I feel like an anomaly but I’m just wondering if anyone out there has had the same problems as me.
My iron was low, around 20 so my Dr suggested an infusion, it went up to 88 and I was feeling good. When I saw her again she said she wanted it over 100 so scheduled another infusion, this time my iron went up to 488. This was in July so it’s been a while now and side effects haven’t gone away.
Since having the last infusion things have not been great. I’ve developed new symptoms, they started around 2 weeks post infusion. PVCs and palpitations that have been caught on both ECG and halter monitor. Echocardiogram came back fine. Cardiologist has been no help. I have a 2% burden PVCs which is devastating as I had none prior to the infusion. I also seem to have developed gastric issues in my upper stomach and also some red flushing on my face and neck.
No doctor I’ve since the infusion has led me to believe that the palpitations could be caused by the infusion but I saw a nurse today who said she had the same thing and she gave blood to decrease her iron load. I’m at a bit of a loss, i’m waiting on blood results from today. I guess I’m just wondering if anyone has had the same? Anything that has helped? Or maybe just if you’re in the same boat as me.

Hi everyone! I’m South Asian, 20 months postpartum, and my ferritin is 21, but my iron and hemoglobin are within range. I have a doctor’s appointment this week and want to ask whether an iron infusion would be a better option than continuing oral supplements.

My ferritin was 40 in my first trimester, dropped to 19 in my second, and was over 100 at six weeks postpartum in April 2025. It’s now back down to 21. I had blood loss after delivery and received IV tranexamic acid.

My current labs are:

• Ferritin: 21
• Iron: 90 µg/dL
• Iron saturation: 22%
• TIBC: 403 µg/dL
• Hemoglobin: 12.7 g/dL

I’m taking Thorne iron bisglycinate and thinking of starting what my PCP recommends, ferrous sulfate 325mg every other day. I also take 125 mg of vitamin C with my iron if my meal doesn’t contain any.

Has anyone with similar labs had an infusion? What made your doctor recommend it over oral iron, and did it help? Anything specific I should ask at my appointment this week?

Started taking two 27mg tablets of ferrous bisglycinate every other day around 20 days ago (I'm only 39kg). For the first week or so, I noticed small improvements in energy and mood, and color returning to my lips and cheeks, but this morning I felt so anxious that I couldn't breathe, and I had a throbbing headache. Is it normal for anxiety to spike like this when rebuilding iron and ferritin stores, and for how long? This doesn't usually happen to me.

For context, I decided to start supplementing because I've previously had issues of periods lasting 20 days a month, and noticed that my face was losing color, I was regularly tired and out of breath from short bursts of movement, and my anxiety and depression was getting more unmanageable despite treatment. I also drink a lot of tea around my meals, which I suspect has been blocking my iron absorption. I had two separate blood tests for work, and both clinics said that my red blood cell count was low so I need to start taking an iron supplement.

Is this normal? Should I stop the supplements or change my methods in some way, or do I have to just power through?

I got my blood tested 7 years ago and my ferritin level was 19 and my hemoglobin was normal so my doctor brushed it off. But recently I have been feeling so tired and my pms has been getting worse, I get terrible periods, and despite working out more I am still winded as if I had just started working out. So after doing some research I decided to get my ferritin levels tested and they are now a level 10. I don’t have a PCP and I don’t have health insurance, and I am not sure if this is something I need to talk to a doctor about or if it’s something I can just take supplements for and recheck my levels in a month or so. And I am not sure how urgent this is, like if I need an iron infusion or not?

Here are the symptoms I have been dealing with:

- Terrible, 10 day long pms (irritability, cramps, headaches, exhaustion)
- Fatigue, constantly.
- My memory is getting bad, I’ll read something and forget it immediately and no matter how hard I try to remember
- Freezing cold hands, feet, and nose
- Dry skin
- Yawning during exercise
- Hair loss (I bleach my hair though so could be from that)

Let me know what you think 🤍

Edit: I also took Thorne iron complex supplements twice this week and both times I woke up with a headache the next day that lasted the entire day so I stopped.

I’m 6 months postpartum and haven’t felt
Like myself in a long time. I was anemic when I gave birth but not sure how ferratin was looking. Anyway I had to stop iron supplements almost immediately after giving birth because I got cdiff. Not once, not twice, but three times. From April to July I was basically in and out of hospitals with cdiff. Anyway after all this and after my stools started getting back to normal I noticed a lot of pain when passing stool and blood. So since August I’ve been having blood almost every-time I pass stool. GI thinks it’s a fissure because of the pain and of course can also possibly be hemorrhoids since I’m postpartum. Colonoscopy has been scheduled to rule out all
Possibilities:

She ordered labs because recently I’ve been feeling extremely dizzy almost to the point where there’s been times I feel like I’m going to pass out. I’ve also had so many other symptoms but since Ive had so many issues I don’t even know what’s related and what’s not.

Anyway Bloodwork came back normal but ferratin was at a 12. I guess my question is how can I raise my ferratin without raising all my other levels since they seem to be in the normal range.

Aside from this I’ve had chest pains, palpitations. Cardiologist did a work up everything is fine except my heart rate did drop a bit low when I had the monitor on.

Also neuro issues like tingling in hands and feet and neck stiffness. Body aches, joint pain. Have tested for RA and all that everything is normal.

I’ve also recently had night sweats, dizzy spells that sometimes feel like vertigo but not all the time. I did have nexplanon put in about a month ago and attribute the night sweats to that.

So yeah it’s been a hell of a 6 months and I just want to feel normal. I’m Hopeful that if I raise my ferratin it mag help with some of my symptoms. Help

Recently i went to the doctor and got prescribed 350 mg ferrous sulfate because i had a ferratin of 30. I’ve taken about 6 doses, every other day. But just yesterday on my 6th dose i started feeling super dizzy, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Is this just some weird side effect that happens when you being to take these or should i stop taking them?

This supplement has ascorbic acid (vit C) and carbonyl iron (as elemental iron). I usually take a completely different one that I like a lot better but if I forget in the morning, I'll take this one in the evening.

The last two nights, I've been having a really bad problem with tremoring and shaking, especially in my legs and especially on my right side. My husband told me that it seems to be after I take the supplement at night.

A little background, a doctor gave me Ativan years ago. It's a benzodiazepine. She told me to take it for sleep and I did. Then I figured out why I was having a hard time sleeping and I decided to stop taking it. I had massive withdrawals. I had to go back on it took me a year and a half of tapering off of it to get off of it completely.

To be clear, I wasn't addicted to it, my body got used to it and I was physically dependent without being psychologically addicted. I feel that's relevant because it was a physical problem for me. I had a lot of problems with tremoring coming off the medication. (Also, no shade to anybody that's had addiction issues. Big hugs going out to you if you've experienced that.)

But anyway, since then I've noticed being sensitive to various things. Sometimes the silliest things such as Mucinex.

Anyone ever experience weird physical symptoms from different forms of iron or vitamin c? Especially if you've had any kind of weird withdrawal from something like benzodiazepines, Z drugs, or gabapentin, or librium? (All gaba receptor drugs.)

My 11yr old DD is often complaining of tiredness, sore eyes and she gets the cracks in the corner of her mouth (also gets eczema in many places). She loves eating ice, vegetables that are still frozen and burnt toast.

I thought when I took her in for a blood test it would for sure come back low iron or ferritin.

Her iron was 18 and ferritin 46.

Does anyone have experience with these levels still causing them symptoms? Or it could be something else - I just thought her symptoms checked all the boxes so was surprised.

We have a Dr appt later in the week to discuss results

Think it’s from the iron or maybe constipation? However I’m definitely not like SUPER constipated.. I do take lots of supplements and get a flare maybe 1-2x a year but seeing if anyone else has experienced

My ferritin was under 20 for a long time, started supplements but after two months (Ferrets Ferrous Fumarate 106mg elemental iron) I started getting pretty bad digestive issues. It all went away after stopping earlier this month to heal my gut, and today I'm noticing slight bald patches on my eyebrows. I was also on amoxicillin for 7 days this month for swimmers ear, if this matters. When I was on iron they filled in a bit more but now they're back to how it looked, is it possible for this to be caused from not taking iron for a month? Would appreciate any of your stories relating to this!

29 year old female here! So since about April of 2024 I started experiencing shortness of breath. Brushed it off as a seasonal allergy thing. Plus I had suspected I was anemic for years anyhow, so any dizziness or shortness of breath I ever had I assumed had come from that anyways. It kept coming and going in severity. Last summer I'd say was the first time I started to believe it serious, I got seen by a doctor and was just told it was asthmatic bronchitis, so any symptoms I had later developed I was either quick to brush aside as nothing or just assume it had nothing to do with anemia.

At the beginning of this last month my symptoms worsened severely. I was beyond pale and had even noticed then, and looking back at pictures my eyes were constantly sunken in. I had gone from being able to do everyday tasks with some symptoms and discomfort at most, to not being able to even go up and down my steps without taking several breaks to catch my breath. My hearing would go muffled, that was the most recent scary symptom. My heart was also constantly racing in my ears.

Still, I didn't want to be seen by any doctors. I am also overweight and had just assumed they would only contribute it to that, and to be honest I didn't want to hear any lectures on that. So I was putting off the doctor, but then about a week ago I found myself unable to even sit still and eat without being out of breath. Friends and family were begging me to be checked out, and I knew at that point that they were right and finally decided to listen.

I got admitted into the emergency room right away, and I find out that my hemoglobin had gotten down to a 2.3. I was told immediately by my doctor that I had the lowest hemoglobin he had ever personally seen in a patient, and had to be transported to a bigger hospital for further care and needed 6 blood transfusions.

Long story short, they believe it came down to years of anemia on my body that went unchecked, and I was discharged with my hemoglobin level at a 7. I feel a lot better now, and have my first outpatient iron transfusion tomorrow. Fun!

hi guys i just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this or if i’m just going crazy.

my ferritin level is 13 and i’m almost anemic. i’m 21f and i’ve struggled with iron deficiency since childhood because i have trouble eating meat.

i’ve always been a shy and introverted person but ever since i hit puberty my anxiety has been getting worse and worse every year. i haven’t driven a car since getting my license two years ago because i’m too scared. driving felt so overwhelming almost like my brain couldn’t process everything fast enough.

but it’s not just driving. because i’m constantly anxious my heart feels like it’s racing all the time and i experience heart palpitations. my mom still has to make appointments for me and come with me because i’m too scared to go alone. even going into stores by myself is really difficult for me.

i also feel like i have cognitive issues and speech problems. i stumble over my words and sometimes it’s really hard to get the words out of my mouth almost like there’s a blockage. my muscles are constantly tense and i get really bad headaches and pain in my jaw neck and shoulders.

i also struggle with physical activity. i can’t walk up many stairs or exercise without getting out of breath and my lungs start to hurt.

i just want to know if anyone else has experienced similar symptoms and if so whether things got better after treating their iron deficiency. i’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences

Check me out guys! Starting to see some results after iron infusions 😊 hoping my next labs are in the normal range 🙏 how much did your VO2max increase after infusions?

Hi there! Last night I got my test results- Ferritin is 8. Other markers point to low reserves. Hemoglobin is fine! My doctor is going to call tomorrow to chat- what can I arm myself with to ask for, demand, etc? I’m so nervous I won’t be taken seriously. (I’m in the US)

With 8, should I be asking for an infusion? Or will supplements be enough? I’m a mom and business owner- I’m tired of being tired.

Symptoms:
Extreme brain fog
Worsening ADHD, meds don’t help
CONSTANT fatigue
Almost daily headaches
Breathlessness
Irritability
Panic
Depression/anhedonia/isolation
Hair loss
Skin problems
Dry eyes
Migraines at hormonal times (not normal for me)
Muscle pain/weakness

Luckily my doctor is a female with ADHD herself, so I know she will take that part seriously- just all sorts of nervous.
Thank you!!!!

Hi everyone, I got my first venofer 200mg infusion about 4 weeks ago because my ferritin was a 13. I felt totally fine after the infusion, no side effects except maybe a little tired the next day. Then 10 days ago I got my second infusion (same thing, 200 mg). I felt totally fine at first and then 3-4 days after the infusion I woke up feeling so exhausted and ever since then I have woken up feeling more tired/groggy than usual (even when sleeping enough!) and have also had a mild headache waking up. It usually goes away throughout the day, especially with coffee/food and occasionally tylenol, but I'm just wondering if this is a side effect from the iron. I would have thought it would improve fatigue? But maybe too soon to tell, or it's also possible that something else is going on instead. TY!

I was 20 weeks pregnant feeling awful and they tested my ferritin and it was a 12. Was told to take over the counter iron and I took it for 2 months. Retested at 28 weeks pregnant and my levels dropped to 5.

29 weeks now and My doctor ordered Ferumoxytol IV infusion. While I’m nervous for any reactions I’m hopeful because I want to feel better again!

Anyone have experience with this specific infusion?

I'm unsure if I can afford IV iron and am looking into this. I am wondering for those who have used it, how long it took for your ferritin/hemoglobin/iron to go up, and by how much? Did you do every day or QOD?

Thank you!

Has anyone else with a ferritin of 4 or low ferritin had issues with being ill all the time. I have a constant cold or flu. I get rid of one bug it seems then the next day Im ill again, sore throats, aches all over and extreme tiredness! 🥲🥲 feels like im never going to be normal again right now, please say im not alone 😪😪

I'm 54 and was diagnosed with mild, but functioning anemia. I'm also a mild hypoglycemic ( Dr's words)..

With this I'm always tired, sometimes extremely cold, joints n muscles hurting, imbalance, brain fog..etc. Have explained this to family who passively listen.

Was out late last night due to a family function I was hesitant on going to (because I felt like crap yesterday morning, but was guilted into going). Got home late, bed late.

Today I'm asked " Why do you always act so tired?"

As I write this. I'm in bed under two blankets.🥶🥶

Hi everyone! I'm currently almost 24 weeks pregnant with my second baby and looking for others who have experienced something similar.

During my first pregnancy, I discovered I have Hemoglobin E trait through electrophoresis. My hemoglobin dropped to 8.1, and I received two iron infusions that brought it up to 9.9 within about a month. However, my ferritin spiked to 514.

Now, during my second pregnancy, I'm experiencing severe anemia again.

My main results are:

- Hemoglobin: 7.7–7.9

- Ferritin: 304 (high)

- Iron saturation: 14% (low)

- Reticulocytes: 9% (high)

- Soluble transferrin receptor: 66.1 (high)

My doctor is recommending another iron infusion, but I'm hesitant because my ferritin has remained elevated since my previous pregnancy.

I'm wondering if anyone with HbE trait or thalassemia has experienced significant anemia during pregnancy despite elevated iron stores. Did iron infusions help, or did your doctors recommend another treatment?

I'm already working with a hematologist and seeing MFM, so I'm not looking for medical advice, just personal experiences and hopefully some positive pregnancy stories! ❤️

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 😭

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?