Anyone else suffer from low iron (ferritin)?

DS36

DS36

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For as long as I can recall, my iron has been low — it just wasn't until recently that I learned what was going on.

The first proper lab result I got showed ferritin at 14. I began taking iron tablets, and after 10 months my number had climbed only to 30, which sits right at the very bottom of what counts as "normal." That still isn't where I want to be. When I spoke with my doctor, he sent me for an iron IV, and that appointment is coming up soon. Once it's done, the idea is to keep things stable using oral iron.

I'm wondering whether others here also struggle with ferritin that stays low long-term. Has it changed your everyday quality of life the way it has changed mine? And if you've received an infusion — how much benefit did you actually get, how long did that effect stick around, and could you keep your levels up with pills afterward, or did you wind up needing more IVs?
 
Back in february, my feritin reading was 6. Fatigue was constant for me. I began a supplement routine that included vitamin C, B vitamins and copper, and now it sits at 50. On top of that, I added more iron-rich foods to my diet. Should supplements fail to help, an iron infusion is another option worth trying
 
Getting enough iron through supplements is really tough, since your body only takes in a tiny fraction of it. On top of that, the pills themselves are rough to take. At my worst, I was severely anemic, and eventually they resorted to giving me iron intravenously. That route carries its own dangers, but a single IV session can deliver as much iron as 6 months to a year of taking supplements.
 
Mine was 20 when I began. For 3 months I took 100mg of iron every other day. The result? It dropped to 16. Clearly that approach failed. At this point there are 2 paths: the Vorck Protocol or iron infusions. I'm inclined to go with the infusion because Vorck is a hassle and I doubt it would do anything when 100mg barely budged my numbers.

Vorck supposedly lasts around 1-3 months, while an infusion covers closer to 7-9. Unless you address what's causing the low reading in the first place, you'll probably need to do it again. For me, reflux medication might play a role, but I suspect TRT is the main culprit pulling it down. If a colonoscopy hasn't been done yet, it may be worth checking. Polyps were the initial thing we investigated — I had some, but removing them didn't help.

Fatigue was never something I associated with myself. I exercise and train quite intensely, but recently I've realized I'm likely pushing through mostly on willpower and probably do struggle with fatigue.
 
frizzle-fry said:

Getting enough iron through supplements is really tough, since your body only takes in a tiny fraction of it. On top of that, the pills themselves are rough to take. At my worst, I was severely anemic, and eventually they resorted to giving me iron intravenously. That route carries its own dangers, but a single IV session can deliver as much iron as 6 months to a year of taking supplements.
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Could you explain what you mean by risky? Thanks
 
Elgordoboy said:

frizzle-fry said:

Getting enough iron through supplements is really tough, since your body only takes in a tiny fraction of it. On top of that, the pills themselves are rough to take. At my worst, I was severely anemic, and eventually they resorted to giving me iron intravenously. That route carries its own dangers, but a single IV session can deliver as much iron as 6 months to a year of taking supplements.
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Could you explain what you mean by risky? Thanks
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If it escapes into your veins, it may stain the skin or trigger serious, potentially deadly reactions. According to my doctor, these days they have become much more skilled at administering them, and reactions are becoming less common, but even so I was kept overnight purely to watch for any problems. Everything went smoothly for me, and my iron levels have stayed good from then on.
 
Getting tested for leaks is a good idea. Blood could be escaping somewhere.



Not long ago I made the change to iron bisyglycinate form, hoping it would be gentler on the stomach and absorbed more effectively.

I had anemia, and my doctor refused to give the infusion until I had spent a year on the pills.
 
alexy7 said:

Back in february, my feritin reading was 6. Fatigue was constant for me. I began a supplement routine that included vitamin C, B vitamins and copper, and now it sits at 50. On top of that, I added more iron-rich foods to my diet. Should supplements fail to help, an iron infusion is another option worth trying
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Wow! Your level was lower than mine. In January mine was around 14, and I've been taking pills (Blood Builder) ever since, and over those 10 months I've climbed up to the floor of 30.
 
Brad said:

Getting tested for leaks is a good idea. Blood could be escaping somewhere.



Not long ago I made the change to iron bisyglycinate form, hoping it would be gentler on the stomach and absorbed more effectively.

I had anemia, and my doctor refused to give the infusion until I had spent a year on the pills.
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I'm dealing with that at the moment too. On top of that, I made the change to bisyglycinate — it's vastly superior. Do you know about Blood Builder sold on Amazon?
 
frizzle-fry said:

Getting enough iron through supplements is really tough, since your body only takes in a tiny fraction of it. On top of that, the pills themselves are rough to take. At my worst, I was severely anemic, and eventually they resorted to giving me iron intravenously. That route carries its own dangers, but a single IV session can deliver as much iron as 6 months to a year of taking supplements.
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My doctor is arranging an IV for me within the next 1 to 2 months. That was the first time I had ever heard of it.
 
Brad said:

Getting tested for leaks is a good idea. Blood could be escaping somewhere.



Not long ago I made the change to iron bisyglycinate form, hoping it would be gentler on the stomach and absorbed more effectively.

I had anemia, and my doctor refused to give the infusion until I had spent a year on the pills.
Click to expand...
Same here. Before starting GLP, anemia was never an issue for me -- the problem was I wasn't getting enough food. When I was pregnant I used iron and it was quite unpleasant, but this version doesn't cause any discomfort.
 
DS36 said:

For as long as I can recall, my iron has been low — it just wasn't until recently that I learned what was going on.

The first proper lab result I got showed ferritin at 14. I began taking iron tablets, and after 10 months my number had climbed only to 30, which sits right at the very bottom of what counts as "normal." That still isn't where I want to be. When I spoke with my doctor, he sent me for an iron IV, and that appointment is coming up soon. Once it's done, the idea is to keep things stable using oral iron.

I'm wondering whether others here also struggle with ferritin that stays low long-term. Has it changed your everyday quality of life the way it has changed mine? And if you've received an infusion — how much benefit did you actually get, how long did that effect stick around, and could you keep your levels up with pills afterward, or did you wind up needing more IVs?
Click to expand...
It's worth keeping in mind that a low iron reading isn't itself a diagnosis — it's a finding that calls for figuring out the underlying reason. Causes vary widely. The most frequent ones are blood loss through menstruation or not getting enough iron from food, yet even for women in that age bracket, further testing may be warranted to pin down a cause. For men, and for people in any other age group, investigation is always necessary, largely to rule out sources of slow bleeding in the digestive tract such as peptic ulcers or cancers. When low iron has persisted over a long period, conditions like coeliac disease (roughly 1% of the population) also need to be ruled out. My own mother likely had it from infancy, but it was only identified when she was in her 60's, after tests for low iron. The possible causes are numerous, but determining the reason matters at least as much as correcting the low iron — and doing so may resolve the issue altogether.
 
Which iron supplement are you taking right now?

The absorption of the older iron supplements is awful.

If Ferrochel iron isn't part of your routine, it ought to be.
 
Thanks for sharing this. I definitely need to have my levels tested and sorted out. Low iron has been a lifelong issue for me, and lately my periods have been extremely heavy, I've been passing out, and I can hardly leave my bed unless I have to care for my kids. That's not a life worth living.
 
Before you settle on an iron pill, talk it over with your doctor. A lot of doctors still recommend the older types of iron supplements, and those don't get absorbed very well.

Ferrochel is available without a prescription, but I'd still bring it up directly with your doctor — spell the name out if they don't recognize it right away — and ask them to look into it and follow up with you.

To be clear: I'm not selling anything and I don't profit from Ferrochel in any way. It's simply a far superior form of iron.
 
amosmylove said:

Thanks for sharing this. I definitely need to have my levels tested and sorted out. Low iron has been a lifelong issue for me, and lately my periods have been extremely heavy, I've been passing out, and I can hardly leave my bed unless I have to care for my kids. That's not a life worth living.
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I noticed your little move there. That said, the drop in quality of life truly is awful once it keeps piling on. There are so many things tied to low iron.
 
Just A Cat said:

Before you settle on an iron pill, talk it over with your doctor. A lot of doctors still recommend the older types of iron supplements, and those don't get absorbed very well.

Ferrochel is available without a prescription, but I'd still bring it up directly with your doctor — spell the name out if they don't recognize it right away — and ask them to look into it and follow up with you.

To be clear: I'm not selling anything and I don't profit from Ferrochel in any way. It's simply a far superior form of iron.
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For the last 10 months, iron bisglycinate has been what I take. A few posts back, ferrochel came up, and right now I'm looking into it before making a purchase.
 
OK. Have your doctor check whether every other day dosing could work for you. It's uncommon, but there is documentation that some individuals who don't respond to daily FerroChel (the bisglycinate) frequently begin responding once we switch to every other day dosing.

The Issue: Taking oral iron every single day (or multiple times a day) can actually cause the body to reject it. When a person ingests a large dose of iron, the liver releases a hormone called hepcidin. Hepcidin acts as a bouncer that locks the gates of the gut, blocking further iron absorption for up to 24 to 48 hours

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My gut says use the 36mg strength on an every other day schedule.

So this is something worth bringing up with the doctor. If your labs improve on every other day, then we've solved the puzzle.
 
Just A Cat said:

OK. Have your doctor check whether every other day dosing could work for you. It's uncommon, but there is documentation that some individuals who don't respond to daily FerroChel (the bisglycinate) frequently begin responding once we switch to every other day dosing.

The Issue: Taking oral iron every single day (or multiple times a day) can actually cause the body to reject it. When a person ingests a large dose of iron, the liver releases a hormone called hepcidin. Hepcidin acts as a bouncer that locks the gates of the gut, blocking further iron absorption for up to 24 to 48 hours

Click to expand...
Click to expand...

My gut says use the 36mg strength on an every other day schedule.

So this is something worth bringing up with the doctor. If your labs improve on every other day, then we've solved the puzzle.
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Following my most recent lab last month, I've only just switched to taking it every other day. My next lab isn't until December, but waiting isn't something I'm willing to do, because both my personal and professional quality of life are taking a hit. I went ahead and requested the IV anyway. My plan is to get that and then keep things steady with an improved pill.
 
DS36 said:

Just A Cat said:

Before you settle on an iron pill, talk it over with your doctor. A lot of doctors still recommend the older types of iron supplements, and those don't get absorbed very well.

Ferrochel is available without a prescription, but I'd still bring it up directly with your doctor — spell the name out if they don't recognize it right away — and ask them to look into it and follow up with you.

To be clear: I'm not selling anything and I don't profit from Ferrochel in any way. It's simply a far superior form of iron.
Click to expand...
For the last 10 months, iron bisglycinate has been what I take. A few posts back, ferrochel came up, and right now I'm looking into it before making a purchase.
Click to expand...
What Albion Laboratories sells under the trademarked, patented name Ferrochel is simply their version of ferrous bisglycinate. The brand I use does list Ferrochel and Albion on the label, though I figure any well-regarded bisglycinate product ought to work about the same.

Most of the supplements marketed as Heme Iron? I would steer clear of those.

Something turned up on my most recent endoscopy, and it could be what is draining my blood and iron, so I will be going in for a 3rd one within roughly the past year. Hopefully that takes care of it.
 
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