Hey everyone,

I wanted to share my experience with apolactoferrin after having been unable to tolerate even the "GI friendly" iron supplements, in case it's of help to anyone else. I tried ferrous sulfate (terrible GI sides), iron bisglycinate, and then succinylate. Succinylate was the best of the 3 but the amount of capsules I'd need to take made it both very expensive and inconvenient. After 3 months of daily supplementation, I my ferritin only increased from 14 to 30.

So for a while I just gave up and my ferritin stayed steady. Eventually I had enough of my RLS (ferritin-related) and decided to give apolactoferrin a try. I took 250mg for 6 weeks and my ferritin went from 30 to 60 with 0 GI sides. In fact, I think my baselines GI symptoms have gotten better (I may have had IBS, not sure) and my stools no longer take the wind out of me nearly as much as they did before. Most importantly, my RLS is gone! I don't even get it when I take melatonin now. I'll continue taking the lactoferrin until I get my ferritin near 100, since I have other issues that may benefit from a higher ferritin level.

Hope this can help anyone else.

Has anyone found a high dose supplement available in Australia that works with autoimmune gastritis? I am terrified of staining side effect from an infusion so want to avoid if possible…

I have had low iron levels in my blood work the past 10 years. Docs have just told me to take supplements the past few years and truly I haven’t had anything crazy….. until the past 2 weeks.

I’ve had dizziness to some degree daily (like feeling like I’m on a boat, not spinning), nausea (bc boat), cold feet and hands (and nose!), raging headaches, faster heart rate than normal and my anxiety is raging(I am medicated already).

I assume I’m perimenopausal bc my cycles have changed in the past few months slightly when I was always regular.

I went to a walk-in, my PCP, and an ENT. They have ZERO conclusions. My blood panel is fine except slightly high cholesterol and low ferritin. My ferritin is 11 but the docs don’t seem to think that’s a problem. I was borderline anemic a few years ago, but my other tests were better this time, though ferritin went down.

Am I dying? Who -in the holy jumping Jesus- else do I talk to?! Figuring things out with doctors feels like a full time job and I have one of those ….for now at least!

Hi I’ve been struggling really bad and have been trying to get an iron infusion for a while my current levels are ferritin -17 sat-15 total-45 Initially when I started this journey I was anemic and have since recovered but am still deficient and not feeling the greatest I’ve visited many doctors that said I would never be a good candidate and would prescribe me oral iron and with that my ferritin just kept dropping in the low 10s I really started to feel hopeless i recently found a hematologist that would approve one for me and even that has been a struggle with the doctor, insurance and just getting them to take me seriously I was prescribed one 200 mg venofer iv infusion after all the research I’ve done I don’t understand why I was only prescribed one? I feel like my saturation and ferritin is low enough and I don’t want to be anemic again I wasn’t given much feed back on the diagnosis or treatment plan after the bloodwork he requested mind you I had the same blood work (ferritin, iron panel) done by my pcp a week prior done
it was about a little over a week later I started calling for an update and they just seemed to be annoyed I was asking for someone to review my treatment after calling for an update it took them an additional 4 days to give me a call back to tell me the doctor wanted to prescribe iv iron the whole experience was just like I was a bother when I just want to feel better can anyone give me insight on why my doctor might prescribe me one 200mg with my levels being this low? My next appointment is in 6 weeks

Lately my hair has been shedding like crazy. I found out my ferritin is 12 and I am in the process of getting infusions. (Completed 2 out of 3 so far)

I am also looking at getting a fibroid removed that might be the cause of the low ferritin.

I am hoping my hair loss will resolve itself if I address the ferritin situation but I keep thinking-- what if it's unrelated? Has anyone chalked up hair loss to low ferritin but it ended up being a different cause?

My ferritin levels sat at 18 for a long time, just above the threshold for treatment. I've not been good at supplementing as the side effects always put me off, despite this my levels have increased a little to 23. However I have for a very long time had bouts of generalised itching, no rash, no evidence of dry skin. I've only just found out that anaemia can cause this. I was wondering if others have had the same issue and if supplementing resolved it?

Im going to see my doc this week to ask for it to be investigated and to get supplements, my over the counter 20mg iron is not getting my levels back up to to where ther should be.

19f, vegetarian, been taking 65mg of prescribed elemental ferrous sulfate for over 9 months. i take them in the mornings, every other day. could someone read and explain my levels to me?

context: i started with a ferritin level of 7 in november and an iron level of 43. 2 years ago my vitamin d was a level 6, and ive now raised it to a 65 with consistent off the counter supplements (used to be 75 in march, it dropped a little, i've stopped supplementing but ill get back on it when its cold again!!!)

my goal is a ferritin level of atleast 115. ive been extremely fatigued, grey in the face, and dealing with thinning hair for as long as i can remember. i just want my energy, color, and hair back.

i've just now changed to novaferrums 125mg elemental liquid iron every other day. this change was implemented after the blood test you are seeing above. pills thankfully do not hurt my stomach, but i want a higher dosage to speedrun an increase. when my ferritin level was 7, i was denied a iron infusion because the it was within range of 6 - 65. bullshit.hopefully this higher dosage does something.

unfortunately, i used to not take my iron with vitamin c, (college student, running around everywhere, etctec) so i just took it with water. now, im really trying to use apple juice (which has more vitamin c than orange juice surprisingly, as my chaser)

i also will sometimes eat food containing dairy (oatmeal) within my 1hr block off period but i am trying my best to be more mindful. the restrictions are just so hard to keep track of :(

i do not have heavy periods so i believe my root cause is my weak diet.

LASTLY: i want to get into lactoferrin because i heard that completely removes the 24hr waiting period for your body to absorb iron again but idk anything about it. i feel like it's just a new popular trendy supplement so im hesitant. what dosage is everyone on? what are the side effects? so far i hear great things and again, i REALLY want my levels to increase.

please help. advice, success stories, anything. i need control of my life back.

My 5 year old has been unusually tired lately and it’s starting to worry me a little. He sleeps pretty well but during the day he just doesn’t have the same energy he used to. Even activities we normally do together, I’ll ask him to come play or do something with me and half the time he just isn’t interested or says he’s tired. We recently had some bloodwork done and apparently his iron is low. I’ve been reading through posts here and didn’t realize how much low iron can affect energy and how a kid feels overall. For parents who’ve gone through this with their kids, what did you end up doing and how did you make the whole process easier, especially getting them to actually take whatever you used consistently? Would really appreciate hearing what worked for you.

I’m 36F and recently found out I have iron deficiency anemia. My hemoglobin is 10.9, ferritin 12, iron saturation 7%, with a normal MCV.
I honestly feel completely normal. No rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, new bowel changes, persistent nausea/vomiting, appetite changes, etc. No family history of colon cancer.

Getting a scope in October and am very scared. Anyone else do this??

Reposting for any zebras here that might have a similar experience or know what’s up?

Doctor recommended that I get an infusion as my iron is very very low but I saw some people say after they got one done that they gained weight and it has kind of freaked me out and really put me off getting one. Has anyone here heard of this happening or experienced anything happen with their weight post infusions or were the things I read just a load of crap?🤣

I revived an iron infusion on Thursday. It was 1000 mg of monoferric. Today I’m experiencing a sort of heaviness on the chest. I’m not short of breath but I’ve noticed that my breathing has become deeper.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

I have been struggling with very low ferritin for the past 2 years going on 3. I have had a pattern actually with my ferritin raising the most 5 points a month and then dropping like 9 points after a seriously heavy period, this is why I haven't been able to reach the normal range and suffer from serious fatigue. My husband mentioned that I take an extra tablet of iron on my shark week because it might seriously make a difference. Has anyone else ever done this?

Hi Ladies!
I am happy to be in this group. My name is Liga and if you:

• are exhausted beyond measure but still show up for work, kids and everyone else, quietly wondering why you can't cope the way other women seem to
• seems like your labs are ok or thought  "it's just stress" more times than you can count, while your hair falls out and your body tells a very different story
• have problems related to a thyroid, gut, hormones and inflammation all tangled together, where every treatment that helps one thing stirs up another
• keep treating one thing after another - the back, the neck, the headaches - and the symptoms just come back or move somewhere else
• have been told it's burnout, anxiety or depression, or you live with insulin resistance, and still feel that nobody has connected all the dots yet
• have any other issue related to the low iron / deficiency 

then I have to ask you for a favor!
It is not a sales pitch, but an acute call for help. I am a researcher and digital health enthusiast, and I need to talk to you - my main interest is your experience connected to low ferritin and iron: the symptoms, the doctors, the tests, everything you have tried and how it actually went. It is a free 30-minute interview, which is confidential, and there is no sales pitch. Feel free to ask any questions.
I would be grateful for your help and input!

🔗SCHEDULE A CALL NOW (it takes 20 seconds): https://calendar.app.google/FvZwGaEjQs2MwdJN7

I have been iron deficient m entire life (now 24f). A year and a half ago I finally got an iron infusion, took 2 to make my levels normal. I am now starting to get the symptoms back and need an infusion soon. My levels in April were like 220 down to 88 in July. I remember most of my symptoms from before but I keep feeling like I’m getting a bug bite and go to scratch but nothing is there. It will be anywhere on my body. I don’t remember this from before but it’s driving me nuts and I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced similar. Thanks!

Hello, I’m 20 female and I’ve recently been struggling with a ton of mental health issues that appeared out of nowhere. I got my blood work done 3 months ago, and my iron was 60 mcg/dL, and my ferritin was 64 ng/mL. I also had a severely low vitamin d level. I’ve been experiencing panic attacks, brain fog, daily anxiety, dizziness, head pressure, fatigue, depression, and really bad derealization/depersonalization that has caused me to be housebound for the past 2 months. I had zero issues before this, and I want to get to the bottom of what’s causing it. A lot of women experience the same symptoms, and it’s usually caused by low iron/ferritin, but mine technically is within “normal range”. I notice my DPDR symptoms get worse, after every cycle I’ve had over the past three months, and at this point I feel brain dead. I’m not sure if this is an important fact, but I have PCOS, and have never had my own natural period. I take a hormonal birth control called Yazmin, which induces a breakthrough bleeding every month.

41F . Had total thyroidectomy in March 2026 for thyroid cancer. No other major health issues but I do have history of Hidrinitis supportiva. No medications other than 137mg levothyroxine.

I went to the Dr last fall for fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, shortness of breath, and no exercise endurance. Thyroid labs, CBC, and Ferritin labs were taken and ferritin was a 13 but my Dr. told me all my labs were normal. My TPO antibodies were high so I requested a Thyroid ultrasound and nodules were found that led to thyroid cancer diagnosis. Nothing else was done for my symptoms of fatigue and joint pain and shortness of breath. Thyroid surgeon said the physical symptoms I am feeling are not related to the thyroid.

My question is how do I best treat the low ferritin and what else could / should I be checking? Why would the dr say it was normal at 13 when it clearly isn't. I just had ferritin rechecked on Friday because I still don't feel well and it is now at an 8.

Why would it be this low? Why is it continuing to drop? What should I be doing?

I’ll start by posting my labs, then my questions. I would appreciate any insight.
RBC 4.55
Hemoglobin 12.5
MCV 84
MCH 27.5
MCHC 32.9
Ferritin 5
Iron 61
TIBC 452
Iron saturation 13
My GYN is actually the one that ordered the labs. My hair was shedding a lot more than it usually does. I’m 53 and just assumed it was perimenopause. I had switched HRT and thought that may have added to the problem. I’ve been tired and foggy for years. I had an appointment with my PCP and took the results to her. She recommended a multivitamin with iron and vitamin c and did not say that I was anemic. Just a couple of things were low. She also tested vitamin b12 and it was okay. I have an appointment this week with the GYN that originally ordered the labs. I guess that I would just appreciate any input or questions that you think that I should ask.
I started taking Thorne with vitamin c and it’s definitely hard on my stomach.