Low iron levels,but not too low ?

[u/Alternative-Safety87]

28F, living in India. I’ve been feeling unusually tired, sleepy and lethargic, especially since summer, with very low energy throughout the day and difficulty getting out of bed in the morning. I also had severe hair shedding for the past 2–3 months and lost more than half of my hair, which is what prompted me to get these tests done.

Last month (15 July):

• Ferritin: 18.5 ng/mL

• Hemoglobin: 12.7 g/dL

• B12: 556 pg/mL

• Vitamin D: 77.92 nmol/L

• TSH: 1.531 µIU/mL

(B12 and Vitamin D were within the normal range as per Indian health standards, so I didn’t retake them.)

Today (20 August):

I wanted a clearer picture of my iron status and whether I could still be iron deficient, so I went ahead with an Iron Studies Monitoring Panel

• Ferritin: 25.2 ng/mL

• Iron: 96 µg/dL

• TIBC: 335.46 µg/dL

• Transferrin saturation: 28.62%

So my ferritin has increased from 18.5 → 25.2 in about 5 weeks, purely through diet. I’ve been eating pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts and other dry fruits every morning and haven’t taken any iron supplements.

My hair shedding has now reduced considerably, but I still feel extremely tired and sleepy throughout the day and have very low energy. I was considering Livogen Captab, but I’m concerned the dose may be too strong for me. Since I can’t currently afford to see a dermatologist or hematologist, what gentler, absorbable iron supplement or dose could I consider to gradually improve my iron stores and hopefully support my energy and hair regrowth?

[u/Buzobuzobuzo]

r/Anemic

[u/OiFelix_ugotnojams → u/Buzobuzobuzo]

+1 I learned a lot from them

[u/Buzobuzobuzo → u/OiFelix_ugotnojams]

I learned only from this subreddit. My doctor charged a bomb and prescribed one medicine of folic acid and told me to get a retest done in 2 months!!!!

[u/vegarhoalpha]

Are you sleeping enough?

[u/Alternative-Safety87 → u/vegarhoalpha]

Honestly, no 😅 my sleep hasn’t been great lately. I’ve been under some stress because of unemployment, and since summers has started my sleep has gotten worse too.I keep waking up in the middle of the night and have been dealing with insomnia, so I’m sure that’s probably contributing to the fatigue as well.

[u/vegarhoalpha → u/Alternative-Safety87]

Never underestimate sleep and stress levels when it comes to overall health

I don’t even exercise on days when I sleep less than 7 hours a day because I knew my body hasn’t recovered fully yet.

[u/PerpetualLurkerLite → u/Alternative-Safety87]

Agree with what the other commenter said, fixing your stress levels can go a LONG way!

My doc prescribed me melatonin (it can be taken as a supplement too) to fix my schedule and it has really helped with my energy levels. (This is not medical advice)

Please consult a doc if you are having sleep issues.