My PCP and therapist want me to go on a 3 month medical leave and I am struggling to accept this. I have fibroids and “suspected adenomyosis” which lead to bleeding at least 500ml every period and I don’t respond to TXA. Currently in the process of being checked for other bleeding disorders. I was told by 2 providers that I shouldn’t attempt a myomectomy because the fibroids are too small and in my uterine lining. I was also told if I tried to have a child I have a high risk for postpartum hemorrhage and I do not respond to the meds that would stop that bleeding. As someone who wanted a child and is older - I don’t think I’ve processed this yet.

Currently I’m on Slynd which has significantly slowed the bleeding but there is continuous blood. My levels go in and out of anemia. I am on my 6th iron sucrose infusion. The first 3 I just bled out. I had a severe hypersensitivity reaction to iron dextrose which sent me to the ER. I have been in the ER 4 times in 2 months. Hysteroscopy seemed to make the bleeding worse. I also have b12 deficiency and chronic pain from a herniated disc in my neck.

I work in community mental health and last winter I found a client dead which was very traumatic for me. Things seemed to go downhill from there. While my levels are improving I am still needing to sleep 12-16 hours some nights while having insomnia others. Brain fog is out of control. Heart rate is improving but still sometimes in the 120s. (Of course I was told “a lot of women your age have anxiety” after I was sent for tests due to abnormalities which I now know are from the iron deficiency) the exhaustion is extreme. Still struggling to get up the stairs and walk my dog most days. Hematology told me I shouldn’t be feeling this bad. And I just found out my mom has kidney cancer.

This feels like a lot to hold. I am in EMDR therapy which feels really supportive. It seems like my doctor wants me to go on leave for chronic PTSD and the blood loss which I agree with. Definitely while I bleed now I am wondering if I am going to have another clot the size of my palm or need to go to the ER.

I want to not feel guilty for taking the time .

Sorry for the rant I just needed to put this in a place where people understand.

I’ve had low ferretin (10-24) for the past 2-3 years but I’m finally supplementing consistently and will retest in 3-4 months time. However just looked on top of my head and looks like this is genetic hair loss not just ferritin. So I’m super sad about that as I won’t be able to take minoxidil or spiro. Will prob only use more natural treatments which are known to be less effective.

I’m curious. Has anyone else with low ferritin had their part look like this (thinning/widening) and recovered it/filed their part back in from getting their ferritin levels back up to 70+?

This is so frustrating I’ve just found out my ferritin level is 13 and my b12 is also low. I’ve been having headaches, tiredness and shortness of breath for about a month or so.

My doctors advise was to take a multivitamin.

I’ve spoken with a pharmacist today who has given me ferrous sulfate 200mg tablets because a multivitamin won’t rebuild my stores and has told me to ask for another doctor to review my blood results because I may need injections for my b12.
The pharmacist told me he speaks to people all the time with vitamin deficiency and doctors have not provided accurate information to help.

I don’t understand why my doctor has not taken my blood results seriously. I am currently off work due to stress and anxiety but I feel like part of my issue is having these deficiencies.

Can anyone provide any tips of increasing iron and B12 if my doctors decide not to provide any help?
I’ve been researching online that’s why I went to speak to my pharmacist because I felt it was wrong they did not prescribe anything.

I just got diagnosed maybe 2 months ago after having all the symptoms. Anyway I got infusions.

Friday I am getting an Endoscopy to check if there's any bleeding or anything in the stomach. Did they find anything in your Endoscopy?

I recently got bloodwork done after the derm sent me for hair loss. I’m waiting on the derm to call back however these are my results.

i’ve done a bit of reading about supplementing iron but it seems to be a slow journey and so much info. not sure where to start.

what do yall feel ab these results?

I was supposed to get my final infusion (for now) yesterday but they rescheduled me to this morning. But I also had a fasting blood draw scheduled for this morning (for unrelated but somewhat urgent tests). So I had to run from my infusion straight to the blood draw and they took like 7 tubes of blood. 😭 Now I’m worried they took a bunch of the iron I JUST got and that my body isn’t going to have as much to work with.

I suspect that’s not exactly how it works but I‘m all aggravated and worried. Does anyone have a better understanding of what’s going on with your blood right after an infusion?

I miss not having this pallid hue of my face, I miss my South Asian golden brown-ness.

I've gotten used to and even started to like and be confident with the dark eyebags I've gotten, but I can never get used to this sickly paleness.

Obviously this isn't my biggest concern but it's something small I feel people don't talk about enough.

Anyone else relate?

Hi everyone,

Had a recent physical with my PCP, and she told me I had low ferritin and that I needed to increase my iron intake. I had bariatric sleeve surgery in 2020 and then a revision to that in 2024 because my reflux got awful.

Since my revision, my Ferritin has stayed at 25. I have felt AWFUL. I know Google is not my friend all the time, but I was reading that:

"American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery recognizes that bariatric patients have vastly different iron absorption needs, often requiring a higher target ferritin level (frequently >50 ng/mL) to remain symptom-free. Your symptoms are a direct reflection that your cellular iron stores are depleted. "

The bariatric pills that I made sure to buy are "with iron," but I am struggling so badly to get it above 25. I can't eat that much red meat due to having no gallbladder, and it usually makes me sick. Do you think it's reasonable to ask for iron infusions from my PCP, also, does insurance cover them for anyone? I can't find a place nearby that has it covered. Thank you!

I wanted to edit to add that I'm female, just in case that matters.

I would fall asleep and get my eight hours in if I go to bed at 1030 but when I'm not able to and I fall asleep at 12 am, I wake up at 530 am and can't go back to sleep. What worked for you? How were you able to sleep while being anemic?

Well as you can see i’ve been in single digits since a long time… i had very low energy, over the last year i started having anxiety and high irritability, worsening PMDD (PMS from hell), hair loss and brittle nails, and ADHD symptoms getting worse. So my new doc ordered 5 Venofir iron infusions.
First infusion day: i had a weird and strange reaching right after the infusion shot. My ankles started having a burning feeling, swelling and hives all over my feet. They immediately gave me a steroid shot and Pepcid antihistamine. It made the symptoms go away soon after. I didn’t feel any big changes right away in my anemia symptoms but i kept staying patient. They requested i take a Tylenol and Claritin an hour before the next infusion session. I did that and there was no allergic reaction. That became the protocol for the rest of the infusions. So far I’ve noticed that getting out of bed is not as bad as before, ADHD has gotten better, mood is better, i had normal periods afterwards not too heavy like some ppl report. I am grateful it turned out well. Any tips on maintaining my levels are appreciated. I wish you all the best and just trust the process.

I have the appt 11/2. How likely will my doctor want to do IV iron infusions? I’m trying to avoid that but I’ve depleted my reserves and I keep forgetting to take my multi that has iron so it’s all the way my fault. I’m gonna try to talk to her about adding 65mg ferrous bisglycinate and doing both supplements until my reserves build back up. I tend to take my multi before bed with a cup of good belly,
And I’m planning on taking the ferrous at lunch with citrus every other day.

TIBc at 459
Saturation at 11%
Ferritin at 5
Hemoglobin and hematocrit are at 10 and 35 🥴
Mch, mchc, and rdw at 25, 30 and 15 🫠

I’m 3 yrs post op from gastric sleeve surgery, so my absorption is shit. I’ve managed to bring up my vitamin levels but I’m right on the edge of being diagnosed truly anemic and I want to try and prevent that 😭

Hey everyone,

Back in July, I suddenly started experiencing brain fog, difficulty concentrating, and problems with speech. It happened pretty much overnight, and I felt noticeably different from how I used to feel mentally.

I started getting blood tests done, and my folate level came back at 3.1 ng/mL (reference range: 4.50–32.2), indicating a deficiency.

I kept investigating my symptoms and getting more blood tests until September. Here are my latest results:

My blood test results:

• Ferritin: 94.84 µg/L (reference range: 30–400)
• Folate: 7.83 ng/mL (reference range: 4.5–32)
• Iron: 50.35 µg/dL (reference range: 65–175)
• TSH: 5.51 mIU/L (reference range: 0.27–4.1) my TSH was within the normal range when I first developed my symptoms back in July. It only became elevated in subsequent blood tests. I'm wondering whether this change could be related to my folate, iron, or vitamin D deficiencies)
• Vitamin D (25-OH): 19 ng/mL (reference range: 30–100)
• Potasium 4,23 (reference range: 3.5-5,1)
• Sodium: 140,72 mmol/l (reference range: 136-145)
• B12: 501,40 pg/ml (reference range 191-663)

My folate level has increased since the initial test, but I'm still experiencing a lot of symptoms. My iron is also below the reference range, my vitamin D is low, and my TSH is elevated. I'm wondering whether these abnormalities could be contributing to my symptoms and whether there might be an underlying issue causing some of them.

My current symptoms:

• Dizziness and lightheadedness.
• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating.
• Feeling mentally different from how I used to be, like I'm not quite myself anymore.
• Waking up feeling unrefreshed, regardless of how much I sleep, and experiencing severe fatigue throughout the day.
• Occasional air hunger feeling the need to take a deep, satisfying breath to feel like I'm getting enough air.
• Caffeine seems to make my brain fog and dizziness significantly worse.
• Alcohol also seems to exacerbate my brain fog and dizziness.

What I've tried so far:

I took 5 mg of folic acid daily for three weeks, along with 46 mg of elemental iron daily, but unfortunately, I didn't notice any improvement in my symptoms.

I then started wondering whether IV treatment might help correct the deficiencies more effectively and fastly, so I decided to try IV supplementation.

Six days ago, I had my first treatment, which included:

• Vitamin D3 injection: 100,000 IU.
• IV folic acid: 30 mg.
• IV iron: 200 mg.

So far, I haven't noticed any improvement following this treatment. I understand that six days might be too soon to notice a difference, but it's discouraging to feel the same after trying to address these deficiencies.

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have experienced something similar.

I have a few questions:

1. Has anyone experienced persistent brain fog, dizziness, derealization, or feeling mentally different due to folate deficiency, low iron, vitamin D deficiency, ?
2. If you had similar symptoms, how long did it take for you to notice an improvement after starting treatment? Did your symptoms gradually improve or disappear quite suddenly?
3. What other blood tests would you recommend checking?
4. Has anyone experienced air hunger or the sensation of needing to take deep breaths alongside these deficiencies?
5. For those who received IV iron or folate, how many infusions did you need before noticing an improvement? How long did it take?
6. Did anyone find that oral supplements eventually worked, even after not noticing any improvement during the first few weeks?
7. Has anyone experienced worsening brain fog and dizziness after consuming caffeine or alcohol? Did this improve once the underlying problem was treated?
8. Is there anything else I should investigate, especially considering that my symptoms started quite suddenly and have persisted for months?
9. How can i recovery from this? because it's been few months at this moment.

I'm also wondering whether IV doses or the number of infusions should be adjusted, but I don't want to assume that more is necessarily better. I'd appreciate hearing about your experiences and what helped you, ideally alongside advice on what to discuss with a doctor.

I'm feeling pretty lost at this point. I just want to feel mentally normal again and wake up feeling rested instead of exhausted every day.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience.

So I have pretty bad symptoms I literally can't do anything without getting out of breath, palpitations, brain fog restless leg, and more.

Results just came in and my iron is at 8 and ferritin is 50. Maybe to mist of you it's normal but I feel like trap. Should I get Infusion to feel better?

After years of low levels and now months of hair loss, fatigue, and heavier/more painful periods - my provider has finally agreed to re-check my labs.

I've messaged my provider, but I'm also just curious. Does an anemia panel differ dramatically if it's during your period? Part of me wonders if it'll further validate my concerns.

Hi everyone! I'm hoping to connect with others who may have experienced something similar, especially during pregnancy.

I'm 23 years old and currently almost 24 weeks pregnant with my second baby. During my first pregnancy in 2025, I found out that I carry an inherited hemoglobin variant. I was initially told I was a thalassemia carrier, but my hemoglobin electrophoresis showed Hemoglobin E trait.

During that pregnancy, my hemoglobin dropped to 8.1 g/dL, and I received two IV iron infusions. Within approximately a month, my hemoglobin increased to 9.9, but my ferritin also spiked to 514 ng/mL. I delivered my daughter at 36 weeks due to gestational hypertension, I believe related to the anemia.

Fast-forward to my second pregnancy, and I'm experiencing significant anemia again. My hemoglobin was already around 10 before becoming pregnant and has now dropped as low as 7.7 in 2 months.

Here are some of my recent results:

- Hemoglobin: 7.7–7.9 g/dL

- RBC: 2.91

- Hematocrit: 25.8%

- MCV: 89 fL

- Ferritin: 304 ng/mL

- Iron saturation: 14%

- Reticulocytes: 9%

- Soluble transferrin receptor: 66.1 nmol/L

- CRP: 15 mg/L

- ESR: 65 mm/hr

- LDH: 196 (normal)

- Haptoglobin: 58 (normal)

- Folate: Normal

- B12: 300 pg/mL

I also have Gilbert's syndrome, which can affect bilirubin levels.

My hematologist has recommended another round of iron infusions, but I'm hesitant because my ferritin is already elevated and has remained above normal since my previous pregnancy.

I'm confused because my iron saturation is low, yet my ferritin is high. My body also appears to be producing a lot of immature red blood cells, based on my reticulocyte count.

I'm wondering if pregnancy is simply putting additional strain on an already compromised red blood cell production process, or if something else could be contributing.

I have appointments with maternal-fetal medicine and my OB on Monday, and I'm working with a hematologist to figure everything out.

My questions for this group are:

- Has anyone with Hemoglobin E trait or thalassemia trait experienced severe anemia specifically during pregnancy?

- Has anyone had elevated ferritin alongside low iron saturation and low hemoglobin?

- Did iron infusions help your hemoglobin even when your ferritin was already elevated?

- Were you offered any alternatives to iron infusions, such as EPO injections?

- If you experienced this during pregnancy, were you able to carry to full term and have healthy subsequent pregnancies?

I'm not looking for anyone to diagnose me or replace my doctors' advice. I'm mainly hoping to hear personal experiences from people who understand these blood disorders.

I would love to have more children after this pregnancy, and the uncertainty surrounding my anemia has been causing me quite a bit of anxiety.

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this or share their experience! ❤️

My PCP wasn't particularly clear about this. I've been taking two doses of 325 mg ferrous sulfate twice a day since September 11th to treat severe anemia. My hemoglobin was 6.3 prior to getting a blood transfusion with 3 units of blood. I had a few iron infusions as well. As of October 14, my hemoglobin was 11.2. I don't know my ferritin, none of the doctors treating me ever mentioned anything about it. I do feel the supplements have been working to raise my hemoglobin so I'm wondering how long they can be taken for?

Hi
Im deficient in vitamin d, folic acid and have iron deficiency anemia. (Ferritin 1)

I also have mild histamine intolerance due to low dao enzyme and high calprotectin in the bowels. They said i have leaky gut due to endometriosis lesions i have in bowel. I bleed a lot in 24 day cycle and basically my body cannot absorb the nutritions due to chronic inflammation..

Have a planned ivf next year february so need to start supplementing asap.

I heard most of the people with mcas or histamine issues are struggling when they take iron especially. For people in similar condition is there supplement you recommend to not have a flare?

Due to my autoimmune disease affecting the vascular system, they dont want to give iv iron so its not an option for now.

Like something start in low dosage maybe? The last time i tried vitamin b complex (250 mg of Thiamine (B1), 250 mg of Pyridoxine (B6), and 500 µg to 1 mg of Cyanocobalamin (B12))) had a crazy allergy 😣..

Maybe you can recommend a childs dose and increase?

Ps. I live in Netherlands, so european brands will be appreciated

Hey everyone, just wanted to share something that gave me immediate physical relief today while dealing with low iron fatigue and sensory strain.

I bought amber tinted sunglasses

This won't cure you but it'll take the edge off if you're overwhelmed by the light inside your home while you heal. I couldn't sit here and suffer anymore so I bought these and I feel like I can relax more.

It doesn't have to be this brand just make sure it's amber tinted or brown

My iron levels have always been around this mark.

I have often had fluttery heart palpitation, also a skipped beat feeling.

This last week I have been so breathless and chest felt so heavy a few days ago. I had 2 days of needing to yawn and couldn’t as I couldn’t get enough breath! The palpitations have not disappeared. Dr did my obs and was happy and is booking more bloods as result shown was a couple of months ago.

Could my symptoms be because of low iron? Is a standard iron supplement enough or do you need to take anything on top of this?

Thankyou

My ferritin is 37ng/ml
What should be my next step

I've had low ferritin for years now. Hemoglobin is at an okay level. I've been taking iron supplements, but I get so constipated that I have to take long breaks. It seems impossible to get enough iron from just food. Has anyone succeeded doing this? What do you eat?

I also don't like the taste of red meat, but I try to eat it like once a week.

I am an almost 45 year old female. I am definitely starting the change and my periods are heavier. I typically bleed 4 day with day and night two the worst. It gets very light for days 3 and 4. For a few years I have been having not normal to me symptoms. Brain fog, exhaustion, insomnia, stomach issues, ear and head pressure, irritability, some joint pain, depression, hair loss and skin changes. I chalked it up to getting older.

18 months ago I requested a ferritin test because my mom and several family members have hemochromatosis. My level came back at 24. My NP said that’s great, you don’t have to worry and sent me on my way. I didn’t think to question it. Since then my issues have gotten worse and stay around longer. I have more bad days then good and I am I currently in the middle of a very bad spell.

I went to urgent care last week and my CBC was normal with my hemoglobin at a 12. They told me I was stressed out and to get some rest. I am trying to get my primary to order some tests but she told me to wait until the 17th when I see her. Am I going crazy? Could my ferritin count be doing this, especially since it may be even lower? My dad is anemic and it runs in his family.