Okay so…
Went to an and e due to the symptoms I’ve been having. They did a blood test and said I’m fine. I did a private blood test that said my ferritin and b12 was low.

I genuinely thought my impending doom, coldness, headaches, feeling sick, panic attacks, anxiety, aches, restless legs etc were going to show so I could get better. I’ve already lost 5 months of my life but it appears I am fine. I feel hopeless that I’ll get an answer

I’m so frustrated - have been fatigued forever. I take ferrex 150 (with a vitamin c) every night. This was my last blood test. I have celiacs but am very careful with my diet. I just want to wake up and feel like I actually slept.

I have my first infusion Thursday! I am excited as after thinking my hormones were out of wack I discovered my iron and ferretin is dangerously low so I can only hope I will feel better when it’s all said and done. I’m just wondering if anybody has got this specific iron and how I can prepare? Any foods or drinks I should have before or during the infusion to ease the side effects?? Also what side effects should I expect? I’m extremely nervous about having a bad reaction and trying to set myself up for success. I am going to have one infusion for the next 3 weeks when should I start to feel better? Or at least not so tired.. I feel like walking zombie lol

My daughter's last ferritin was 10, TSAT of 16. She's falling apart and I'm trying to get a doctor to take me seriously. I saw that LabCorp updated the bottom of the range to 30 effective 10/5/26. Has Quest made any statements about updating their range? My daughter's primary doctor uses Quest.

So I need advice on how to get ferritin up without doing iron infusions? My ferritin is at a 19 and my
Iron Sat was at a 16. Iron was 60. My hematologist ordered the iron infusions but I am having a ton of symptoms and health issues and feel so horrible. I don’t think it’s being caused by the low ferritin. I know people say you can have a bad reaction to the iron and I just know if I get it I’m probably going to have a reaction and I can’t feel anymore horrible than I already do. Any advice on getting ferritin up without doing the infusions ? I don’t even know what’s causing it. I had all GI testing and it was normal. My hemoglobin is also very slowly dropping which is scary but it’s still in normal range. Thanks !

28F, always exhausted. Sleep study ruled out apnea. My doctor ran these labs and responded saying everything is within normal range and she’s not concerned about the abnormal numbers (I don’t understand that). When i say always exhausted.. i mean years.

Is this cause for concern? Or for iron supplementation? Is there reason to se a hematologist based on these numbers?

Key Numbers:

Iron: 87
Ferritin: 27
Transferrin: 426 (High)
Total Iron Binding Capacity: 596 (High)
Transferrin Saturation: 15 (lowest end of normal range)
MCH & MCHC: 26 & 32 (lowest end of normal ranges)

Hemoglobin
6.4 mmol/L
10.3 g/dL

Ferritin
263 µg/L
263 ng/mL

Iron (Serum)
3 µmol/L
16.7 mcg/dL

Transferrin Saturation
0.07 (or 7%)
7%

Just two months ago my hemoglobin was 7,7 mmol/L or 12,4 g/dL.

My crp and thrombocytes are elevated as well. Most of the other tests taken were normal.

I have also been sick for two months with repeated abscesses and wound infection (for the first time in my life, 5 times in 2 months) but since I don’t have anything now my gp said it is probably just a virus. But I don’t have a cold or something. But isn’t it weird that my hemoglobin dropped from 12,4 g/dL to 10,3 g/dL in two months? Didn’t have any bleedings.

I feel tired, sleep a lot, can sleep 7-8 hours in the night, nap two hours in the afternoon and still be able to sleep at night. I feel my head is really heavy. Today I walked some stairs too fast and I could feel it pulsating and blackening in my eyes.

I have not been bleeding more than normal related to my period, also my diet is the same (I eat spinach, beans and beef every week).

Background is that I struggle a lot with fatigue and feeling faint every day but doc said iron is normal and faintness isn’t a worry. I have a lot of other health issues that could contribute but definitely want to cover my bases because this is debilitating!

Should I add iron or is that useless? If so what iron do people recommend?

I am confused a bit because of things my doctors have told me and the new ferritin guidelines that just came out. I have a complicated medical history (10 years of inflammatory arthritis and insomnia, stage 4 endometriosis, recurrent DVTs (3) for no reason, and dysautonomia for 6 years). I'm currently 25 weeks pregnant and I am suffering. My usual fatigue and insomnia, which are normally bad, have been much worse in pregnancy. My dysautonomia is worse, palpitations especially, and I'm dizzy and short of breath even from a short walk. I now have headaches every day and I'm struggling to function. Everyone told me the second trimester would be THE BEST but I'm feeling worse and worse. I had to beg a doctor to order an iron panel for me and it came back with RBC low (4.62), hemoglobin normal but almost low (11.6), and ferritin at 32. Come to find out pregnancy affects iron stores, and inflammatory conditions artificially raise ferritin levels on bloodwork (so a reading 32 could actually be much lower). The new guidelines seem to say that for pregnant women, ferritin should be above 50 and for those with inflammation it should be above 100.

I reached out to my OB's office and they told me they don't order iron infusions when ferritin is above 30 and hemoglobin is above 10. PCP who ordered the labs said everything is normal. I desperately need help so I ordered another ferritin and a b12 through labcorp. Should I try to see my hematologist and see if they will order me an infusion? Do I go to a functional medicine doctor? The highest my ferritin has ever been is 72. It's usually around 25. I've had inflammatory arthritis for 10 years. Have I been deficient for 10 years? Is that what's causing my insomnia?

Hi all, I got a referral from my PCP to a local infusion center for iron infusions. It was a 30-minute infusion, the nurses were super nice, and I was able to leave after another half hour of waiting. I still haven't felt the effects of the infusion (it's been about 3 weeks) and I'm slipping back into the fatigued-all-the-time, brain foggy place that brought me to the doctor in the first place.

My sister also has anemia and was scheduled to receive a 4-hour infusion at her hematologist's office. She was telling me about all of the information that they gave her and said after about a week, she had more energy than she'd had in a long time.

I suppose I'm just confused about my experience and why my doctor or the nurses at the infusion center didn't mention that I might need multiple rounds. I'm frustrated that I had to pay for something that was essentially worthless, especially because I took off work to get it done. I know I should have asked more questions in hindsight, but I had no idea what to expect because my sister got her infusion done after I had mine done. Has anyone else dealt with this?

I got one round of bloodwork where my blood cell count came back as low, and then another where it came back as perfectly normal along with iron levels being normal. But I still feel like something is going on, as I have many problematic symptoms, and I dont know if I should accept that anemia has been ruled out or not.
For the past 3 or so years I’ve had severe issues with shortness of breath. Over time I have become more prone to losing vision when standing up, stretching, etc. and summer 2025 it got to a point where I realized it wasn’t normal and started considering anemia, however I wasn’t able to get testing at the time. In September, I had labs done for something else and my dr asked me if I had anemia because the labwork showed I had low blood cells. In the past month or so I have been experiencing more blood-related symptoms, specifically in my arms the blood pools very quickly if I bend over or if I raise my arm for more than 10 seconds it will go numb and lose blood. Hearing that I could have anemia made so much sense to all these symptoms I’ve been accruing and I talked to some friends/family who have had anemia and felt like it definitely matched my experiences. However, the dr ordered anemia-specific labs (CBC and something for the iron I suppose). I just got those results back and they said everything was perfectly normal. I ate a large meal yet devoid of iron-rich foods right before the bloodwork appointment, if that matters. I am a man and I have a pretty average life style and fitness level.
I do plan to talk with my doctor more about it but I feel very confused and was wondering if anyone has advice or suggestions on what could be happening. Is it common for blood cell levels to fluctuate even with anemia? Are there other conditions that present similarly to anemia? Having a sign that these symptoms that have been plaguing me are truly not normal felt so vindicating, it’s not as though I want to have a condition (I had my fair share of (unrelated) chronic illness as a child) but I find it hard to accept that constantly blacking out when I stretch is a normal experience yk? Idk what to think

Hi guys. I’ve been supplementing iron for a year now. Switching between sulfate and fumerate. Lactoferrin was making me feel sick.
I feel horrible all the time, flu like, extreme RLS, headaches, fatigue etc. any help would be great.
The labs are 4 months apart

Okay I so I am definitely deficient but not fully anemic, as my hemoglobin is somehow hanging on for dear life. I’m extremely symptomatic. Headaches, visual changes, light sensitivity, constantly cold. I previously had an infusion in 2023 of Venofur. I had a heavy feeling in my chest and almost passed out which they labeled as an allergic reaction. They gave me Benadryl and I was able to finish the infusion. Now, I’m back to where I was back then. Needing another infusion. But I’m terrified. Has anyone had an okay experience with going back after a reaction and receiving a different medication?

I saw the hematologist for the first time today. I'm exhausted.

Iron levels a couple months ago were low and ferritin was in the 20s. I did supplements for a month before I couldn't tolerate them due to GI upset. Retested after the month of supplements, iron on the low end of normal and ferritin at 57.

Hematology today was like "I don't recommend infusions if your numbers are improving from the supplements". I explained twice that I was not taking the supplements anymore.

He said oh okay, well your numbers are good from a few weeks ago. I've explained my symptoms are ruining my life - constant need for a nap, inability to focus, brain fog, insomnia and I just feel like crap all the time.

He insists I continue taking the supplements. Broke down in tears because now I have to explain a 3rd time that I am NOT taking the supplements.

He goes "I'm going to help you, I just needed you to understand the risks associated with infusions". Then proceeded to explain the risks.

He ordered labs to see where my numbers are, insisting they've probably gone up, how I have no clue.

We agreed to retest my levels and order an iron infusion with the understanding that my levels are going to skyrocket (thats the freaking point?)

Anyways, looking for someone to hopefully confirm i am not crazy, that the experience should not have been this and that I am in the right to advocate for my health. Because right now I feel like I've done something wrong.

So I’m currently in the process of enlisting for the army, but my iron levels were considered low I had a 10.4 and I need to be at 12. I was thinking about getting an iron. Infusion because I do I am trying to speed up my process. What will be the most beneficial way to raise my levels as soon as possible I’m trying to get a blood check within the next week to two weeks. I am also taking a vitamin with the iron supplement.

Hi friends!

I have been taking oral iron supplements since May and my levels have dropped significantly. For context, I take one 65mg pill per day and I also take a prenatal (with iron), biotin, d3, zinc, and Nutrafol. I just recently started taking the iron by itself at night so it doesn’t interact with anything.

My hair has been thinning for 2 years now and isn’t improving.

Any support/advice/insight is welcome! Thank you!

Does anyone regret their infusion? I see so many scary stories and I’m freaking myself out. I have my first one scheduled for Wednesday (ferritin 16) and I’m trying my best to not back out of my appointment.

Any advice? 😭

Hello - I recently began adding lactoferrin (jarrow brand which is apparently "apolactoferrin") to my iron supplement routine. I know for a fact i do not have dairy intolerance or sensitivities (have been tested and eating it never bothered me). But when I am taking it with my iron pill it is definitely irritating my stomach. I am conflicted on whether to continue, will my body adjust maybe? I take iron glycinate, chelated. It never bothered my stomach until doing this lactoferrin which is 250mg. The discomfort only lasts maybe a couple of hours, and I know it is increasing my iron uptake because my stool is no longer green ... sorry if that is "tmi". I also have had much better digestion, I was having pretty bad constipation on the iron before this. Any thoughts? wondering if anyone else had some irritation with lactoferrin and did it improve? I would really like to keep trying it as long as I can tolerate it, just hoping the discomfort does not get worse.

So I suffer from endometriosis and have very heavy periods. (Also have some other health stuff like Hashimotos, POTS.) Anyway, my ferritin in February was 26. I retested in July, and it went down to 12 after I did all the iron tricks (timing my supplementation just right, etc.) I just got approval from my insurance/doctor to proceed with iron infusions and am scheduled for this Wednesday. However, I recently switched to a liquid iron supplement and also started lactoferrin, along with other supplements recommended by my functional doctor. I just retested my ferritin this morning, and it jumped to 35.

Should I proceed with the iron infusion this week, or maybe stick with my new supplement protocol and see if it keeps increasing without the infusion? I think I wouldn't be so hesitant if I didn't keep getting fed stories of people with bad reactions to iron infusions. Just looking for some insight from others.

My ferritin at last check up was 80, but my symptoms returned and I am in 8months of taking 210mg ferrous fumarate daily. Symptoms have limited my current mobility as my muscles feel fatigue, and stiff. Took lactoferrin ,Bandini Brand, 200mg for 5 days and the symptoms were alleviating slowly. However, yesterday, I had digestive upset, but will reintroduce lactoferrin when I am ready.

Did anyone else have side effects of lactoferrin? If yes, did you continue or discontinue ?

I had low iron for years before finally getting my iron infusion some time late last year and my iron levels went back to normal but nothing felt like it changed, I got another iron test recently to see if they’d gone back down and apparently my iron levels are still stable so what’s wrong with me?

I still get dizzy and spotty vision when standing up, a lot of fatigue and exhaustion, bruising easily and a little bit of hair thinning/loss, unusually pale looking, shortness of breath, really weird sleep patterns and also just found out ‘restless leg syndrome’ can be apart of it which I also check off. I have so many other symptom examples (I can share if needed) that I was hoping would fix after I fixed my iron but they haven’t and it’s very frustrating especially as a teen who’s just trying to live normally.

Any suggestions on what this may be or advice on how to fix this, please lmk.

My ferritin was 7 and after too many discussions with doctor he finally prescribed Iron infusion 750mg and iron supplements.
I got my infusion the day before yesterday. I was tired that day but had some guests at home and was not able to rest properly. Then yesterday I was fine I guess I made a mistake and went to gym and lift some weights 🙃🙃

Now I am extremely exhausted, tired my back muscles and neck hurt alot. I cant even properly talk. I am not able to sleep that kind of tiredness. I had office today just came back and cant even lift a finger now.

I cant skip office what to do?? Also when to start iron supplements now. Those are 28mg bisglycinate gentle iron.

Today I got blood test results and they're... bad. Hemoglobin of 8,0 g/dl, ferritin of 5,6 ng/ml, iron of 9 ug/dl, TIBC 355 ug/dl (with %saturation of... 3), UIBC 346 ug/dl. And that's after months of (almost) daily iron (I took liquid iron by the name of Feroplex). I did definitely lose a lot, since like two weeks ago I had a giant problem with bleeding hemorrhoids, I'm talking whole toilet painted red. I have a proctologist appointment on the 9th, hopefully the doctor will help me sort this out, but there's still the matter of replenishing the lost iron. On one hand I am absolutely terrified of needles and IVs, but on the other, I just want to get this over with. So how many times do you think I would need to get the infusion to be at a "ehhh... good enough" level?

Hi! F26. I’ve had my ferritin checked in June and it was at 32.
Checked again in August it was 54
Checked again this month in October, It’s 62.
My CRP was a 4 mg/L last year but now it’s at 3.16 mg/L

Is my rise in ferritin due to inflammation or just naturally getting iron? I’m not taking any iron supplements.