Low Ferritin Question

You are experiencing the same thing as me. I've had horrible dizziness for 9 weeks now. Plus I have a ton of other symptoms. My hemoglobin was tested and the Dr said it was normal but my Ferritin is 12. I will see a Hematologist in 2 1/2 weeks for the 1st time. I've been on iron pills before and it took me a year for my Ferritin to get up to 80. Then it started dropping again ( because I went off my birth control pills) and in 6 months I was back down to 25. And I was still taking the iron while it was dropping. My periods are very bad and that's why I keep losing iron. I've been put back on the bc pill and I'm hoping the Hema will give me IV iron infusions to get my levels up quicker instead of taking the iron pill which takes forever to get into you system. I would suggest if you're not feeling better in the next couple of weeks, call your Dr back and ask them about the iron infusions. It's ridiculous that they only put you on a iron pill and expect you to start feeling better anytime soon. Hope I've been some kind of help. Hope you get the help you need. God Bless.

Hi dragermom2  This is exactly how I feel! I'll give you a brief outline of what I've been dealing with.  I went to the dr 2 months ago as I was feeling really ill, dizzy, breathless, extreme tired, headaches and almost passing out during an exercise class.  I had a blood test and my ferritin level was 5.  I had iron tablets prescribed 3 times a day and had to have another blood test after 6 weeks.  I had the second blood test to be told my ferritin had come back up to 13 which was borderline normal and the dr said this was ok!  I, however, was still feeling far from ok with the dizziness and feeling like i'm not with it and spaced out and still getting breathless.  I went back to the dr and he sent me for chest x-ray and ECG both of which were normal, and was told to continue on iron tablets.  Went back last night for my follow up appointment, said I was still feeling dizzy and spaced out, and requested my ears were checked to rule out any infection there, to be told that this was caused by the aneamia (even though previously he told me my ferritin was back to normal levels) and prescribed even more iron tablets! Never even checked in my ears!  So i'm still feeling dizzy, spaced out, like I can't concentrate on anything.  I feel like if you stare at something a long time without blinking and you're eyes go out of focus, this is how i feel 90% of the time.  So I sympathise with you, and hope you feel better soon :-)

Hi! I realize this is a 3-week old discussion and maybe you're not checking anymore, but this hit home.

Background:

I was recently in the emergency room because I was having trouble breathing. I'd been diagnosed with a DVT (blood clot in my leg) a month prior, so I was worried about complications from that. Chest scans were clear, but blood work showed anemia (hemoglobin of 8.1), low iron (8), and extremely low ferritin (2). That explained the shortness of breath. At the hospital, I was prescribed 65 mg of iron 3x a day.

By the time I saw a hemotologist a week later, I had started experiencing the severe dizziness and headaches many of you mention. At the time, I guess I didn't realize I had the full feeling in my ears that some of you describe, but I realized later. The hematologist told me it might take 6-8 wks for the oral iron to have an effect. I almost started crying. I told her I couldn't keep living like that. I got an IV iron infusion. That did help with headaches and one morning my ears "popped"--that's when I realized my ears had had that full feeling, but it was so constant it had started to feel normal.

I will say that the infusion hasn't really helped with the breathlessness. From what I understand (but I could be wrong), the ferritin is what stores the iron and "delivers" it to your red blood cells, so if you don't have ferritin, the iron infusions are probably not going to be a miracle cure if you don't have enough of the stuff that can bind that iron. Still, it's quicker than the oral stuff!

I also have have weird sensations in my chest and upper back--behind my shoulder blades. I mentioned this, but since my scans were clear, this doesn't seem to be too big a concern to doctors. Has anyone else had this?