Who has had low ferritin and what did you do about it?

[jason370]

"Your Ferritin is 20.3 ng/mL, which is below the optimal range and indicates low iron stores. Low ferritin can cause fatigue, reduced exercise capacity, and make weight-loss and muscle-building harder despite normal hemoglobin. Given your goals and TRT/peptide use, consider adjusting iron intake (dietary heme sources or an iron supplement) and rechecking ferritin after a few months of treatment"

 

[5byfive]

Recently got my bloodwork done and found the same thing even through iron levels were fine. Then had a colonoscopy and several polyps were found which was the likely cause. Not sure how old you are, but it might be something you want to think about. I'll do bloodwork again in about a month, but I'm expecting ferritin to be back to normal.

 

[dogmom]

I have to get iron infusions every few years. My ferritin was a lot lower than that in January. I recently had a set of injections.

 

[cldfront]

I have to get iron infusions every few years. My ferritin was a lot lower than that in January. I recently had a set of injections.

Could you say what your level actually was? I have a doofus for a PA running my medical show and my last ferritin level was 12.1 (with iron at 17.9). Sometimes I wonder what I could accomplish with the proper amount of iron in my body. My PA doesn't seem to care to do anything about it other that just keep testing and we're all hoping for menopause to fix my shit.

To answer the OP, I take daily OTC supplements: 27mg ferrous gluconate and the Thorne "Advanced Iron Complex" 36mg Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate, as well as try to eat high iron foods like oysters/shellfish on the regular.

 

[dogmom]

Could you say what your level actually was? I have a doofus for a PA running my medical show and my last ferritin level was 12.1 (with iron at 17.9). Sometimes I wonder what I could accomplish with the proper amount of iron in my body. My PA doesn't seem to care to do anything about it other that just keep testing and we're all hoping for menopause to fix my shit.

To answer the OP, I take daily OTC supplements: 27mg ferrous gluconate and the Thorne "Advanced Iron Complex" 36mg Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate, as well as try to eat high iron foods like oysters/shellfish on the regular.

It was 4

 

[puree]

I like using Floradix liquid iron. It's the only iron supplement that worked for me without making me constipated.

 

[FlowerFairy]

"Your Ferritin is 20.3 ng/mL, which is below the optimal range and indicates low iron stores. Low ferritin can cause fatigue, reduced exercise capacity, and make weight-loss and muscle-building harder despite normal hemoglobin. Given your goals and TRT/peptide use, consider adjusting iron intake (dietary heme sources or an iron supplement) and rechecking ferritin after a few months of treatment"

I was put on iron supplements. I take polysaccharide iron 3x a week with vitamin C. I’ve also had to have iron infusions a few times. My hematologist said many people, especially those who have had WLS and the elderly, do not make enough stomach acid to absorb ferrous sulfate. He also said the body actually absorbs it better taking it every other day vs daily. Found that out because the second set of infusions was while I was taking a daily dose without vitamin C, and I asked how I could be so anemic taking daily iron.

 

[FlowerFairy]

Could you say what your level actually was? I have a doofus for a PA running my medical show and my last ferritin level was 12.1 (with iron at 17.9). Sometimes I wonder what I could accomplish with the proper amount of iron in my body. My PA doesn't seem to care to do anything about it other that just keep testing and we're all hoping for menopause to fix my shit.

To answer the OP, I take daily OTC supplements: 27mg ferrous gluconate and the Thorne "Advanced Iron Complex" 36mg Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate, as well as try to eat high iron foods like oysters/shellfish on the regular.

Change to polysaccharide iron. It’s better absorbed, and if you already take ferrous sulfate with no relief, you’re not absorbing it. I’ve also been anemic for years on FeSO4. My hematologist said that I might as well have been swallowing gravel.

 

[funlog]

I stopped trt and it came back to normal in a few months.

 

[desinr-gal]

I am mostly vegan, and so this is a constant issue for me.
I add in iron rich foods all day, starting with coffee. I make a frothed latte, I add unsweetened cocoa powder to that and blackstrap molasses, both are high in iron. I also add cinnamon and nutmeg which lower sugar and improve the flavor.
That is 20% daily value.
I make a smoothie later with protein powder, more cocoa and molasses, and all the stuff like creatine, collagen, amino acids etc and Kale plus a cup of blueberries, for vit C, which doubles the bio-availability of the iron. Always add citrus to iron foods or drink while eating them.
A cast iron pan is super helpful, but a pain here in hawaii, as it rusts rapidly.
You can get an iron fish, you put it in a pot with water and it leaches iron into the water, again a squeeze of lemon added, put it into your water bottle.
Lentils are high in iron and protein, adding them to meals will help too, especially cooked with spinach and lemon.
My iron has been normal for years since I started doing these things.

 

[jason370]

I am mostly vegan, and so this is a constant issue for me.
I add in iron rich foods all day, starting with coffee. I make a frothed latte, I add unsweetened cocoa powder to that and blackstrap molasses, both are high in iron. I also add cinnamon and nutmeg which lower sugar and improve the flavor.
That is 20% daily value.
I make a smoothie later with protein powder, more cocoa and molasses, and all the stuff like creatine, collagen, amino acids etc and Kale plus a cup of blueberries, for vit C, which doubles the bio-availability of the iron. Always add citrus to iron foods or drink while eating them.
A cast iron pan is super helpful, but a pain here in hawaii, as it rusts rapidly.
You can get an iron fish, you put it in a pot with water and it leaches iron into the water, again a squeeze of lemon added, put it into your water bottle.
Lentils are high in iron and protein, adding them to meals will help too, especially cooked with spinach and lemon.
My iron has been normal for years since I started doing these things.

keep the cast iron pan coated lightly with oil, it will never rust. if you bake it in the oven with the oil coating, the oil will harden and create a protective coating - needs to be done semi regularly.

 

[lessthanhalf]

"Your Ferritin is 20.3 ng/mL, which is below the optimal range and indicates low iron stores. Low ferritin can cause fatigue, reduced exercise capacity, and make weight-loss and muscle-building harder despite normal hemoglobin. Given your goals and TRT/peptide use, consider adjusting iron intake (dietary heme sources or an iron supplement) and rechecking ferritin after a few months of treatment"

Low ferritin is not a diagnosis, it is something that needs to be explained. If you are a pre-menopausal female, then it is not often something that needs investigating, but if you are a 60 year old , it absolutely does, and most of the time if you are male.
While it can be diet related, unless there is some source of blood loss, then you are probably not going to end up deficient. It depends a lot on age, sex and other health issues, but it is something that typically does require investigating and may require looking for causes of blood loss from the gut with gastroscopy/colonoscopy.
I had a similar ferritin level last year, superficial bleeding gastric ulcers from low dose aspirin was the cause.

 

[KosmikVoidX]

Could you say what your level actually was? I have a doofus for a PA running my medical show and my last ferritin level was 12.1 (with iron at 17.9). Sometimes I wonder what I could accomplish with the proper amount of iron in my body. My PA doesn't seem to care to do anything about it other that just keep testing and we're all hoping for menopause to fix my shit.

To answer the OP, I take daily OTC supplements: 27mg ferrous gluconate and the Thorne "Advanced Iron Complex" 36mg Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate, as well as try to eat high iron foods like oysters/shellfish on the regular.

Wow. As a PA myself I would at minimum be recommended iron supplements to you. I see patients have really good response to the SlowFe iron supplements. They are absorbed much better than typical iron supplements and don't seem to cause as much GI upset/constipation. I also have seen good results with sublingual iron drops as they don't have to be absorbed through the GI tract which helps a lot. However, I've been told by my patients that they taste awful. 😂

 

[laansasa]

Change to polysaccharide iron. It’s better absorbed, and if you already take ferrous sulfate with no relief, you’re not absorbing it. I’ve also been anemic for years on FeSO4. My hematologist said that I might as well have been swallowing gravel.

Thanks for this info. I just ordered some polysaccharide iron hoping it absorbs better than my curent heme iron.

 

[desinr-gal]

keep the cast iron pan coated lightly with oil, it will never rust. if you bake it in the oven with the oil coating, the oil will harden and create a protective coating - needs to be done semi regularly.

I tried it all. yes having to coat it completely with oil everytime I used it was a real pain. it left oil on shelf etc.. The humidity and salt in air in Hawaii is brutal.

 

[RaveBaddie]

Hi, I have had low ferritin for the last 2 years because of menorrhea. I now have to take iron bisglycinate every other day with vitamin C.
It takes a looooong time to get the ferritin to be higher.

 

[DunningKruger]

I have the exact opposite issue with ferritin at 355 ug/L. Have you considered increasing your red meat intake? That's how I got there.

 

[MTSpace]

My ferritin is currently at 19. I have achy joints, restless legs, less work capacity, easily out of breath with walking up a set of stairs that doesn’t usually bother me, wired but tired, and cannot sleep through the whole night. I have hereditary hemachromotosas h63d homogyzous and everytime my hematologist over phlebotomizes me and end up under a ferritin under 40, I experience these issues. I just started TRT and this has caused me a greater challenge as my hematocrit rises quickly. I am drinking more water with electrolytes than ever before. Iron supplements haven’t been working. Will try switching up to another form of iron supplement after I continue to learn from this group. Have another hematologist visit later this week.

 

[FlowerFairy]

Thanks for this info. I just ordered some polysaccharide iron hoping it absorbs better than my curent heme iron.

Try to take it with vitamin C or a high vitamin c food- that increases absorption of iron and calcium (but don’t take iron and calcium within 4 hours of each other). It sure helps me a lot!

 

[FlowerFairy]

I tried it all. yes having to coat it completely with oil everytime I used it was a real pain. it left oil on shelf etc.. The humidity and salt in air in Hawaii is brutal.

You don’t just coat the pan- you season it. There are great videos on YouTube about seasoning cast iron. I live in Houston- it’s horribly humid here- to the point that my pediatrician used to say that the people living in Houston have gills, not lungs. I had a Russian MD tell me that it is not possible to have 80-100% humidity without it being raining. Having lived with it my entire life? I respectfully disagree. And I grew up using cast iron frying pains, griddles and Dutch ovens. The only time I’ve found rust on them has been when I moved and did not unpack them for a while. My pans were my grandmother’s I’m kind of stuck with them. 🤪

 

[FlowerFairy]

I have the exact opposite issue with ferritin at 355 ug/L. Have you considered increasing your red meat intake? That's how I got there.

View attachment 22033

I love red meat. I wish that was all I needed to do!

 

[laansasa]

Try to take it with vitamin C or a high vitamin c food- that increases absorption of iron and calcium (but don’t take iron and calcium within 4 hours of each other). It sure helps me a lot!

I just received it today. I have a really good vitamin C I take. Good to know not to take it at the same time as calcium. Thanks so much for the advice!

 

[FlowerFairy]

I just received it today. I have a really good vitamin C I take. Good to know not to take it at the same time as calcium. Thanks so much for the advice!

You are very welcome- these are all things I learned either via nursing, weight loss surgery or working for an endocrinologist. If it can make someone’s life easier, I’ll tell them!

 

[laansasa]

You are very welcome- these are all things I learned either via nursing, weight loss surgery or working for an endocrinologist. If it can make someone’s life easier, I’ll tell them!

I really appreciate it! My endocrinologist and PCP are terrible. Only my radiologist is good but he is limited to what he can do. He does order labs the other docs won't if I ask him but can't do follow ups on labwork results since it isn't his job, but he tries.

 

[FlowerFairy]

I really appreciate it! My endocrinologist and PCP are terrible. Only my radiologist is good but he is limited to what he can do. He does order labs the other docs won't if I ask him but can't do follow ups on labwork results since it isn't his job, but he tries.

Oh I was extremely annoyed when I found out I had been taking ferrous sulfate 3 pills 3x/day when I anatomically cannot absorb it- for 10 YEARS! It took seeing a hematologist to learn about polysaccharide iron. I wonder constantly when I see geriatric patients on FeSO4 when their acid production is too low to benefit from it. When I worked hospice, since we never covered iron anyway, I’d tell them about polysaccharide iron and let them decide.

 

[CathyGoesFar]

A male with no obvious nutritional causes for low iron needs to have it investigated. My low iron is very clear as weight loss made my cycle go a bit nutso and I now get to periodically bleed for multiple weeks at a time.

I've tried a bunch of forms but now I'm on Ritual Iron Bisglycinate taken every other day. I thought their "pretty" pills were a gimmick but my lab results show they do indeed work better than even other bisglycinate pills. Much higher cost 😒. There's many people making a big deal about needing heme iron out there but I'm getting the best results from these non-heme ones.

I take them every other day first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then give it at least another hour before I eat anything. There are just so many things that interfere with absorption I don't want to bother with it. I take vitamin C or a vitamin C food with my meals. You can have some pretty strong iron absorption blocking factors on board and vitamin C makes it a non-problem.

I'm at the point where I get very irritated with doctors consistently prescribing the hardest to stomach, lowest absorption forms of iron taken in the least effective way. Anemia and iron deficiency is very common. There is no reason they should be so incompetent at treating it.

 

[RaveBaddie]

A male with no obvious nutritional causes for low iron needs to have it investigated. My low iron is very clear as weight loss made my cycle go a bit nutso and I now get to periodically bleed for multiple weeks at a time.

I've tried a bunch of forms but now I'm on Ritual Iron Bisglycinate taken every other day. I thought their "pretty" pills were a gimmick but my lab results show they do indeed work better than even other bisglycinate pills. Much higher cost 😒. There's many people making a big deal about needing heme iron out there but I'm getting the best results from these non-heme ones.

I take them every other day first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then give it at least another hour before I eat anything. There are just so many things that interfere with absorption I don't want to bother with it. I take vitamin C or a vitamin C food with my meals. You can have some pretty strong iron absorption blocking factors on board and vitamin C makes it a non-problem.

I'm at the point where I get very irritated with doctors consistently prescribing the hardest to stomach, lowest absorption forms of iron taken in the least effective way. Anemia and iron deficiency is very common. There is no reason they should be so incompetent at treating it.

I've had the same experience with my doctor not knowing a thing about supplementing iron.
I wanted to donate blood at the bloodbank and my HB was 5.3. That's when I found out I was severely anemic. Yes i was tired but also taking care of 2 young children and didn' t know something was wrong.
I had more bloodwork done and my GP wanted to give me iron supplements. I did my research before the appointment and asked if I could take a double dose of iron bysglicinate instead of the other kind he prescribed. The doctor AND the apothecary could not answer if the iron bisglycinate was the same as their standard protocol!
They advised to follow the protocol (I hate protocols because every body is different) and I refused.
Now my ferritin is very very slowly increasing but having a smaller stomach (bariatric sleeve gastrectomy) is not helping.

I love this forum and everybody helping eachother learning new things! ❤️

 

[lessthanhalf]

I just want to repeat and emphasise the message, as nearly all these posts are about supplemental iron, that unless you are a menstruating female , iron deficiency needs to be investigated. Or at minimum have a doctor make the assessment of whether it is needed or not.

The reason this is important is that many gastrointestinal cancers present as anemia or low iron levels, due to low grade bleeding from colon or stomach cancer. This is definitely not the most likely cause, but must at least be considered and investigated if the person is in the right age/sex group for this to be a reasonable possibility. Treating this presentation of a gut cancer with iron is how you get to end stage disease before it gets diagnosed. Things like peptic ulcers or coeliac disease also need to be diagnosed.

Most doctors ordering the test are going to follow a low ferritin up with what they think is required, and this will be very different depending on age and sex. There are a very large number of reasons iron stores can be low, but treating it only happens after you know why it is low. And then you can debate what iron replacement options are best.

 

[leeann82]

My endo put me on palafer 2x daily. Its super gentle of my sensitive bypass stomach. I take it with blood builders and vitamin C. Im still on the lower end, but not a 4, like last year when my blood literally looked brown and murky...

 

[RaveBaddie]

I just want to repeat and emphasise the message, as nearly all these posts are about supplemental iron, that unless you are a menstruating female , iron deficiency needs to be investigated. Or at minimum have a doctor make the assessment of whether it is needed or not.

The reason this is important is that many gastrointestinal cancers present as anemia or low iron levels, due to low grade bleeding from colon or stomach cancer. This is definitely not the most likely cause, but must at least be considered and investigated if the person is in the right age/sex group for this to be a reasonable possibility. Treating this presentation of a gut cancer with iron is how you get to end stage disease before it gets diagnosed. Things like peptic ulcers or coeliac disease also need to be diagnosed.

Most doctors ordering the test are going to follow a low ferritin up with what they think is required, and this will be very different depending on age and sex. There are a very large number of reasons iron stores can be low, but treating it only happens after you know why it is low. And then you can debate what iron replacement options are best.

Yes! This is sooooo important! I totally agree with you!
Never just start supplementing iron!

Yes they check your bowel movements first (fun to scoop at home 😜) and if there is any blood found I believe they order a colonoscopy or something. For me it was a relieve that wasn't necessary it was just heavy periods and adenomyosis caused by inflammation by a copper IUD. Ladies: when in doubt have it checked by a specialist!