Ferritin

A blood test last Friday shows low ferritin. I eat loads of iron rich foods and self inject on top of my 8 weekly gp injections. Symptoms have increased recently with very easy bruising and bleeding after injections and blood test as well as pins and needles, fatigue....all the usual symptoms.Does anyone know if I just take iron tablets for those and is this normal with PA?

[Nackapan]

My ferritin dropped.It's only part of the iron picture.

However I was advised to keep it 50+ to 70. By one gp.ax at the time my hair was falling out and I was shanky and heart pounding

The in range was 10 +??

I had symptoms at 29

The Gp prescribed iron and rechecked bloods after 3-4 months .

Symptoms stopped at 41 ferritin level

I seem to need a low dose iron supplement still 3 years on.

Last ferritin level 52.

I also eat meat and other forms of dietary iron.

It's either the high doses of b12 needed knocking it out of balance or part of the absorption problem or both.

Never needed iron before b12 deficiency treatment.

[Hidden in reply to Nackapan]

Thank you for replying so quickly. I cannot get a gp appointment for ages so will just self treat with iron. I am vegetarian but eat loads of iron rich foods so have no idea why ferritin is low. My symptoms include bruising easily; my blood test left me looking like I have been in a horrible accident. I suppose I also worry about risks of stomach cancer as I have lost appetite and feel nauseous but thus is probably due to the low iron.

[Nackapan in reply to Hidden]

I wouid get back to your surgery saying you need urgent advice.Ferritin is naturally low in many .

It's raises in times if inflammation.

I only had one ferritin level to compare to .

If you have more good

.

It's best to get a follow up blood test and the whole iron picture.

I've also struggled to get advice but was prescribed last lot as I wanted a follow up blood test.

What was your before and after ferritin level 🤔? HB

[Hidden in reply to Nackapan]

Previous blood tests (quite a few since my PA diagnosis in 2017) have not flagged up my ferritin levels and so the low level combined with my recent symptoms would suggest it is dropping for some reason. NICE guidelines seem to say that the reason for this should be investigated in my demographic.

[Nackapan in reply to Hidden]

Yes the full picture

[FlipperTD]

Scientist, not medic.

Low ferritin is quite common in vegetarians. Has it been reflected in your FBC? [reduced MCV & MCH, maybe even reduced Hb?] Any change in your platelet count?

Don't just blunder on regardless and take Iron supplements without further advice from your GP. There are further tests that might be recommended. Low iron is typically a symptom of something else going on, and you really need to know!

Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to FlipperTD]

The surgery called me yesterday and said that my ferritin is 30 and they actually just want to talk about my b12 (this will be high I'm sure). They did a full blood count but don't seem worried about that.

[FlipperTD in reply to Hidden]

It would be worth getting copies of your results and comparing them over time. Sometimes small changes can be obvious to you but may be overlooked by the surgery.

Good luck, and don't give in!

[Hidden in reply to FlipperTD]

Thank you, I will ask to have access to my results. I tend, like most on here I think, to be symptomatic even in the borderline low range.

[FlipperTD]

Cheers. I've rambled on at considerable length about 'normal' and/or 'reference ranges' and the range that you need is the one that suits you. Which is why it's worth plotting your own results over time, because when you're healthy they won't vary a great deal, but it's far more sensible to see how your current result varies with your previous result, in addition to seeing where they are in relation to the reference range given with the result. It's a really good idea to make sure they're always done by the same lab or grup of labs, and if the lab changes its instrumentation then the range may/should be edited to reflect this.

It's worth remembering that the results are 'Yours', not 'Theirs' and you have every right to be given them. It's possible that you'll be asked by some 'Dragon At the Gates Of Doom' why you could possibly want them, but 'Because they're mine!' should be enough. If you get the 'I'll have to speak to 'The Doctor' then you may wonder what they're covering up, and if you're brave enough, you could ask, but that might not be advisable just yet!

Good luck, and keep us all informed!

[Nackapan in reply to FlipperTD]

I have to fill out a form to get my blood results to take away on paper. Takes weeks.

Every time I'm sure a way of putting people off.

They are on the NHS app but only for 6 months

Do like paper !!

[Hidden in reply to Nackapan]

I will try both; app first as I can screenshot or print out that way. Thank you

[FlipperTD in reply to Nackapan]

It's no surprise that the NHS was the last bastion of the fax machine in the UK economy, is it?!

[Nackapan in reply to FlipperTD]

No!! As IT sytems from department to department incompatable.

Also Gps coukd opt in or out of 'systmone??