Hope you can help, last year I was very anemic, this was sorted by iron supplements. I've had a hysterctomy since, I thought this would end the anemia issue for me ( long story about that !) I have my Ferritin results as I'm on Levo and feeling like crap again !
Serum Ferritin Level 21.3 ug/ l (10.0 - 204.0 ). I'm right thinking this is a bit low, can't get an appiontment for two weeks, do you guys think a weeks worth of iron tabs will sort it ?
Kind regards
Very tired person. X
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123happy
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The haemoglobin concentration should rise by about 100–200 mg/100 mL (1–2 g/litre) per day or 2 g/100 mL (20 g/litre) over 3–4 weeks. When the haemoglobin is in the reference range, treatment should be continued for a further 3 months to replenish the iron stores. Epithelial tissue changes such as atrophic glossitis and koilonychia are usually improved, but the response is often slow."
Given how low your ferritin is you will probably have to take iron supplements for 3 - 6 months. If you are slow to absorb it then it could be a lot longer. If you have inflammation it could make your body store excessive amounts of the iron, and if that happens you will have to stop the supplements much earlier.
BUT - since you really don't know how quickly you will respond you have to assume you will absorb the iron well and will have to get tested after 2 or 3 months. It is vitally important not to forget or put it off, because iron can be poisonous in overload.
Ferrous sulphate is the iron supplement often dished out by doctors. It is very cheap and very hard to tolerate, so avoid this one. Ferrous fumarate is also quite cheap but is easier to tolerate for most people. There are other forms of iron you can try if you can't tolerate ferrous fumarate, but they tend to be more expensive and have lower amounts of elemental iron in.
Your ferritin is very low, no wonder you feel bad.
When I was at 21 I could not do anything, so I know how it feels.
Taking the supplements now wont sort it in a week. But since it is so low, you WILL need supplements, so it makes sense to start doing that asap.
If I were you I would start by taking Floradix, yes it is a lower dose than the supplements, but it is a liquid so absorbed better and also contains small amounts of b vits and vit c all of which help with the absorption of iron and fatigue! Plus you take it before meals and so you absorb more. You can get it on amazon for a lot cheaper than at the store. A large one lasts a couple of weeks if you are taking the recommended dose.
Maybe also get a very good high b complex, since you are so tired.
And a good vit c too.
Unfortunately, you don't need to worry about iron overload, not for a good while yet.
Ferritin is the measure of the stores of iron in your bone marrow. When this gets low, it means that your body is using up your iron stores because you are not meeting you daily requirements for iron.
So why is your body using up the iron stores? Answer, the iron that you are using up is more than you are taking in through diet or supplements. And when you get your levels up, they slowly go back down again for this reason.
So, yes the solution is to start to build them back up again.
But the other is to continue to take them afterwards, maybe at a lower dose, to ensure you are meeting you daily requirements. If you exercise for example you need considerably more iron than if you don't.
I have read that some people need to have their ferritin at 100 before they feel better. Which is good to know. Maybe it is good to get it into that kind of mid range and then you have a better buffer should your body need it.
Just some thoughts I had.
You will start to feel a bit better in a couple of months or so.
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