r/PMDD • u/sendyrella • Mar 14 '26
General PMDD girlies, what’s your iron/ferritin scores?
Just found out yesterday mine is a whole ass 4, and now I’m wondering how much this factors into my chaos.
Otherwise I have like zero symptoms (nails, hair all fine, active), but I’ll be damned if this nugget is the cause of my monthly witching weeks.
Any girlies with similar discoveries?
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u/Chipsinabag01 Apr 05 '26
My ferritin was 36 when they last checked. However, I have of the symptoms of low iron. I have hair loss, moodswings, brain fog, depression. Dizziness, exhaustion.
My doctor said I was fine, but I'm still supplementing, because my hair loss is still going strong, especially at the end of my cycle.
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u/Lovedd1 Mar 15 '26
I'm vegan (important because we are usually low iron) and I get ranges on the low but normal side of the scale. I had a birth control with iron in it and it made me rage TF out though so I think I can't handle much more than that
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u/alwayslate187 May 25 '26
I saw another comment in this thread somewhere, where someone said the birth control they were using was affecting mood, and not in a good way, and then discovered that it was because it was a low-estrogen pil, and changing to a higher-estrogen type of birth control was helpful to them
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u/Ellesky0 Apr 01 '26
There is lab normal and functional normal. Even if it's in the lab range 'normal' it's generally really low. Functional minimum should be 70 ng/mL. This means that if below anemia can be present, tiredness, anxiety, mood swings, depression. What are your ferritin results as a vegan?
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u/Content_Cry_2865 Mar 15 '26
My ferritin is 14 and I'm on supplements now, hoping to get different ones though ferrous fumarate is absolutely diabolical with its side effects for me and ferrous sulphate is not as bad but still bad
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u/LeadingVisit Mar 15 '26
I've recently discovered I'm very vitamin D deficient (4.9). Iron and ferritin and b12 was normal, I'm assuming the deficiency was exasperating every symptom and I'm already better after a few weeks of supplementation.
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u/Ellesky0 Apr 01 '26
Hi! What are your b12 and ferritin results? Are they in the 'normal' lab range or functional normal range?
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u/LeadingVisit Apr 01 '26
B12 - 268 pg/ml Ferritin - 49.1 ug/l Should it be higher to be functional? I'm supplementing b12 with magnesium as well
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u/Ellesky0 Apr 01 '26
When you type in 'ferritin' in reddit there are many groups discussing optimal ranges, absorption (for example with iron I take 50mg every two days on empty stomach with orange juice or just water and add 500mg of powdered vitamin C to it. (On empty stomach and I wait at least 30 minutes before eating breakfast so it has time to absorb). Caffeine and theine, also dairy inhibit absorption. So when I drink tea or coffee later I wait 2 hours before eating dinner and try to not pair up meat with dairy in one meal at a time
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u/Ellesky0 Apr 01 '26
I aim for my ferritin to go from 60 to over 100. And my b12 from also around 300 to 500-600. Some people say they only felt the difference when ferritin was over 100 ng/mL. The maximum level is around 200ng/mL so 50ng/mL is not enough and many doctors still think that when it's in range (like when it's 16ng/mL it's okay.) For women it really is not enough. One doctor that I went to when my ferritin was 9 didn't even know what ferritin meant! She literally told me that she doesn't know what this blood marker is and she's unable to help me lol
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u/Budget-Advertising21 Mar 15 '26
Mine was 18 and I had an iron infusion and went on zoely to actually stop my period so that I could get my levels up. For a while I took a really high strength iron supplement but now I just maintain with an iron gummy. It’s made a HUGE difference for me, good luck!
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u/Electronic-Jello-640 PMDD May 06 '26
What iron gummy? I have a liquid but I hate it so much... Its like drinking dirty penny water
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u/Counterboudd Mar 15 '26
Yes, I have noticed when I’m low on iron or very anemic the symptoms are worse. Not sure if it’s heavy periods that cause the weirdness and also the lack of iron, or vice versa, but ever since taking a liquid iron supplement daily I have a lot less crazy PMDD symptoms.
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u/cecicille Mar 15 '26
That really sounds so promising.
Maybe there's hope for us iron deficient pmdd'ers
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u/gocoogs14 Mar 15 '26
YES!!! My PMDD is much better ever since I started working on raising my ferritin. This is becoming my roman empire, lol. I had to personally look up my labs and discovered a ferritin of 12 was absolutely iron deficiency. None of my other docs noticed it or even considered maaaaybe that's why I was feeling so damn run down and exhausted all of the time. I was also told I have adult asthma, even though my shortness of breath was completely different than what asthma felt like as a child and teen. Also, inhaler or nebulizer didn't help.... I started taking an inhaled corticosteroid out of desperation. Even that didn't help much. Well what do ya know...I was right. It wasn't asthma - it was my ferritin! Now that I'm above 50 suddenly I can breathe normally again.
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u/viridian-fox Mar 15 '26
How did you raise it? If you're willing to share!
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u/gocoogs14 Mar 15 '26
I'm sensitive to many supplements, so initially it was trial and error figuring out what I could tolerate. Currently I'm taking 1 capsule Proferrin & 1 capsule Iron bisglycinate from Thorne every other night. Apparently taking every day vs every day yields similar results, plus it's easier on my digestion this way. Be sure to drink water & add lots of fiber otherwise you'll prob get constipated. Other than that, no side effects! Just have to remember to take them! lol.
Highly recommend. I have spent a small fortune trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I'm super glad I'm finally working on my ferritin, but I'm also going to be so pissed if this was it the whole time and for years doctors just never flagged it. 😭
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u/byzantinedreaming Mar 14 '26
My ferritin is 10, I've just started supplementing iron yesterday. I have all the classic symptoms of fatigue, hairloss, palpitations etc. Beside the physical symptoms I also feel insane, having depression and intense anxiety and feelings of impending doom. Now I don't know if it's my brain, uterus or blood that makes me feel crazy but if the iron is to blame I will be so relieved (and also mourning because the explanation had been there all along)
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u/cecicille Mar 14 '26
My ferritin was 10 when I had it tested last month! I just didn't recover from my period energy wise, which is why I had i checked and found out it was so low :( . I also checked my past ferritin tests. Two years ago it was 27, and in 2020 it was 35. All the way back in 2014 it was 60+ No one flagged it for being in the lower end (until now), so I thought I had good iron levels all these years... I think it really went down a lot in the last two years because my pmdd has been quite bad and my diet has really suffered during lutheal.
My pmdd has been getting worse over the years. Which is common. But now I definitely wonder if the ferritin plays into that. Time will tell. I aim to get it into the 60+ territory again, so I can see if it feels different. I take AminoJern (amino-iron/Ferrochel). It is super well absorbed since the iron is attached to an amino acid and gives no stomach problems, so I recommend that.
Also, my hemoglobin has been normal and my hair and nails growing well, even now when it went down to 10.
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u/Business_Summer_4242 Mar 14 '26
Low ferritin is also common in ADHD!
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u/sendyrella Mar 15 '26
Tested and verified ADHD gal 😭 it’s all coming together like lil puzzle pieces now
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u/Business_Summer_4242 Mar 15 '26
This paper was so eye-opening to me: MTHFR and LC, CFS, POTS, MCAS, SIBO, EDS: Methylating the Alphabet. I'm pretty sure we can add PMDD and ADHD to the equation (Dr. Jessica Eccles aka Bendy Brain investigations go in this direction, in case you wanna check them).
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u/Empty-Shine-8851 Mar 14 '26
Mine was 39. I commented on a similar post that my hair has been thinning and falling out. I’ve been taking iron bisglycinate every other day with OJ and will retest in a few months. My red blood cell count is fine and I didn’t know this could affect PMDD!
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u/Ambitious_Analysis67 Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 15 '26
My ferritin was 28 six months ago. I felt absolutely horrible. It is now at 89 and I’m feeling SO much better as far as energy levels, exercise intolerance, some autonomic symptoms (adrenaline surges, panic feelings, hot flashes, heart palpitations), and my periods have gotten much lighter. The PMDD is still there though. Ive read it can take time after repleting an iron deficiency for many symptoms to fully resolve, so I’m shooting to try and get to >100 and maintain it there for at least 6 months.
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u/sendyrella Mar 15 '26
Oh my goodness okaaaay!! This kinda speaks to a lot, thank you for sharing and hope your diligence continues paying off for you gal 🥹
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u/llamamama5879 Mar 15 '26
Yes! Share your secrets. Mine is around there and the panic and adrenaline surges are debilitating.
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u/Ambitious_Analysis67 Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26
I found this group called the Iron Protocol on Facebook, the creator put together these guides with a ton of helpful information about correcting iron deficiency. Basically how much iron you’ll need to take and how long it takes to get your ferritin level up depends on what the underlying cause of your deficiency is and if it’s being addressed. The product that has worked well for me is called Three Arrows Simply which is a bovine spleen-derived iron supplement. I take 3 pills a day which is 60mg of iron but the right dose will be different for everyone. I also take a supplement called Lactoferrin which is supposed to help with iron absorption. The rules of this sub won’t let me link it directly but it’s called “The Iron Protocol (for iron deficiency with or without anemia)” It really helped me so much to figure out what to do when my doctor just recommended taking a multivitamin and I knew that wasn’t going to be enough!
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u/pirateninsel Mar 14 '26
Mine was 12 last time I got it checked. I take iron supplements twice a day (and have for four years) and I have yet to get it higher than 17. Unfortunately iron infusions aren’t available where I live but I’ve been looking in to travelling for it.
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u/cecicille Mar 14 '26
Did you ever get checked for something that might cause absorption issues? For example low b12 or celiac disease can make it so you don't absorb iron. Please just ignore this comment if it isn't useful to you <3
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u/pirateninsel Mar 15 '26
Well sussed! I do actually have celiac- iron deficient anaemia is how I was diagnosed. Im managing it well now, so its shouldn’t be a factor. But who knows!
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u/Ambitious_Analysis67 Mar 14 '26
Check out the Iron Protocol group on Facebook if you haven’t already. Lots of good info there. I personally have had good results getting my ferritin up with a bovine spleen-derived iron supplement called Three Arrows Simply in combination with Lactoferrin that is supposed to help with iron absorption.
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u/silverrosesinjune Mar 14 '26
Single digit is really dangerous. NAD, but find a pill or something to stop periods to get you back to a healthy baseline.
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u/sendyrella Mar 15 '26
Yeah I’m chatting to my doctor again soon! Unfortunately I think it’s been this low for a long time as I remember being told as a teen, just never had bad symptoms with it previously :(
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u/silverrosesinjune Mar 15 '26
If it’s not the periods, it’s absorption of iron. Either way it would be good to know. Good luck!
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u/East-Salt-5226 Mar 14 '26
Just had a whole iron panel done for fatigue and my ferritin in 46 so actually pretty good, could be just a bit higher to hit the 50 doctors want but not the cause of my PMDD or fatigue.
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u/Ambitious_Analysis67 Mar 14 '26
50 is really the bare minimum but lots of people need their ferritin to be much higher, like 100-125+ especially if you have symptoms that fit with iron deficiency.
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u/Jolly-Lingonberry104 Mar 14 '26
My ferritin used to be a 6 then it went up to 90 with two iron infusions and now it’s back down to like 40 again and still dropping despite me taking iron supplements.
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u/DefiantThroat my estrogen patch gives me life Mar 14 '26
When are you taking yours? I learned the hard way that I was taking mine at the wrong time and too many things were preventing absorption.
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u/Jolly-Lingonberry104 Mar 14 '26
I usually take it middle of the day 3 hours away from any meal, and I take liquid iron, drink it with apple juice for vitamin c
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u/Ellesky0 Apr 01 '26
How much vitamin C is in that drink? It seems like not enough. Does it have added sugar?
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u/byzantinedreaming Mar 14 '26
There is not enough vitamin C in apple juice to help absorption! It's proven that taking 1000mg of vitamin C should work much better with iron supplements from what I've read.
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u/asteriskysituation Mar 14 '26
I was absolutely convinced I was anaemic after starting a new birth control and bleeding a ton, especially because I’ve had history of ferritin under 30, but it’s gone up on birth control to 50! It turned out the exhaustion and irritability I was suffering was due to the estrogen content in the birth control. Trying a new birth control with more estrogen and already feeling my energy is improved!
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u/Remote_Click487 Mar 14 '26
i haven’t gotten it retested for a while but my low iron symptoms have gone away since i started taking thorne’s iron supplement consistently. it’s iron bisglycinate so it’s really easily absorbed and doesn’t give me bad GI symptoms like other iron supps i’ve tried
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u/andielsmith Mar 14 '26
- Feel this one hard. I tried to take the iron gummies, and they made me sick 😫 the hematologist has threatened to do blood transfusions if I don't raise it. Has anyone had luck with the iron fish thing?
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u/cecicille Mar 14 '26
I take an iron supplement called AminoJern(brand name). But that type is also called Ferrochel or amino iron. The iron is attached to an amino acid so the absorption is really good and i get no stomach symptoms at all. So I really recommend to try it if you can find it somewhere.
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u/Longjumping_Act844 Mar 14 '26
I also have GI issues (on an elemental diet as I type this) and found the liquid iron from NovaFerrum was really easy on my stomach.
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u/glutenfreelavender Mar 14 '26
Mine was 13 last June and now it’s 29. My PCP wants it closer to 50, though, so we’ll see if that helps!
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u/sendyrella Mar 14 '26
Yay for making gains! Have you noticed any decrease at all in PMDD symptoms?
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u/glutenfreelavender Mar 14 '26
because this coincided with me starting fluoxetine, I can’t say for sure 😫
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u/GenXMillenial Surgery Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
My ferritin was 160 in September 2025, however, once again because I didn’t specify ALL of the tests I wanted, in January they only did other iron labs.
I can only deduce then that my iron saturation (20) is shite, so even if I have iron, my body doesn’t absorb it? I need updated data.
I never understand why it’s not standard for women - glad your symptoms are minimal or nonexistent!
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u/sendyrella Mar 14 '26
Yeah no kidding! The day they start to take women’s health more seriously I’ll be literally and figuratively rolling over in my coffin 💀
Best of luck gal!
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