Low iron stores but not anemic
Posted , 8 users are following.
i was suffering so many different things:
headache, dizziness, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, loss of appetite, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, feeling cold, just overall feeling of being ill. went to primary all bloodwork came back normal, went to eye doctor, neurologist, cardiologist, gastro, gyno, ENT, endocrinologist, and did extensive testing and all came back good. I suffered all these symptoms for three months each and every day. i decided to look at my bloodwork again and realized i am iron deficient. my iron levels were border line low, tbic was bordeline high saturation % extremely low and ferritin borderline low. i probably became anemic in those three months of suffering for all i know . i started to take iron and began to feel better. went back to PCP and showed her my findings. now im on iron therapy. been on it for 2 months all symptoms have subsided except i still feel a bit lightheaded. please tell me that the lightheadedness will subside as well 😕 this process is so long 😦
0 likes, 21 replies
sarah3810 dee82
Posted
this is all very interesting as i felt the same way for about 2 years now, i also had every test possible, only thing found was iron depletion which i had supplements for, anxiety and panic and a few of the other side affects have subsided, but like you still feel dizzy and headaches are still present. i started thinking It was all in my head and that maybe it was associated with anxiety as I know that can be a side-effect. I am still reluctant to try medication for that as I don’t feel it’s that bad it’s just the dizziness and the headaches that make me feel uneasy even to go out into public or driving because I feel like I could pass out like you said at any time and it’s scary. I also wondered whether it was linked to pre-menopausal symptoms and maybe a hormone in balance but they once again all come back normal so I’m putting it down to pre-menopausal symptoms perhaps I’m glad I’m not alone anyway and would be glad to hear if you are feeling any better. 😃
ritu29281 dee82
Posted
I was feeling the same about 2 1/2 years ago, and now i feel the same again. I took iron pills for about 2 months the first time i felt this way, and i started feeling significantly better. therefore, i stopped taking the pills and didn't finish my full prescription! now i regret it because i am started to feel everything you mentioned again and i know my iron is probably low again. hopefully your lightheadedness has gone away!!
elizabeth59585 dee82
Posted
hope everyone is feeling better! i think this is why they decided to name hysterectomies after 'hysterical' women. because we're all being gaslit by the culture thinking it's our ANXIETY when really it's a medical condition as we try and make it through the other side of menopause. i have wondered also if this was 'all in my head' the last year or so, after finding out i had very low hemoglobin (7.4). i was in denial and didn't start iron supplementation for a full year. now my hemoglobin is up to 9.2 but found out yesterday my ferritin is only a 4! the iron supplements cause digestive issues so keep taking and then stopping and then starting again. but recent bouts of dizziness and feeling very faint are causing me to push forward with the iron anyway. has anyone found eating red meat to be helpful? i barely ate meat the last few years so am trying to now have a steak a couple times a week. BUT We need to educate more women and our daughters/sisters/friends about the link between low iron/anemia and anxiety/depression. i know many people in my family/friend group have probably wondered how much of 'this' was in my head. which only makes you more depressed, as you know. stay strong and hope the iron helps!!! (also, getting numbers, like my ferritin number, really stays in your head and i think that also causes anxiety.)
sarah3810 elizabeth59585
Posted
Hi Elizabeth yes it seems many women are in the same boat with similar issues, i eat alot of red meat and also spatone iron sachets, i still feel much the same so in my case i think its partly migraine related and also hormonal, the iron hasnt made me feel a whole lot better. just have some good daya and some bad days or seems.
sliding dee82
Posted
As far as headaches go, I heard that riboflavin (vitamin B2) can help prevent migraines in some people. So now I supplement with a B complex capsule, or rather a portion of a capsule because I don't swallow the whole thing but just tap a bit out into a spoon to swallow it so I don't have to swallow a pill.
I have gotten headaches after taking a calcium citrate supplement because citric acid can be a trigger for me.
I read an article once that said that omega 3's (eicosapentaenoic acid- EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid - DHA) help our bodies use the B vitamins more effectively. So now I take an algae oil supplement.
My body doesn't do well with too much salt, so to help keep water in my body instead of peeing it all out I take a little trimethylglycine in the mornings. I don't know if my theory is really working but I feel better. I started off with 1/8 tsp each morning, then up to 1/4 tsp which is still less than the recommended dose.
I also started taking zinc, but since I started a lot of things around the same time it's hard to know if that was part of what helped reduce the headaches or not, though I feel it definitely helped with some other things.
We are each a little different so what works for me may or may not work for someone else.
aggie57730 dee82
Posted
I just found out my iron is low
28< 30-100 is the normal range
have suffered with depression for many years
I take iron supplements for many years now
anyone know what would be a good range for your blood .
if someone is suffering from depression
do anyone feel better when their blood range is at a certain number
between 30-100
is their a certain number above 30 where
mental health symptoms like sadness and anxiety and low mood disappear
it would be very helpful
where could you find case studies blood results of people suffering from anxiety and depression