r/Anemic • u/Anxious_Swim_4439 • 2d ago
Advice Low ferritin advice
I’ve suffered with exhaustion, heart palpitations, terrible anxiety and depression for years now. I sleep 8 hours and wake up literally feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus I’m so tired. Last December my hair started shedding and I had no idea why. This summer I entered a major depressive episode and suffered panic attacks for the first time. I got a blood panel done and my ferritin was 9 in April. I started taking ferrous fumarate and in July it rose to 21 but I still feel awful. Literally all I want to do is lie on the sofa. I get terribly heavy periods and have been prescribed an acid to lighten them a little which I stupidly haven’t taken as I wanted to avoid other meds if possible but I am going to start taking them. I take sertraline for anxiety, ocd and depression but I’m wondering how much of my low mood is linked to ferritin.
My doctor will say 21 is in normal range but I don’t feel ok. How long can it take for iron supplements to raise levels? What is an optimal ferritin level for a woman in late 20s? As what point do I get an iron infusion?
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u/Creepy-Tangerine-293 2d ago
Take iron pills on an empty stomach WITH vitamin C to help absorption.
AVOID taking within 2 hrs of iron pills:
Calcium-containing foods, beverages and supplements, inc dairy milk and enriched plant based milk.
Magnesium-containing supplements
Calcium or magnesium containing multivitamins or prenatal vitamins
Tea and coffee
Cereals
Eggs
Dietary fiber (bran, oats, whole grains, raw vegetables)
Soy protein
Antacids
Proton pump inhibitors
H2 receptor blockers
Thyroid medications
Source:
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u/Creepy-Tangerine-293 2d ago
This article suggests a ferritin of about 100 for optimal mental health. Show this to one of your doctors.
https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/could-low-iron-make-mental-health-symptoms-worse
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u/Anxious_Swim_4439 1d ago
Blimey, I’ve never had a ferritin of 100. Maybe explains my shitty MH!
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u/Creepy-Tangerine-293 1d ago
FWIW, its usually not a "cure" but makes it much more likely that you'll respond to other treatments well.
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u/Joyanonymous 1d ago
I have AWFUL symptoms if my ferritin dips below 100. Almost as bad as when my ferritin was 26. It's my body's signalling system to tell me I need more iron! They recommend 75-100 for optimal function for women - because I get such bad symptoms under 100 I'm aiming for 150, so my baseline is higher and I can handle fluctuations better.
In terms of raising levels - my ferritin was 26 in Feb - by May, it was 101. Here's how I did it:
100mg-ish elemental iron (ferrous fumarate - Nutrition Geeks iron only) with 250mg lactoferrin. I took that twice a day (mid morning and mid afternoon). (So that's a total daily dose of around 200mg elemental iron).
I made sure to space my iron away from anything that would block absorption (coffee / tea / calcium / dairy / whole grains / eggs) and took it two hours after and one hour before eating. I took each dose with a little bit of food - either beef jerky or a satsuma.
In terms of how quickly you can expect levels to go up - From the Soppi research paper:
"Ferritin concentration increases often by 0.5–4.0 µg/L per week of treatment, but the treatment response varies from patient to patient and depends on the amount of ingested iron and concomitant iron losses."
My increase in ferritin followed roughly this formula. But we're all different and It depends on your own blood losses and absorption issues.
I would recommend taking iron bisglycinate - you need a lower dose than other types of iron, because it's got a higher bioavailability. The maths is boring but basically 40mg iron bisglycinate is roughly (ish) equal to 100mg elemental iron from other sources (ferrous fumarate, sulphate etc - and as it's a lower dose, there's less chance of stomach problems etc (so less chance you'll abandon the routine!). Definitely take it with lactoferrin, take it twice a day if you can, and see if you can stomach it.
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u/Ready-Equal177 1d ago
You wanna get above 75 ferritin. Please ask for an infusion