Feeling foolish and despondent

[Narwhal10]

Morning everyone,

Hope you all well. I’d be grateful if you knowledgeable people would be kind enough to educate me.

I’ve just come back from the GPs and had my vitamin B12 injection. I had a discussion with the practitioner regarding my poor tolerance of the ferrous fumarate that’s been prescribed - they are too harsh on my stomach. I was told ‘we aren’t concerned about your levels of ferritin - they are stores’. I replied oh thank you and was advised to take 2 as opposed to 3 a day which is what I’m currently doing but I struggle with that. The advice of take 1 a day was given with orange juice, I take with a vit C supplement.

So my question is a ferritin level of 7 is pretty ok then ? Thank you

[Nackapan]

No. Most ranges start at 10 for ferritin. I take ferrous fumerate 210mg every other day. Take solgar gentle 20mg and spartone as well. It takes longer to raise levels but it takes a while anyway.

Ferritin is only part of the picture. I'm sure you had a full iron panel sone. It's a store in a protein if your stores run out you get anaemic.

Should be tested in 3 months. Take away from caffeine . Drink lots of water.

[Narwhal10]

Thanks Nackapan for your prompt reply and suggestions.

I asked the receptionist to print out all my results and there was not full iron panel.

(Forgive me if I’m incorrect but that includes iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, ferritin and unsaturated iron binding capacity) 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️. I was very short of breath (it’s getting better) high heart rate and really awful vertigo.

[Hay2016]

NO, no it’s not!!!! Stamping feet and wanting to punch someone. But gps don’t recognise it. The can prescribe another ferrous which is kinder. My daughter can’t cope with fumarate. Her ferritin was higher and suffered with shortness of breath to the extent they labelled her asthmatic. Xx

[Narwhal10]

Oh my goodness Hay2016,

What on earth were they thinking with your daughter. I hope to goodness they did not prescribe inhalers as well. 😤

It wasn’t the GP but the ‘person’ giving the injection. I tried to give the oh, silly me but really I thought this

youtube.com/watch?v=18DLup4...(Not working as expected?).

[still_elsewhere]

Hi! For comparison purposes — I recently found out that my ferritin’s 8 and they gave me two literal iron infusions.

I can’t speak for the rest of your bloodwork (or mine), but at least in my limited understanding, a ferritin of 7’s not normal and you should feel a lot better once it’s higher.

If oral tablets are working too slowly but your insurance won’t cover infusions (or if infusions aren’t prescribed by your GP / the NHS? — however it works where you are), I’ve heard that liquid iron mixed in some OJ is the way to go.

[Narwhal10]

Hi Still Elsewhere,

I know it’s not normal and I’m symptomatic. You are not UK based ? Did you feel better after the transfusions ?

I’d spoken to a private iron infusion clinic who wanted certain blood tests so was checking what had been taken. They hadn’t so he doesn’t have a good iron panel for a start. He clearly has no idea about folate, B12 and ferritin and it is unsafe practice.

Thank you for replying 👍🏻