 is immediate iron infusion low.1 -
@yirara Interesting. My doctor didn't act like it was a big deal, just "You should probably start taking an iron supplement."
ETA you're referencing ferritin levels in your post, right? Or total iron?
That's what I was wondering as well. Iron level of 5 would be half dead, unless it's an odd unit I never heard of. But yeah, there's just one unit for ferritin, and 9 IS very low. 5 is immediate iron infusion low.
I think I'll go take my iron supplement
2 -
Do you happen to know what your iron total was? Even though my ferritin was low, my iron total was juuuust above the bottom threshold of normal (43 with a range of 40-190).
My total iron was 66. I wonder what that means? I find it strange with such a low ferratin level my doctor told me absolutely do not take an iron supplement...0 -
@yirara Interesting. My doctor didn't act like it was a big deal, just "You should probably start taking an iron supplement."
ETA you're referencing ferritin levels in your post, right? Or total iron?
That's what I was wondering as well. Iron level of 5 would be half dead, unless it's an odd unit I never heard of. But yeah, there's just one unit for ferritin, and 9 IS very low. 5 is immediate iron infusion low.
Ten years ago my iron level was 2, that’s not a typo. I felt really really really tired all the time and looked quite pale but those were the only symptoms so my doctor had me take a supplement instead of an infusion. My anemia is due to extremely heavy periods I’ve had all my life. No matter how much iron is in my diet and with optimal supplemental iron pills I can barely keep it around 12, but at this level now I feel normal, no energy issues (and I’m a runner) so doc says I’m ok. My doctor recommended a brand called VitronC to avoid stomach upset and it works for me, I take mine in the morning on an empty stomach an hour before eating anything and I don’t have tummy issues. Listen to your doctor and follow instructions because they know your personal history and test results and we are simply internet strangers, all we can offer is our personal experiences. If you have questions, send your doc an email and ask them why they recommend waiting to supplement, what tests are they going to run? Sounds like there needs to be clearer communication between doc & patient. OP hope you figure it out and feel better soon!
2 -
I have read some articles about the relationship between running and iron levels, something to do with the impact of the foot strike damaging the red blood cells or something. You’d have to google it to see the details but I remember both articles were basically warning women about the potential of running to contribute to low iron levels.
You might like to take a read and see how relevant it is for you.
Here’s one article and it references the foot-strike haemolysis:
https://womensrunninguk.co.uk/health/suffering-iron-deficiency/
1 -
sarabushby wrote: »I have read some articles about the relationship between running and iron levels, something to do with the impact of the foot strike damaging the red blood cells or something. You’d have to google it to see the details but I remember both articles were basically warning women about the potential of running to contribute to low iron levels.
You might like to take a read and see how relevant it is for you.
Here’s one article and it references the foot-strike haemolysis:
https://womensrunninguk.co.uk/health/suffering-iron-deficiency/
That’s what I thought too!!!!! I asked my Dr if that could be the cause and she basically shot down the idea saying it was not possible. I think she’s a very good Dr and trust her opinion. Just a waiting game I guess for the rest of the tests but I’m really curious about all this and why she may be speculating. I was way too out of it at the time to ask questions. She may have also already explained it but my memory is shot right now... I’m having a difficult time remembering simple things.0 -
sarabushby wrote: »I have read some articles about the relationship between running and iron levels, something to do with the impact of the foot strike damaging the red blood cells or something. You’d have to google it to see the details but I remember both articles were basically warning women about the potential of running to contribute to low iron levels.
You might like to take a read and see how relevant it is for you.
Here’s one article and it references the foot-strike haemolysis:
https://womensrunninguk.co.uk/health/suffering-iron-deficiency/
That’s what I thought too!!!!! I asked my Dr if that could be the cause and she basically shot down the idea saying it was not possible. I think she’s a very good Dr and trust her opinion. Just a waiting game I guess for the rest of the tests but I’m really curious about all this and why she may be speculating. I was way too out of it at the time to ask questions.
I'm curious as well, especially about why she didn't seem to think supplementing would help. Please update when you find out if you don't mind and remember 1 -
Hi y’all,
This community has never let me down and has always been so knowledgeable so I thought I’d ask here! I’ve been through a lot lately with my fathers health declining and dealing with that stress and you all had some great advice. I’m now dealing with my own personal issues... I just recently got my bloodwork done and my Ferratin level was 9 (range was like 15-152 something like that?). I’ve had low iron in the past but not quite this low. My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done... I’m curious if others have been anemic how did it make you feel? My memory is getting really bad... today I forgot my husbands birthday and how to spell his name when asked at the doctors.. I broke down crying on the way home. I’ve never experienced anything like this, usually my memory is superb. I’m suffering here and I can’t take anything to make it better yet. Did you have memory problems when you were anemic? I’m also not a vegetarian, I eat plenty of meat.... I’m wondering if it’s the anemia causing my memory loss or perhaps just the stress of my dads recent health issues and the added responsibilities. Otherwise I still feel really healthy, I’m still running well and feel pretty good. Besides the memory loss I’ve had some left arm numbness, and heart palpitations. Going back to the doctors this week.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Sure, one time my iron got way out of whack and I got written up at work from making so many mistakes. And I hated my life. I was taking iron supplements at the time, but there are many forms of iron and I needed to find the one that worked for me, which was neither of the two forms I originally got from the VA.
I got out of whack again a few years ago and was having heart palpitations. In consultation with my doctors, I doubled my iron supplement and started taking a beta blocker and they went away.
I am currently taking iron bisglycinate. This doesn't give me the constipation or upset stomach side effects that other forms of iron can cause.
Iron rich foods: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/before-during-after/iron-blood-donation/iron-rich-foods.html (I discount foods that were fortified with iron as presumably the food manufacturers use cheap and potentially ineffective forms of iron.)
When I'm menstruating I eat Wellshire Liverwurst; 2 oz = 35% RDA iron. If I can't make it to Whole Foods I get Boar's Head Liverwurst, 2 oz = 25% RDA iron.
(For people who want more iron but don't like liver - neither do I; can't stand the stuff, but I do like liverwurst. Wellshire also makes turkey liverwurst. Less iron, but also less fat and calories. Last I checked this brand was exclusive to Whole Foods.
I'm going to try making chicken liver pate one of these times.
I also mix 1 T of blackstrap molasses into a cup of warm water every morning. That gives me 20% RDA. Here's what I order https://smile.amazon.com/Wholesome-Sweeteners-Organic-Molasses-Pack/dp/B001M0G2PO/ but caution - this brand can leak, so best to not get anything else with that order. It was the cheapest, so I continued to put up with it. (Plus last time Amazon just credited me for the whole thing.) However, I see the price has almost doubled since I last ordered so maybe try to get locally instead. Old price was $21 for three 32 oz bottles.
Vitamin C helps with iron absorption and I mix powdered, buffered vitamin C into the molasses "tea" to create a dreadful concoction. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I4AIUA/3 -
monkeefan1974 wrote: »@yirara Interesting. My doctor didn't act like it was a big deal, just "You should probably start taking an iron supplement."
ETA you're referencing ferritin levels in your post, right? Or total iron?
That's what I was wondering as well. Iron level of 5 would be half dead, unless it's an odd unit I never heard of. But yeah, there's just one unit for ferritin, and 9 IS very low. 5 is immediate iron infusion low.
Ten years ago my iron level was 2, that’s not a typo. I felt really really really tired all the time and looked quite pale but those were the only symptoms so my doctor had me take a supplement instead of an infusion. My anemia is due to extremely heavy periods I’ve had all my life. No matter how much iron is in my diet and with optimal supplemental iron pills I can barely keep it around 12, but at this level now I feel normal, no energy issues (and I’m a runner) so doc says I’m ok. My doctor recommended a brand called VitronC to avoid stomach upset and it works for me, I take mine in the morning on an empty stomach an hour before eating anything and I don’t have tummy issues. Listen to your doctor and follow instructions because they know your personal history and test results and we are simply internet strangers, all we can offer is our personal experiences. If you have questions, send your doc an email and ask them why they recommend waiting to supplement, what tests are they going to run? Sounds like there needs to be clearer communication between doc & patient. OP hope you figure it out and feel better soon!
Thanks for sharing your story, I’ll have to look into that VitronC when I’m allowed to supplement. I assume it has vitamin C (hence the name) to help with iron absorption too? I always take everything I read with a grain of salt on the internet 🙂 but it’s nice meeting others who have similar experiences! I’ll attach the tests she’s running, I have no clue what they are. I’m a biologist so I’m always interested in this kind of stuff and learning more 😁.1 -
3 -
monkeefan1974 wrote: »@yirara Interesting. My doctor didn't act like it was a big deal, just "You should probably start taking an iron supplement."
ETA you're referencing ferritin levels in your post, right? Or total iron?
That's what I was wondering as well. Iron level of 5 would be half dead, unless it's an odd unit I never heard of. But yeah, there's just one unit for ferritin, and 9 IS very low. 5 is immediate iron infusion low.
Ten years ago my iron level was 2, that’s not a typo. I felt really really really tired all the time and looked quite pale but those were the only symptoms so my doctor had me take a supplement instead of an infusion. My anemia is due to extremely heavy periods I’ve had all my life. No matter how much iron is in my diet and with optimal supplemental iron pills I can barely keep it around 12, but at this level now I feel normal, no energy issues (and I’m a runner) so doc says I’m ok. My doctor recommended a brand called VitronC to avoid stomach upset and it works for me, I take mine in the morning on an empty stomach an hour before eating anything and I don’t have tummy issues. Listen to your doctor and follow instructions because they know your personal history and test results and we are simply internet strangers, all we can offer is our personal experiences. If you have questions, send your doc an email and ask them why they recommend waiting to supplement, what tests are they going to run? Sounds like there needs to be clearer communication between doc & patient. OP hope you figure it out and feel better soon!
Thanks for sharing your story, I’ll have to look into that VitronC when I’m allowed to supplement. I assume it has vitamin C (hence the name) to help with iron absorption too? I always take everything I read with a grain of salt on the internet 🙂 but it’s nice meeting others who have similar experiences! I’ll attach the tests she’s running, I have no clue what they are. I’m a biologist so I’m always interested in this kind of stuff and learning more 😁.
Yes it has vitamin C and it’s coated to make it easier on the tummy too. I tried so many kinds and only this one works for me. It’s a bit more expensive than simply iron tablets but to me it’s worth it.1 -
Listen to your Dr...there are many forms of anemia & blood panels can help differentiate them from one another.3
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The second and fourth ones both have to do with blood clotting, that much I know from (far too much) experience. Now I'm very curious...
The first one seems to be testing the LDL particle size (per Dr. Google).
ETA apparently there is a link between low iron and blood clotting mechanisms, which I never knew and definitely want to do more research on for my own edification, so thank you for posting this thread!1 -
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kshama2001 wrote: »Hi y’all,
This community has never let me down and has always been so knowledgeable so I thought I’d ask here! I’ve been through a lot lately with my fathers health declining and dealing with that stress and you all had some great advice. I’m now dealing with my own personal issues... I just recently got my bloodwork done and my Ferratin level was 9 (range was like 15-152 something like that?). I’ve had low iron in the past but not quite this low. My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done... I’m curious if others have been anemic how did it make you feel? My memory is getting really bad... today I forgot my husbands birthday and how to spell his name when asked at the doctors.. I broke down crying on the way home. I’ve never experienced anything like this, usually my memory is superb. I’m suffering here and I can’t take anything to make it better yet. Did you have memory problems when you were anemic? I’m also not a vegetarian, I eat plenty of meat.... I’m wondering if it’s the anemia causing my memory loss or perhaps just the stress of my dads recent health issues and the added responsibilities. Otherwise I still feel really healthy, I’m still running well and feel pretty good. Besides the memory loss I’ve had some left arm numbness, and heart palpitations. Going back to the doctors this week.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Sure, one time my iron got way out of whack and I got written up at work from making so many mistakes. And I hated my life. I was taking iron supplements at the time, but there are many forms of iron and I needed to find the one that worked for me, which was neither of the two forms I originally got from the VA.
I got out of whack again a few years ago and was having heart palpitations. In consultation with my doctors, I doubled my iron supplement and started taking a beta blocker and they went away.
I am currently taking iron bisglycinate. This doesn't give me the constipation or upset stomach side effects that other forms of iron can cause.
Iron rich foods: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/before-during-after/iron-blood-donation/iron-rich-foods.html (I discount foods that were fortified with iron as presumably the food manufacturers use cheap and potentially ineffective forms of iron.)
When I'm menstruating I eat Wellshire Liverwurst; 2 oz = 35% RDA iron. If I can't make it to Whole Foods I get Boar's Head Liverwurst, 2 oz = 25% RDA iron.
(For people who want more iron but don't like liver - neither do I; can't stand the stuff, but I do like liverwurst. Wellshire also makes turkey liverwurst. Less iron, but also less fat and calories. Last I checked this brand was exclusive to Whole Foods.
I'm going to try making chicken liver pate one of these times.
I also mix 1 T of blackstrap molasses into a cup of warm water every morning. That gives me 20% RDA. Here's what I order https://smile.amazon.com/Wholesome-Sweeteners-Organic-Molasses-Pack/dp/B001M0G2PO/ but caution - this brand can leak, so best to not get anything else with that order. It was the cheapest, so I continued to put up with it. (Plus last time Amazon just credited me for the whole thing.) However, I see the price has almost doubled since I last ordered so maybe try to get locally instead. Old price was $21 for three 32 oz bottles.
Vitamin C helps with iron absorption and I mix powdered, buffered vitamin C into the molasses "tea" to create a dreadful concoction. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I4AIUA/
Wow thank you so much for all the info!!!
I’m a bit afraid of getting in trouble at work too, I’ve been so confused and afraid of making a mistake...0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Hi y’all,
This community has never let me down and has always been so knowledgeable so I thought I’d ask here! I’ve been through a lot lately with my fathers health declining and dealing with that stress and you all had some great advice. I’m now dealing with my own personal issues... I just recently got my bloodwork done and my Ferratin level was 9 (range was like 15-152 something like that?). I’ve had low iron in the past but not quite this low. My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done... I’m curious if others have been anemic how did it make you feel? My memory is getting really bad... today I forgot my husbands birthday and how to spell his name when asked at the doctors.. I broke down crying on the way home. I’ve never experienced anything like this, usually my memory is superb. I’m suffering here and I can’t take anything to make it better yet. Did you have memory problems when you were anemic? I’m also not a vegetarian, I eat plenty of meat.... I’m wondering if it’s the anemia causing my memory loss or perhaps just the stress of my dads recent health issues and the added responsibilities. Otherwise I still feel really healthy, I’m still running well and feel pretty good. Besides the memory loss I’ve had some left arm numbness, and heart palpitations. Going back to the doctors this week.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Sure, one time my iron got way out of whack and I got written up at work from making so many mistakes. And I hated my life. I was taking iron supplements at the time, but there are many forms of iron and I needed to find the one that worked for me, which was neither of the two forms I originally got from the VA.
I got out of whack again a few years ago and was having heart palpitations. In consultation with my doctors, I doubled my iron supplement and started taking a beta blocker and they went away.
I am currently taking iron bisglycinate. This doesn't give me the constipation or upset stomach side effects that other forms of iron can cause.
Iron rich foods: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/before-during-after/iron-blood-donation/iron-rich-foods.html (I discount foods that were fortified with iron as presumably the food manufacturers use cheap and potentially ineffective forms of iron.)
When I'm menstruating I eat Wellshire Liverwurst; 2 oz = 35% RDA iron. If I can't make it to Whole Foods I get Boar's Head Liverwurst, 2 oz = 25% RDA iron.
(For people who want more iron but don't like liver - neither do I; can't stand the stuff, but I do like liverwurst. Wellshire also makes turkey liverwurst. Less iron, but also less fat and calories. Last I checked this brand was exclusive to Whole Foods.
I'm going to try making chicken liver pate one of these times.
I also mix 1 T of blackstrap molasses into a cup of warm water every morning. That gives me 20% RDA. Here's what I order https://smile.amazon.com/Wholesome-Sweeteners-Organic-Molasses-Pack/dp/B001M0G2PO/ but caution - this brand can leak, so best to not get anything else with that order. It was the cheapest, so I continued to put up with it. (Plus last time Amazon just credited me for the whole thing.) However, I see the price has almost doubled since I last ordered so maybe try to get locally instead. Old price was $21 for three 32 oz bottles.
Vitamin C helps with iron absorption and I mix powdered, buffered vitamin C into the molasses "tea" to create a dreadful concoction. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I4AIUA/
Wow thank you so much for all the info!!!
I’m a bit afraid of getting in trouble at work too, I’ve been so confused and afraid of making a mistake...
I bounced back quickly once I got the right supplement and was more careful to include iron-rich foods in my diet
As I get closer to menopause and my periods get heavier and heavier, the anemia takes more management. I bounced back more quickly this menstrual cycle though - in addition to the supplement, liverwurst, and blackstrap molasses I mentioned above, I also had two meals with red meat for about 4 days. So I was intaking about 116% of my RDA from (non-fortified) food alone, plus 278% from the supplement.
(Before my periods got so heavy I didn't need to do nearly this much.)
Keep us posted after you see the doctor again next week!1 -
Do you happen to know what your iron total was? Even though my ferritin was low, my iron total was juuuust above the bottom threshold of normal (43 with a range of 40-190).
My total iron was 66. I wonder what that means? I find it strange with such a low ferratin level my doctor told me absolutely do not take an iron supplement...sarabushby wrote: »I have read some articles about the relationship between running and iron levels, something to do with the impact of the foot strike damaging the red blood cells or something. You’d have to google it to see the details but I remember both articles were basically warning women about the potential of running to contribute to low iron levels.
You might like to take a read and see how relevant it is for you.
Here’s one article and it references the foot-strike haemolysis:
https://womensrunninguk.co.uk/health/suffering-iron-deficiency/
That’s what I thought too!!!!! I asked my Dr if that could be the cause and she basically shot down the idea saying it was not possible. I think she’s a very good Dr and trust her opinion. Just a waiting game I guess for the rest of the tests but I’m really curious about all this and why she may be speculating. I was way too out of it at the time to ask questions.
I'm curious as well, especially about why she didn't seem to think supplementing would help. Please update when you find out if you don't mind and remember
But right in the initial post is the explanation.My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done.
I think that pretty clearly says that taking iron supplements would mess up the results in the additional testing. Like eliminating gluten from your diet before you're testing for celiac's disease.3 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »Do you happen to know what your iron total was? Even though my ferritin was low, my iron total was juuuust above the bottom threshold of normal (43 with a range of 40-190).
My total iron was 66. I wonder what that means? I find it strange with such a low ferratin level my doctor told me absolutely do not take an iron supplement...sarabushby wrote: »I have read some articles about the relationship between running and iron levels, something to do with the impact of the foot strike damaging the red blood cells or something. You’d have to google it to see the details but I remember both articles were basically warning women about the potential of running to contribute to low iron levels.
You might like to take a read and see how relevant it is for you.
Here’s one article and it references the foot-strike haemolysis:
https://womensrunninguk.co.uk/health/suffering-iron-deficiency/
That’s what I thought too!!!!! I asked my Dr if that could be the cause and she basically shot down the idea saying it was not possible. I think she’s a very good Dr and trust her opinion. Just a waiting game I guess for the rest of the tests but I’m really curious about all this and why she may be speculating. I was way too out of it at the time to ask questions.
I'm curious as well, especially about why she didn't seem to think supplementing would help. Please update when you find out if you don't mind and remember
But right in the initial post is the explanation.My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done.
I think that pretty clearly says that taking iron supplements would mess up the results in the additional testing. Like eliminating gluten from your diet before you're testing for celiac's disease.
Thanks I don’t know why that wasn’t obvious to me yesterday lol. Makes sense.
My dad also has a rare blood disorder called Hemochromatosis, which I know is genetic. He actually discovered it by running his Ancestry raw data through a program called Prometheus. He ran my ancestry as well before he went into the hospital and he told me I didn’t have the disease but I was a carrier. I kinda want to retest it just to make sure..I read this morning it can cause abnormal ferratin levels although I thought it would have made them high not low. I think I’m going to go see a hematologist soon too if these other labs come back wacky.0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »Do you happen to know what your iron total was? Even though my ferritin was low, my iron total was juuuust above the bottom threshold of normal (43 with a range of 40-190).
My total iron was 66. I wonder what that means? I find it strange with such a low ferratin level my doctor told me absolutely do not take an iron supplement...sarabushby wrote: »I have read some articles about the relationship between running and iron levels, something to do with the impact of the foot strike damaging the red blood cells or something. You’d have to google it to see the details but I remember both articles were basically warning women about the potential of running to contribute to low iron levels.
You might like to take a read and see how relevant it is for you.
Here’s one article and it references the foot-strike haemolysis:
https://womensrunninguk.co.uk/health/suffering-iron-deficiency/
That’s what I thought too!!!!! I asked my Dr if that could be the cause and she basically shot down the idea saying it was not possible. I think she’s a very good Dr and trust her opinion. Just a waiting game I guess for the rest of the tests but I’m really curious about all this and why she may be speculating. I was way too out of it at the time to ask questions.
I'm curious as well, especially about why she didn't seem to think supplementing would help. Please update when you find out if you don't mind and remember
But right in the initial post is the explanation.My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done.
I think that pretty clearly says that taking iron supplements would mess up the results in the additional testing. Like eliminating gluten from your diet before you're testing for celiac's disease.
Thanks I don’t know why that wasn’t obvious to me yesterday lol. Makes sense.
My dad also has a rare blood disorder called Hemochromatosis, which I know is genetic. He actually discovered it by running his Ancestry raw data through a program called Prometheus. He ran my ancestry as well before he went into the hospital and he told me I didn’t have the disease but I was a carrier. I kinda want to retest it just to make sure..I read this morning it can cause abnormal ferratin levels although I thought it would have made them high not low. I think I’m going to go see a hematologist soon too if these other labs come back wacky.
Henochromatosis is excess iron - people with this disorder tend to need therapeutic phlebotomy where they just draw the blood to reduce the iron in the body. My grandmother had iron overload in her 80s and my sister also has the trait but it may never affect her. My father has also never had a problem and he has had the trait for 67 years.
See what your CBC says, iron deficiency usually affects your hemoglobin and hematocrit. if these are low then you usually have symptoms of fatigue and paleness, not to mention odd looking finger nails.
Usually with anemia people adapt, which is why some blood cancer patients are oblivious to their cancers when first diagnosed. You get used to have a low hemoglobin over time.
I had acute blood loss after a surgery when I was 12. I was dizzy, exhausted, and weak. I could barely even walk. Just taking a shower required me to lay on the floor for a few minutes before being able to dress myself. Instead of a transfusion they gave me prescription iron supplements for 6 months.
Good luck!!! 2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »Do you happen to know what your iron total was? Even though my ferritin was low, my iron total was juuuust above the bottom threshold of normal (43 with a range of 40-190).
My total iron was 66. I wonder what that means? I find it strange with such a low ferratin level my doctor told me absolutely do not take an iron supplement...sarabushby wrote: »I have read some articles about the relationship between running and iron levels, something to do with the impact of the foot strike damaging the red blood cells or something. You’d have to google it to see the details but I remember both articles were basically warning women about the potential of running to contribute to low iron levels.
You might like to take a read and see how relevant it is for you.
Here’s one article and it references the foot-strike haemolysis:
https://womensrunninguk.co.uk/health/suffering-iron-deficiency/
That’s what I thought too!!!!! I asked my Dr if that could be the cause and she basically shot down the idea saying it was not possible. I think she’s a very good Dr and trust her opinion. Just a waiting game I guess for the rest of the tests but I’m really curious about all this and why she may be speculating. I was way too out of it at the time to ask questions.
I'm curious as well, especially about why she didn't seem to think supplementing would help. Please update when you find out if you don't mind and remember
But right in the initial post is the explanation.My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done.
I think that pretty clearly says that taking iron supplements would mess up the results in the additional testing. Like eliminating gluten from your diet before you're testing for celiac's disease.
Thanks I don’t know why that wasn’t obvious to me yesterday lol. Makes sense.
My dad also has a rare blood disorder called Hemochromatosis, which I know is genetic. He actually discovered it by running his Ancestry raw data through a program called Prometheus. He ran my ancestry as well before he went into the hospital and he told me I didn’t have the disease but I was a carrier. I kinda want to retest it just to make sure..I read this morning it can cause abnormal ferratin levels although I thought it would have made them high not low. I think I’m going to go see a hematologist soon too if these other labs come back wacky.
Henochromatosis is excess iron - people with this disorder tend to need therapeutic phlebotomy where they just draw the blood to reduce the iron in the body. My grandmother had iron overload in her 80s and my sister also has the trait but it may never affect her. My father has also never had a problem and he has had the trait for 67 years.
See what your CBC says, iron deficiency usually affects your hemoglobin and hematocrit. if these are low then you usually have symptoms of fatigue and paleness, not to mention odd looking finger nails.
Usually with anemia people adapt, which is why some blood cancer patients are oblivious to their cancers when first diagnosed. You get used to have a low hemoglobin over time.
I had acute blood loss after a surgery when I was 12. I was dizzy, exhausted, and weak. I could barely even walk. Just taking a shower required me to lay on the floor for a few minutes before being able to dress myself. Instead of a transfusion they gave me prescription iron supplements for 6 months.
Good luck!!!
Thanks for the info, that’s what I thought so figured it couldn’t be that. My nails are falling off and I look extremely pale but I ran 9 miles yesterday. I’m wondering if I should quit running for a while until I feel better but I love it so much. I forgot to ask my doctor. I must not be that bad since I still have energy! Glad to hear you’re feeling better. Thanks again.0 -
I’m curious if others have been anemic how did it make you feel? My memory is getting really bad... today I forgot my husbands birthday and how to spell his name when asked at the doctors.. I broke down crying on the way home. I’ve never experienced anything like this, usually my memory is superb.
I didn't have memory problems, I was just very tired constantly. I didn't know I had anemia until I was diagnosed with hodgkins and the anemia was discovered and had to be addressed before treatment.
1 -
OP, I used to be quite severely anaemic. I used to get heart palpitations which I attributed to stress more than anything, and I was often tired but mainly because I always went to bed late. But other than that I don't think I presented with any symptoms. Like you, I ate a lot of meat (still do!) so it came pretty out of the blue. In fact, I only found out because I got turned away from giving blood after my blood sample didn't sink to the bottom of the jar. The nurse there told me to make an urgent GP appointment, which I reluctantly did.
When I saw my GP, she recommended that I get a blood test, which I went along with. To my surprise, when she called me in to talk about the results, she said that my ferritin level was "less than 1". The reason why they couldn't be more precise than that is because when it's less than 1 it's classed as "undetectable." Even then, I wasn't too fussed about it because it wasn't affecting my day-to-day life, but she said it was so low that if I didn't respond to treatment she was going to recommend I get a blood transfusion!
Anyway, long story short, I didn't need a blood transfusion. I took iron supplements for a little while but I don't bother with them anymore. Sometimes you can be genetically predisposed to being anaemic, but with me it was linked to very heavy periods, so now I keep it under control by running three packs of the contraceptive pill together without a break. I appreciate that won't work for everyone, in which case iron supplements might be the way forward - though only when your doctor has given them the okay. I don't think it's anything to worry too much about. Good luck!1 -
When I was severely anemic my main symptoms were shortness of breath, total loss of memory function, congitive disability and tiredness.
I hope you find out soon what it's all about so you can get some help! 1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Hi y’all,
This community has never let me down and has always been so knowledgeable so I thought I’d ask here! I’ve been through a lot lately with my fathers health declining and dealing with that stress and you all had some great advice. I’m now dealing with my own personal issues... I just recently got my bloodwork done and my Ferratin level was 9 (range was like 15-152 something like that?). I’ve had low iron in the past but not quite this low. My doctor wants to do further testing she thinks something else is wrong and told me NOT to take iron supplements until further testing is done... I’m curious if others have been anemic how did it make you feel? My memory is getting really bad... today I forgot my husbands birthday and how to spell his name when asked at the doctors.. I broke down crying on the way home. I’ve never experienced anything like this, usually my memory is superb. I’m suffering here and I can’t take anything to make it better yet. Did you have memory problems when you were anemic? I’m also not a vegetarian, I eat plenty of meat.... I’m wondering if it’s the anemia causing my memory loss or perhaps just the stress of my dads recent health issues and the added responsibilities. Otherwise I still feel really healthy, I’m still running well and feel pretty good. Besides the memory loss I’ve had some left arm numbness, and heart palpitations. Going back to the doctors this week.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Sure, one time my iron got way out of whack and I got written up at work from making so many mistakes. And I hated my life. I was taking iron supplements at the time, but there are many forms of iron and I needed to find the one that worked for me, which was neither of the two forms I originally got from the VA.
I got out of whack again a few years ago and was having heart palpitations. In consultation with my doctors, I doubled my iron supplement and started taking a beta blocker and they went away.
I am currently taking iron bisglycinate. This doesn't give me the constipation or upset stomach side effects that other forms of iron can cause.
Iron rich foods: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/before-during-after/iron-blood-donation/iron-rich-foods.html (I discount foods that were fortified with iron as presumably the food manufacturers use cheap and potentially ineffective forms of iron.)
When I'm menstruating I eat Wellshire Liverwurst; 2 oz = 35% RDA iron. If I can't make it to Whole Foods I get Boar's Head Liverwurst, 2 oz = 25% RDA iron.
(For people who want more iron but don't like liver - neither do I; can't stand the stuff, but I do like liverwurst. Wellshire also makes turkey liverwurst. Less iron, but also less fat and calories. Last I checked this brand was exclusive to Whole Foods.
I'm going to try making chicken liver pate one of these times.
I also mix 1 T of blackstrap molasses into a cup of warm water every morning. That gives me 20% RDA. Here's what I order https://smile.amazon.com/Wholesome-Sweeteners-Organic-Molasses-Pack/dp/B001M0G2PO/ but caution - this brand can leak, so best to not get anything else with that order. It was the cheapest, so I continued to put up with it. (Plus last time Amazon just credited me for the whole thing.) However, I see the price has almost doubled since I last ordered so maybe try to get locally instead. Old price was $21 for three 32 oz bottles.
Vitamin C helps with iron absorption and I mix powdered, buffered vitamin C into the molasses "tea" to create a dreadful concoction. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I4AIUA/
Wow thank you so much for all the info!!!
I’m a bit afraid of getting in trouble at work too, I’ve been so confused and afraid of making a mistake...
I bounced back quickly once I got the right supplement and was more careful to include iron-rich foods in my diet
As I get closer to menopause and my periods get heavier and heavier, the anemia takes more management. I bounced back more quickly this menstrual cycle though - in addition to the supplement, liverwurst, and blackstrap molasses I mentioned above, I also had two meals with red meat for about 4 days. So I was intaking about 116% of my RDA from (non-fortified) food alone, plus 278% from the supplement.
(Before my periods got so heavy I didn't need to do nearly this much.)
Keep us posted after you see the doctor again next week!
So it took forever for the lab results to come back... but my dr finally gave me some iron & vitamin c supplements. Apparently I am also protein C deficient.. which is I guess kind of a oddity? My dr wants to test it again in a few months to see where it’s at again. From what I read online I’m freaked out, but I’m not a doctor and my own doctor didn’t seem concerned so maybe it’s not as bad as I thought...? I’m not sure this is exactly in her realm of expertise though since she’s mainly an endocrinologist. I’m considering seeing a blood doctor but I might just wait for the results in a few months... I’m not sure how this protein C thing could even effect ferratin levels?
My dad at 54 years young just had a massive debilitating stroke, cause unknown.. I wonder if he also has protein C deficiency and that’s what caused the stroke?2
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