I had anaemia a year ago. In the last few months the symptoms have been coming back, despite taking iron supplements, but it hasn't shown up in my blood tests. My haemoglobin is normal, and my ferritin is stable (around 45 recently). For anyone who's been through this several times, are you able to predict from how you feel when it's going to show up in your blood tests?
People who've had recurrent anaemia - can you tell when you have low haemoglobin?
I start getting breathless after walking really short distances (like 5 minutes lol) and extra fatigued, and then I know
Thanks this is very helpful! I've been getting breathless but not that easily yet.
My skin coloring changes. You can check your lower eyelids and see that your pale white where it should be pink.
I was able to run my hemoglobin down to 4.9 before I admitted I had a problem so, no, I can't tell when my hemoglobin is low.
I think it has a lot to do with the gradual nature of the decline.
Wow, that's low! Glad you got better.
I’m the same. After seeing a hematologist for over two years, my baseline seems to be right at 7. We’ve agreed anything below and I get transfused. (Last month I was 6.3 and got two bags). I only notice if I’m yawning a lot. That my only clue that I may be low. And when that happens, I’m in the 5s. I’m 45 and diagnosed with anemia since I was single digits. And it’s not iron related.
I get lightheaded when I stand up and my hair starts shedding a lot when my hemoglobin gets below 20.
Thanks! I'm only occasionally lightheaded at the moment, not every time I stand up yet.
I know when it’s nearly too late.. I get angular cheilitis. Which means I should have been fixing it months prior.
What iron supplement are you taking? Also, I’ve read that an optimal ferritin level should be above 100. I’m at 25 and although it’s considered “normal” I feel fatigued and tired. I felt like death at a ferritin of 8 and I had normal hemoglobin levels. Goes to show that even without anemia, just being iron deficient can make one feel terrible.
I'm alternating between ferrous sulphate and ferrous gluconate because they both give me side effects if I take them for too long. I got my ferritin up to 70 last autumn and felt completely recovered. But recently I don't seem to be absorbing supplements very well any more.
What side effects do you get, GI or other?
Mostly rashes and itchiness, and sometimes extra fatigue. Ferrous sulfate makes me slightly constipated, but not enough to stop taking it just for that.
Omg. When I was doing oral supplements my palms were SO itchy! I was unable to figure out why and never realized it was the iron! Thanks for responding.
Oh heck yeah. Dizzy, muscle weakness, hair falling out, can't remember a thing, cold.
Muscle cramps that last for literally hours.
That sounds excruciating. I used to get woken up by cramping legs, but it never lasted very long fortunately.
Please check if you have long covid. Neurodegenerative brain issues can happen to people who have had covid and if you were anemic there could be even more issues. Brain fog and exercise intolerance and trouble breathing are big signs this can be the case. I'd look up your closest long covid clinic and get an accessment.
Good idea. I wondered if my symptoms might be long covid last year before I got diagnosed with low iron.
I can feel it when it’s low. It feels like being a little more tired all the time.
Thanks, I definitely feel like this already!
I can tell when my iron is low my hands feel cold ,pale face, tiredness, palpitations, chest tightness.
Oh I forgot about chest tightness. I hope that doesn't come back, it was really unpleasant!
Yes it was very scary .Thought I was taking a heart attack
I might suspect it's anemia if I have tiredness and constant headaches, those are the first symptoms. Then when I also start getting some/or all of these symptoms: body aches, breathlessness, ice cravings, weird cold, brain fog, dizziness, insomnia and ear buzzing - then I'm pretty sure I'm anemic. The hairloss I don't know at what point it starts, but hair gets reeeeeally brittle with anemia.
Do you get sort of constantly breathless when you're anemic or just during activity?
Not constantly. I'd get really ridiculously out of breath with stuff like a short run to catch the bus where I'd look like I just raced Usain Bolt😩 😂 and feel so embarrassed. And things like a short 3-5m walk to the shop, small flight of stair like just 3-10 steps, and mid arguments (I get so grumpy with anemia🥴).
Okay. I'm sort of the opposite. I'm at 23 ferritin and 12% saturation. I tend to get more breathless when not doing anything, so just sitting or laying or whatever. But when I exercise, my breathing improves.
I found that breathing exercises helped me quite a lot to relieve breathlessness. Like Inhaling in 3, and exhaling slowly to a count of 6.
Thanks. I have tried breathing exercises, but not religiously.
I was diagnosed with anemia in December. 57/M. Hemoglobin was 11.3 and ferritin was 16. Went for colonoscopy and endoscopy both were negative. I was working out both weights and cardio 5 days a week at onset before diagnosis and having procedures done. Iron Supplements daily helped bring hemoglobin back up to normal range within 6 weeks and have follow up with hematology in 2 weeks to get blood work done again. Over past 2 weeks have started to notice light headedness again. Have been working out regularly 4 days a week since symptoms subsided in Dec after starting iron supplements. Past month increased to 5-6 days a week. This is the only common denominator in what I have noticed where the symptoms have started to come back. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Get your b12, and d3 checked
B12 and D3 were normal
What symtoms are u experiencing that are coming back?
Light headed, difficulty staying focused at times. No issues during exercise, notice it within an hour or so after. Heart rate is fine during exercise and after.
And folate! I’m always low in all 3 of these along with being anemic.
I get cranky, clumsy, and the fatigue doesn’t let up. Takes a couple weeks to realize what’s going on.
Yeah I'm definitely at the fatigued and clumsy stage
I can tell that I wasn’t taking my iron. My energy levels tanked, I got super shaky and weak, heart palpitations and trouble sleeping. I don’t know my current numbers (2 months ago my ferritin was 17). My hemoglobin is up but 3 weeks if skipping my supplements and I could definitely feel it.
I just found out I'm anemic. Hemoglobin 9.9 Iron 27 sat 6% ferritin 8. I have a bald spot on the front by my part ( I'm a girl) my hair had been falling out bad. I got so cold and can't warm up and I look at my hands when this happens and my fingers tips turn white. My muscles cramp and I feel short of breath from doing nothing.
That sounds horrible, I hope you get treated and recover quickly. I never had hair problems from iron, I wonder if it's less common in men.
Thanks. And same to you. 🙂
Yes I start craving cough drops viciously.
Yes 90% of the time I know before I even get bloodwork. My dr has standing orders for me so that when I start to feel poorly I can get bloodwork, and once he’s gets those results he can order my infusions (currently in the middle of an infusion series now). I get very pale, dizzy, lightheaded, listless, short of breath, palpitations, more migraines than usual, chest pains. And complete exhaustion. Like sleeping for 10 hours and still feeling like I haven’t slept. It’s crazy what anemia does to the body!
For me it’s feeling tired more easily and my nails start to break and I can’t grow them out. The other symptom is feeling lightheaded getting up.
I can tell because I get cravings for ice, I really just want to eat ice chips. And I get cravings for meat as I don’t eat red meat, my third sign is drop in my B/P
Reoccurring anemia due to iron deficiency. I take actual blood builder pills to pull up the ferritin, as my other blood levels are fairly stable right now.
My b12 is low, d3 low but I have to pull up the ferritin before tackling those other issues again
Vitamin D helps you to absorb iron, so defo worth addressing at the same time!
For me it's always in my hands. I get real cold, and nails really start breaking.
I can generally tell when I am severely anemic, but mild and moderate sneak up on me.