Low Iron and Mental Health

[Pheebs93]

Hi, I have been recently diagnosed with very low iron levels. I am now taking iron supplements, I am about a month in and not feeling much improvement yet. Prior to this diagnosis I was experiencing low mood, anxiety, dizziness, feeling faint, hair falling out, acne and body feeling weak. I have been experiencing severe panic attacks and depression for about 4 weeks now. Some people have told me low iron can do this, and I am just wondering if anyone has experienced this?

[Nackapan]

Was your b12 and folate tested ?

[Pheebs93 in reply to Nackapan]

She said my b12 was OK, but recommended I buy over the counter supplements which I have done, 2 weeks in on them now. I'm not sure about folate, to be honest I'm not sure what she meant in my diagnosis, she said extremely low iron level without anaemia.

[Nackapan in reply to Pheebs93]

Folate is usually tested at tge sane time as b12.I would get a copy of your blood results and try and get the results explained better.

[Pheebs93 in reply to Nackapan]

Thanks for your reply Nackapan, I've managed to get a copy of my results.They say:

My serum ferritin is 6ug/L below low reference limit.

Haemoglobin A1c is 39mmol

Serum B12 is 333ng/L

Serum Folate is 4.1ug/L

I am seeing a GP today, I have been taking ferrous fumarate 120mg supplements for the past month and I've seen no improvement as yet.

I am also going to ask them to explain these findings to me, I know I'm very low on ferritin but I don't understand if the others are okay.

Any advice on what questions to ask?

Thank you.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Pheebs93]

Yes- get your results: Nackapan is correct.

The reason being that, if B12 deficient, folate and ferritin and vitamin D and thyroid levels need regular checking. Not necessarily under range. Ferritin level for instance can give symptoms at anywhere below 60 ug/L according to my GP and my Oral Medicine consultant would rather 80 ug/L - not easy to achieve initially. I think these need to be monitored if you have a B12 deficiency. Mine were very mercurial for a couple of years but now (I hope) controlled. Not sure now.

Difficult now to get the same level of observation for this as was available prior to Covid. Also difficult to get continuity: the same GP can follow through with investigations and monitoring. Another GP needs to be told what the intention was - usually not known by the patient !

When I was found to have B12 deficiency, my ferritin and folate were low but within range. Hair loss and bleeding gums continued afterB12 injections started - and folate and ferritin believed by GP to be the cause - so low in range , but treated for 3 months. Thereafter treated by me when GP thought problematic, and stopped when GP found levels okay - or even high.

Thyroid problems can also cause problems - especially likely if PA the cause of your B12 deficiency, as autoimmune problems can come in twos, threes, groups. Look at a full thyroid panel testing (not just TSH ), so that autoimmune problems can be picked up. Grave's disease and Hashimoto's disease particularly relevant. This could need a private test as primary care usually only tests TSH and T4.

All of your symptoms can be about B12 deficiency- although not many GPs or even consultants will recognise this. B12 is really not just about tiredness.

Vitamin D: I have this on prescription because I was found to have osteoporosis of the spine shortly after B12 deficiency found.

You haven't said what brought you to the Pernicious Anaemia forum ... ?

[Pheebs93 in reply to Cherylclaire]

Thank you so much for all that inform Cherylclaire!

I've only been recently diagnosed with iron defiency, so I feel a little uninformed as this is new to me.

This was the only forum I could find on here that was about bloods and anaemia, I understand that I may not have this type of anaemia but I know people on here would be knowledgeable about this sort of thing and could offer some information and advice.

I have recieved my blood tests. This is what they say:

Serum ferritin is 6ug/L below low reference limit.

Haemoglobin A1c is 39mmol

Serum B12 is 333ng/L

Serum Folate is 4.1ug/L

I'm seeing a GP today due to know improvement in symptoms, any advice on what questions to ask?

Many thanks!

[humanbean]

I have been recently diagnosed with very low iron levels. I am now taking iron supplements, I am about a month in and not feeling much improvement yet.

I'm afraid improving iron is often a very slow process. I had below range serum iron and low in range ferritin. It took me nearly two years to get my ferritin up to mid-range, and after all that time my serum iron was still only low in range. I was taking the maximum dose of iron supplements the whole time.

After all that time I had to take a maintenance dose to keep my ferritin at mid-range. Without it my ferritin dropped like a stone as soon as I stopped taking it.

However, one thing I found was that my anxiety and depression improved enormously during the time I was taking iron. I have maintained the improvement in my mood along with the improved iron. I took a maintenance dose for five years (testing regularly) before testing showed my level had started to rise quite quickly so I stopped taking iron then and haven't needed it ever since.

One thing to consider is that with extremely low iron levels you might be better off getting an iron transfusion done privately. It could cut the waiting time to start feeling better down to just a few days.

If I had my time over again I would get an iron infusion. I wasted so much of my life feeling exhausted.