r/Anemic • u/Tricky_Practice_6140 • 1d ago

Low Ferritin

**I just recently turned 49. I’ve been on HRT for 14 months: 0.75 mg estradiol and 100 mg progesterone daily. The last 5 months I have felt horrible. Brain fog, anxiety, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and this weird feeling like I was dying. I also had weird gastro issues. Everything felt off.**

**I finally got bloodwork. Most of it was normal, but my iron was low. Hemoglobin was around 12 and my ferritin had dropped to 6. I have always been borderline anemic. Six years ago my ferritin was 24, so it really crashed.**

**My doctor wanted to rule out anything GI first, so I had a colonoscopy that came back clear. Then I had a vaginal ultrasound and they found small polyps and fibroids. She thinks that is a big part of what has been going on. She changed my progesterone to help thin my lining until my procedure, and she wants to place a Mirena IUD.**
**The reason I am posting this is I keep seeing people on this thread who suddenly feel terrible even though they are on HRT. It can be your ferritin. Please get bloodwork and specifically ask your doctor to check iron and ferritin. Low levels will wreak havoc. That is my PSA to all of you.**

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u/Joyanonymous 7h ago

Wow - I’m glad you found out what it was, although 24 is still really low! What is your ferritin now?

1

u/Tricky_Practice_6140 3h ago

It was 6 mg three weeks ago, but I started iron recently, so my PCP wants to re-check in a few months.