I had a blood test that revealed I was not anemic but iron deficient when I asked what the iron was I got told my iron level was 10 ug/l
I have been fatigued and lightheaded / dizzy for a couple of weeks now previous to the blood test , I was given ferrous fumurate 210mg 1 tablet to be taken 3 times a day by my GP as a result of the blood test. I have been taken the tablets now for 4 days. Still feeling tired and dizzy ..with this kind of iron level is it right to have symptoms?
Is it your ferritin level that is 10?
Thanks for the reply ...I think so, the GP never really gave me much information! I got a call from the receptionist saying I have been prescribed ferrous fumurate and I asked why was my iron low? And he receptionist told me it was 10 ug/l which I'm assuming it must of been ferritin level
You can get symptoms from ow ferritin which are similar to feeling anaemic if your ferritin is under 50.
It takes a long time to build up your iron so I am not surprised you don’t feel well yet. Give it a few weeks at least.
It’s a good idea to take your ferrous fumerate with 500mg of vitamin c to aid absorption and reduce constipation.
Yes I have been taking my ferrous fumurate with a glass of orange juice I thought that might help with the absorption? ... oh really I didn't know anything about what it should be the ferritin level, I tried to google it and came up with different things. But yes I definitely got told over the phone iron was 10 ug/l and it's driving mad the dizzy spells they are awful
universityhealthnews.com/da...
If you are not sure if this result is your ferritin or something else just ask the GP to confirm.
Yeah I remember on the blood form it said FER2 and when I asked for iron levels after the blood test was done and results back that's when the receptionist told me it was this 10 ug/l ... all my doctor said was that it was "low"
I got a print out of test results it says serum ferritin 10ug/L range 10.00-291.00ug/l
Serum C reactive protein level <4 mL
range 0.00- 4.00mg/L
Serum TSH level 1.85 miu/L range 0.30-5.00miu/L
You should always as for a print-out of your results when you have a blood test. If you live in the UK, it is your legal right to have one, and they can't refuse. That way, you will know exactly what the test was for, and get the ranges, too, which is very important. We can't interpret blood test results without the ranges, and they vary from lab to lab. 
Yes I live in U.K. I didn't think about getting a copy , I know from the blood form it tested for coags, crp, esr, fbc, fer2, tsh, ue ...they said all considered normal except the iron that was low but I didn't see an actual copy that was just the GP saying so
Well, the term 'iron' can refer to several things. Doctors seem to think that the 'serum iron' test and the 'ferritin' test are the same thing. So, it's best to get a print-out of your results. Besides, doctors often think things are good when they really aren't. They're not really experts are interpreting blood test results.
So, for all those reasons, you should get a print-out every time you have a test, and keep your own records. For one thing, it will make it easier when you ask for advice on here!
I got a print out of test results it says serum ferritin 10ug/L range 10.00-291.00ug/l
Serum C reactive protein level <4 mL
range 0.00- 4.00mg/L
Serum TSH level 1.85 miu/L range 0.30-5.00miu/L
Yes, that is very, very low, and would definitely cause symptoms.
Well there we have it! I'm so glad I got a print out thank you for telling me. to actually see for myself. I didn't know how to post the picture to this page so I put another post with the picture of the print out of the blood results ..
It's really bad that they didn't treat your blood loss (following surgery ) in the hospital and let it come to this.
I know that's what I thought ! I even got the blood results from when I was in hospital and they never checked for iron etc! I only got checked for iron last week from my doctor ! x
That’s awful- for them not to test or treat you after blood loss
and for him to not tell you you’re deficienct(!) but just low because your level is 10! Literally the lowest of the ‘normal’ range value.
You are certainly anaemic with those test results- I felt awful at 25 and below 50-you really do get symptoms.
You can and should ask for iron infusion injections to get your levels back up promptly- it will also lessen the side effects compared to tablets. Thereafter you should possibly top up a little and restest. If your levels are due to the blood loss rather than other issues it should be a one off thing.
I know! When I read the other blood results I was like why didn't they check for iron etc because I had so much blood loss I bled in total for over 28 days soaking a pad within seconds sometimes. My symptoms now are tingling feet, brain fog, exhaustion from for example making a meal and the dizziness the dizziness is really getting me down all the time I feel lightheaded. Yeah you would think they would give me an iron injection? But the Doctor gave me ferrous fumurate 210 mg and I take 1 tablet 3 times a day. I'm on day 5 of taking them now and still feel bad
I posted a picture my blood results on another post of mine as I didn't know how to attach it to this post
Ah just had a look.
It looks like your mchc values are ok also so probably not an issue with you but worth asking him to check for b12 and folate deficiency. They all work to make red blood cells etc and very similar symptoms to iron anaemia.
I had similar issue with heavy bleeding during periods but (male!) doctor says it’s now a myth that women are more anaemic due to heavy periods/menstruation 🤣
I felt like saying- let me just stab you and let you bleed for 3 weeks and we’ll have this conversation again 😜
P.s to add photo to original post scroll to bottom of your initial message and click on edit (might be under the ‘more’ tab) then scroll to add photo
Iron reserves unfortunately can take weeks/months to build up so you won’t feel better straight away with tablets.
I would push GP to give you iron infusion if you want to feel better more quickly. If you are getting side effects from the tablets even more reason to- u can say how upset and angry you are that you’ve been left to feel this way by hospital and suffering for so long. You need a quick fix
Liquid iron often absorbs better- not sure if you can eat floradix on prescription now.
Thanks I have just uploaded the picture of the blood results on this post I didn't know how do it . Yes I'm definitely going to mention about this iron injection / fusion. I have suffered for weeks 
Thanks a lot for your advice x
I think they should have given you a transfusion and kept you in till you were stable. Make sure the infection is treated and cleared up with follow up culture tests. Did you have intravenous antibiotics.
Do you check your temperature? I would check it if you feel unwell. If it starts to raise now you've finished the antibiotics I would phone GP
My temperature was raised at hospital at the time but it was just noted that on the 16th November when I had the swab taken. I couldn't believe it when they didn't keep me in they had me in for 6 hours and I bled so much it was everywhere and they sent me home! And then didn't even check for iron etc... It doesn't appear raised right now my temperature just the dizzy , tired , tingly feet symptoms .. no it wasn't intravenous antibiotics because it was only when I asked about swab on 3rd December did the GP say oh yes there seems to be infection that was there when a swab was taken on the 16th November at hospital! So no one informed me! ...So the GP then gave me co amoxiclav oral tablets on the 3rd December for 7 days worth of antibiotics and I have just finished today the final dose , so today I have completed the course , so I really want it to be checked again to see if that infection has cleared
Chlo
I just replied - and lost it! Must have touched cancel by mistake!
You GP seems to be doing more for you than the hospital . He's given you a broad spectrum antibiotic . I think you gave the C&S (Culture & Sensitivity ) result on the other post - with 's' by Amoxicilin? Which means they tested the infection against Amoxicilin and it is sensitive to it. Hopefully you will start to feel better. I would take your temperature in a few days and then occassionally - sooner if you feel unwell / feverish. Make sure the infection is fully cleared up.
If you still have the other symptoms - dizziness, tingling feet then I would phone GP. Keep a list of your symptoms and questions (re iron fusion ) ready for when he calls back.
The medical neglect you suffered at the hospital is shocking - but nothing new in my experience.
Did you have any other tests done and when do you go back for a repeat test.
I was once followed up after 2 weeks.
coags, crp, esr, fbc, fer2, tsh, ue that's what all the blood test was for I was told everything seemed normal except the low "iron" but I didn't get to see an actual copy of the results. I just feel like rubbish and dizzy , but I have only been on the ferrous fumurate for 4 days , I'm still feeling dizzy and fatigued ... the reason I had the blood test was 4 weeks ago I had a heavy bleed from a loop procedure that takes pre cancerous cells from your cervix it all started from then 1 month ago , I was bleeding heavy for a week after the procedure that much so I had to go to hospital luckily I didn't need a transfusion but I needed the wound inside recautrised and then on the 16th Nov a swab was taken from the cervix and infection came back as strep milleri I only found this out about this 5 days ago that there was Infection so I was given antibiotics and then the gp asked for them blood tests because I had been bleeding for like a month up untill now (the bleeding has stopped 5 days ago thankfully , and now I found out I have low iron 4 days ago so It's all happened at once
But I haven't been explained to what this 10 ug/l iron is , and maybe his is why I'm feeling so off balanced and tired . I was just prescribed ferrous fumurate and didn't know why I had to call the gp reception back to know why
It seems to me that the blood loss has caused your iron deficient Anemia. I don't understand why the hospital didn't treat you for this - sorry, I do, the way things are today.
Are you drinking lots of water and eating a nutritious diet? Are you resting till you get over this?
When you can, ask for copies of all your blood results (print outs ).
If you wish you can write or email hospital and apply for copies of all your medical records. These are free of charge since new regulations 25/5/2018.
Maybe you need some time to recover? After all, you have been through so much.
Make sure you follow up with GP or outpatients to check you are clear of infection - and iron & liver tests are ok.
Google search foods rich in iron and eat the ones you like. Never try to eat anything you don't like because you think it may be good for you. But do drink lots of water and keep aware of bowel movements - make sure you address any constipation quickly.
Get well soon.
God Bless x
Thank you that's really helpful. I know I think the hospital must of missed it about the iron ...and I wasn't informed also that I had strep milleri infection untill 3rd of December but the swab was taken from hospital on the 16th november! I don't know how many days it takes for the culture to grow and show Infection but I have only just now started to be "treated" over 2 weeks after the swab was taken ...so I don't know if I still even have it but the GP put me on a 7 day antibiotic and I'm on day 5 of taking it
X
And yes I'm trying to drink lots of water I have cut caffeine out just the odd decaf tea and I don't have it within 2 hours of the ferrous fumurate before or after taking it. And I'm trying to eat veg and fruit everyday so I'am trying to have a better diet x
I got a print out of test results it says serum ferritin 10ug/L range 10.00-291.00ug/l
Serum C reactive protein level <4 mL
range 0.00- 4.00mg/L
Serum TSH level 1.85 miu/L range 0.30-5.00miu/L
You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet
Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up. They can no longer charge for printing out, rules changed after May 25th 2018
Do you also have a thyroid problem? Low iron or low ferritin need to be improved for Levothyroxine to work well
It can take months to improve a very low iron level by supplementing.
Eating liver or liver pate once a week should help. Other iron rich foods too
I will , I will call gp surgery tomorrow and ask for print outs. I'm not aware I have thyroid problem I didn't have previous, and in these recent blood tests they did test for TSH and I didn't get told otherwise other than everything normal except low iron and then I called the receptionist at the doctors to see if she could just read me out the iron level and she said it was 10 ug/l which I'm assuming is low? For ferritin? I'm still feeling dizzy and off balance I'm on 4th day of ferrous fumurate but I suppose it takes awhile for it to get into your system?
The following applies to the UK. It wouldn't apply to every country.
Since the units of measurement are ug/L then your result of 10 is definitely a ferritin level. If it was your serum iron then the units would have been umol/L.
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You should start feeling better in a few weeks. But if your doctor takes you off the ferrous fumarate after a couple of months, be aware that your ferritin is likely to just drop again and you will be deficient again in a few weeks or months.
If you want to monitor your own iron and ferritin then you would need to pay for private testing :
medichecks.com/iron-tests/i...
You can get 10% off the price with this code :
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
I had very low iron and ended up supplementing it myself. It took me nearly two years to get my ferritin up to optimal. I still have to take one ferrous fumarate four times a week just to maintain my levels.
Taking 1g (1000mg) of vitamin C with each pill should help your body to absorb it and should also help to prevent constipation. If you end up going too far the other way and get diarrhoea then take less vitamin C.
Thank you that it helpful information. Yes it is ferritin level then I'm assuming if it's measured ug/l. Is 10 ug/l low? And could this be the cause of this dizziness I have it's awful. I have been told on another reply that under 50 ferritin you can have symptoms like dizziness , fatigue etc
Yes, 10 ug/L is low, and almost certainly below the reference range. But without a reference range we can't tell you the level you should be aiming it. Some labs use a reference range of 13 - 150. Some use 30 - 300 or 30 - 400. There are probably a few other reference ranges in use that I don't remember. You would need to know which range applied to your specific result. The optimum result for ferritin is mid-range or a little bit over.
However, you shouldn't supplement iron for very long without knowing your serum iron.
If both serum iron and ferritin are low, then supplementing shouldn't be a problem.
If ferritin is low and serum iron is high in range or over the range then this indicates that you might have an iron problem which isn't straightforward, and supplementing could make you ill.
The same is true if ferritin is high and serum iron is low.
I will get the full results tomorrow I'll ask for a print out. The GP prescribed ferrous fumurate and the dosage which is 210mg take 1 , three times a day. So I'm following the Doctor instruction and what he prescribed so it must of been something low if it was prescribed but yeah like you say without knowing the full range I can't really give any other information other than I was told iron was 10 ug/l
But l really appreciate your helpful information
Low iron/ferritin can make you dizzy, particularly it will be worse after any activity. With low iron the blood can't carry enough oxygen for your needs so your brain hasn't got enough to function properly and the dizziness is your brains' way of telling you to lie down so it can get enough oxygen. It would probably also be worse when you have just eaten because the brain and the stomach are both trying to get enough oxygen. I fainted the other day because I gave blood and then ate a big meal in a hot stuffy room. I was fine as soon as I sat somewhere cooler. You may feel slightly better if you can decrease your body's oxygen demands by balancing activity, eating, temperature, fresh air etc. Eat small meals often rather than large ones if you can and don't get too hot or cold. As the ferrous fumarate starts to work you should feel better but it will be weeks rather than days.
That's helpful thank you, I have noticed the dizziness does gets worse if a room becomes too hot, but it's always there generally I have been off balance / dizzy for just over 2 weeks and I'm exhausted even though I'm not doing much. I'm on day 5 of taking ferrous fumurate prescribed by the Doctor I was just hoping I would start feeling better pretty soon but it could take a few more weeks?...I'm pretty sure they tested for TSH (thyroid) on my blood tests and they didn't say anything was off with that. But I'm just going getting a print off of the blood results to see for myself
Otherwise hypothyroidism causes dizziness too.
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Stopping Iron supplements before a TBIC, Ferritin, Iron blood test
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Advice please, iron blood test results.
