Please share you symptoms of low iron
Posted , 39 users are following.
Hi Everyone!
i would love to atart a thread for people to share a clear list of their symptoms of anemia/ iron defficiency to help others.
Like always, official medical info pages are very limited and generic as is often explanation from the doctor.
My symptoms have been:
-fatigue and exhaustion
- hair loss
- brittle peeling/ tearing nails
- vertical nail ridges
-Going into fight or flight when bending down to pick something up, getting up from sitting, going up stairs, lifting items etc.
-throbbing sound in ears when lying down
-super dry skin
-pale skin
-dry lips always
-nervous system feels in overdrive
-severe depression, crying episodes, hopelessness
-cold hands and feet
-subconcious TMJ/jaw clenching during period
-crushing fatigue and pain and weakness during first two days of period
Thank you!
1 like, 49 replies
aden87641 monika32440
Edited
I had severe anemia that was misdiagnosed for anxiety and hyperventilation for years. Strangely my dr. never tested my blood for anemia. My main symptom was shortness of breath all day every day, racing heart, hairloss, dry skin, headaches, strange cravings for ice and cornstarch, dizziness, mood changes, feeling cold all the time. One day in the morning I had what I thought was another anxiety/panic attack but this time I notice my hands were blue witch freaked me out bc it was a new symptom. My husband drove me to the ER, they did an EKG to see if my heart was ok and it was, my vitals were all good. And of course they wanted to send me home with the good old, you are hyperventilating diagnosis. I begged them to draw blood bc I new there was more to the story. I actually told then to please check my iron and hemoglobin etc....1 hr later I got my results a surely enough my bloodwork was totally off. Low Iron, low hemoglobin, low ferritin, low transferin low hematocrit.They gave me an ironinfusion and prescribed 80mg of irontablets a day (Tardyferon) I must say my diagnosis was 2 weeks ago and I already feel so much better since I am taking iron. My breathing is better, my heart isn't racing anymore, no more crippling headaches and no weird cravings. Always investigate if you feel something is off
cin098 monika32440
Posted
hi,
i started with dizziness a feeling of heaviness in my eyes as if i couldnt open them then i noticed i could not sleep at night feel jittery tremors i started feeling out of breath heart raising headaches tension headaches every single day the bottom of my feet hurt sometimes blurry vision i dont know if i could blame it all on the anemia or maybe something else is wrong with me but im becoming weaker everyday if anyone felt jittery or tremors please let me know
MessyMissy cin098
Posted
yes, I do feels like my body shakes on the inside mostly laying in bed at night. it feels kinda like there is a earthquake or a train going by is the only way I can describe. my heart races chest gets really warm panic starts numb lips, dry skin and ichy rashes, bad headaches, can concentrate, short term memory loss, very cold hands and feet pale skin feels like I can't get enough oxygen through body, my head is so foggy, dry mouth I chew ice constantly. I left work to go to the er yesterday my hemoglobin was low 8.8 I'm anemic I was almost depleted of potassium and magnesium as well. No one really tells you how to help it when it's overwhelming. it's hard to think I have to go through this while working full time and keeping up with kids I'm at a loss of the amount of time it takes to get higher iron numbers and hemoglobin up. I can't just run into the er every day I'd lose my job it's so scary.
.
leesa59279 MessyMissy
Posted
oh wow the tremors ! yes i thought it was just me but yes just how you explained it like inside and as if a earthquake . i to have anemia the fatigue is horrible , shortness of breath, anxiety, light headed . worse some days then others .
am in my second month of taking iron tablets i think i am improving slowly but then will have a bad night / day . i hope this is not forever . its a hard to explain sickness .
tracey73517 monika32440
Posted
hi, i have just went and saw GP as i have been feeling tired alot and my period this month was a week early and for longer. since then i have had my digestive system flare up again with bouts of burping etc. my main problem has been the lack of breathe. i feel like j am breathless but no one else sees it as i am not gasping gor breathe and i am trying to keep active etc but i find when i finish a walk or something or when i am just sat down i feel out of breathe but its more like the need to take a deep breath in. i get this on and off for a few days and notice around after my period but this time its been goibg on for 2 weeks. GP dis blood test there and then to check iron levels. so just waiting ro find out. is ghis normal feeling if low iron. i have had low iron before a few years ago. i have convinced myself now that i have something wrong woth my heart. she chexked my chest and blood pressure and oxygen and all ok but said my pulse was slightly raised. i am so worn out! i never feel i am taken seriosly and get told its anxiety related most of time. i had an edoscooy 2 years ago and all clear just mild gastritis. my mouth is also so dry all the time. feel my heart beating alot. weak legs . hot dlushes. low mood. brain fog my hair is not foing bald but i seem to beable to pull loads out everytime i touch it! good luck to you all and thanks for listening x
sliding monika32440
Edited
I'm glad to see people mentioning psychological symptoms. I have read elsewhere that irritability can be a symptom of any type of anemia.
When I find myself getting annoyed at things or people, or rather when I find that some certain person seems particularly annoying, and seems to get under my skin too much, I know I should look at my vitamins (especially B vitamins) and iron and zinc.
Another thing I read is that omega 3's like docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (from algae oil) help our bodies use the B vitamins.
rachael02133 monika32440
Posted
Hi,
I'm so glad I have stumbled across this forum as I feel at a loss!!
I had a missed miscarriage in the summer and had to very heavy bleeds (periods and fibroids) the 2 months after the miscarriage.
I haven't been well for 2 years and put symptoms down the bowel problems.... however I know believe it's because I'm severely anaemic.
I took myself for a routine blood test and
got a text from my Dr telling me to take 1-2 tablets a day with orange juice and avoid caffeine for 2 hours. That was it.
My symptoms have been slightly different which makes me worried....
I have been on ferrous Gluconate tablets for just over 2 weeks and not seeing much improvement.
i feel like im be fobbed off really and worried that this may develop into something more sinister.
any words of comfort would help 😊
sara26049 rachael02133
Posted
sorry to hear that you need the ferrous sulfate 3 times a day. I have been on them about 3 weeks mine has gone from 8.2 to 11.4. Hang in there it will get better.
sliding rachael02133
Posted
Are you feeling any better?
Guest monika32440
Edited
I've been anaemic at varying levels for decades . And ugh i'm sorry to see some of you are really going through the mill with it .
I've been prescribed ferrous fumerate hundreds of times over the years . And on quite a few occasions a childs liquid suspension .Its gone from doing very little in terms of getting my iron levels up to in the past few years causing nausea which worsened to the point of being barely capable of eating / drinking last month when on the highest dose i remember being on 3xper day in December 2022 since my iron levels were at the lowest they'd ever been as an adult .
My levels had gone up a bit in the 3 weeks between blood tests but not nearly enough according to the GP who very strongly recommended an urgent referral for infusions . I refused . I guess over the years I've got used to anaemia and don't see it as an issue for me .
All the classic symptoms of anaemia (fatigue , pale skin , palpitations etc) may also be symptoms of other health issues i have .
My anaemia is probably caused by a fairly restricted diet (trying to not have that) . It isn't caused by coeliac disease (that was investigated when i was not nauseous/vomiting but the children's iron suspension was not making enough of a difference ) or heavy periods or any of the other usual suspects .
So I guess my point is . I've not noticed any particular symptoms of anaemia , but its shown up in every blood test I've ever had. The treatments have caused varying degrees of further problems . I'm aware of being in a minority with my experiences of both iron deficiency and treatments but if anyone relates then sorry but yay fir not being alone with it .
My GP has agreed to leave it open to me to request further tests /treatment regarding it , but bloods will be taken again in March to see where its at . It's almost a month in now and I am relieved to not be spending every day & night feeling nauseous & vomiting at least once every day .
sliding Guest
Posted
Hi, I had some nausea with the fumarate form, too. The sulfate form seems a little easier for me, especially if I cut the pill into four pieces and take one quarter each time I eat, along with some vitamin C, which is usually a fraction of a tablet, too, because I figured out on Cronometer that I wasn't getting as much C as I thought from foods. I saw someone suggest also taking B vitamin complex, and i think that helps too, since low B vitamins can also cause anaemia.
sara26049 monika32440
Edited
Hey everyone just now expieriencing anemia my hemaglobin was 8.2 don't know what ferritin is they havent told me. Severe fatigue, tiredness, extreme shortness of breath and pounding heartrate. Been to the Emergency room several times thinking it was my heart, every doctor acting like its nothing and every symptom to them goes back to the anemia. Some days are ok I think its getting better and other days feel like Ive been hit by a truck. My anxiety is really bad they say panic attacks really bad when heart pounds and cant breath. Problems with stomach and upper G I from iron supplements. Hemaglobin is 11.4 now still feel awful. Everyone thinks your crazy and a hypochondriac but its you that feels horrible and thinks the worst. So lightheaded i couldnt hold my head up and nausea everytime I turn around or move my head and no appetite. Would love to have others to talk to as family dosent want to listen to my problems.
sliding sara26049
Posted
Are you also taking some B vitamins? I buy a cheap B100 at a local store. It comes in a capsule, and instead of taking a whole capsule, I pull it open and spill the smallest amount possible out into a spoon and swallow just that, so that one capsule lasts me more than a week. Yes, it tastes bad, but then I can save cash by not buying them as often, I don't have to swallow another pill, and I feel like I avoid the crazy-high dose, which I'm not too comfortable with. I also bought some biotin capsules and do the same with them, because the formula I use has very little biotin. And when I take an iron pill, I make sure to take a little bit of vitamin C with it, to help absorption.
greg77777 monika32440
Posted
Do these sound like iron deficiency symptoms?
Very very sore tongue
Sore gums
Receding gums
Tooth pain
Sore throat/difficult eating and swallowing from pain
Red tongue with balding spots
Burning skin
Severe muscle cramps in legs and feet
Muscle twitching everywhere in body
Sore muscles
Tinnitus
Constipation
Occasional stomach aches
Cracking and dry toenails
Slight edema (swelling) in legs
Some fatigue
Occasional breathlessness
Occasional joint pain
kolette20471 monika32440
Posted
Hi everyone I hope I have come to right place. I have been on 150mg of iron suppliments for anemia since May 2023. I was referred to a hematologist but was only able to get into one 3 weeks ago. At that time rapid test blood test results suggested near normal iron levels, However yesterday the hematologist office called to say my confirmed blood test results revealed my iron level was at 5 instead of 10.3 rapid results suggested. They are now recommending I have a course of 5 iron infusions sessions over course of next 5 weeks. This is to coincide with a endoscopy I have at gastrologist for possible bleeding ulcer being cause of my iron deficiently which I have no visible signs of. one question I have is if it can take as long as 3 weeks to get Iron deficiency Anemia confirmation results back from hematologist because i thought they suggested I would know within three days if I needed iron infusions? Has anyone else experienced such a length of time for results?
Also my anemia symptoms are much improved as far as fatigue and weakness, so this has really n thrown me and unfortunately doctor is unavailable to explain anytime soon because follow up appt with was canceled until I have completed my 5 weeks of iron infusions and endoscopy. Has anyone else experienced improved symptoms even if iron level has gotten worse with iron pill supplements? Sorry so long winded and worded. I have been flying blind with this since discovered in May and this forum is a God send.
Kolette