Who has had low ferritin and what did you do about it?

I had the same low reading despite normal iron numbers. A colonoscopy found polyps that explained it. Depending on your age you might want to consider that too. I plan to retest in a month and expect it will be normal again.

I need iron infusions every few years. Mine was much lower than that earlier this year and I just had another round of shots.

I like a liquid iron product. It is the only supplement that raised my levels without causing constipation.

I was started on iron supplements taken three times a week along with vitamin C. I have also needed infusions a few times. My specialist explained that after certain surgeries or with age many people do not produce enough acid to absorb one common form well, and that every-other-day dosing can work better than daily.

I stopped TRT and levels returned to normal within a few months.

Being mostly vegan makes this an ongoing issue. I add iron-rich ingredients throughout the day, including in coffee and smoothies, and always pair them with citrus for better uptake. Cooking in cast iron or using an iron piece in water also helps, along with lentils and spinach. These steps have kept my levels normal for years.

Low ferritin itself is not a diagnosis and usually needs an explanation. In younger women it is often not urgent to investigate, but in older adults or men it typically is. Without blood loss most people will not become deficient, so checking for gut bleeding with scopes is often warranted. In my case similar levels came from ulcers caused by low-dose aspirin.

I have had low ferritin for two years due to heavy periods. I now take a chelated form every other day with vitamin C and it is a slow process to raise the number.

My ferritin is high at 355. Have you thought about eating more red meat? That is what raised mine.

Mine is currently 19. I get achy joints, restless legs, low stamina, shortness of breath on stairs, wired-but-tired feeling, and poor sleep. I have a genetic iron overload condition and my specialist sometimes removes too much blood, dropping me below 40 where symptoms appear. Starting TRT has made keeping hematocrit in range harder. Supplements have not worked so far and I will try a different type after learning more here. I have another specialist visit soon.

It arrived today. I already take a good vitamin C and will keep it away from calcium. Thanks for the advice.

A male without clear dietary reasons for low iron should have it checked out. My cause is obvious from irregular heavy bleeding after weight loss. I have tried several forms and now use a chelated version every other day on an empty stomach with vitamin C later. It works better for me than other types even though some people push heme iron. There are many absorption blockers so I keep the timing strict.

I want to stress again that unless you are a menstruating female, low iron needs investigation rather than just starting supplements. Gut cancers can show up first as anemia from slow bleeding, and treating the iron without looking for the source can delay diagnosis. Ulcers or celiac can also be the reason. Most doctors will decide based on age and sex whether further tests are needed.

My specialist started me on a gentle form twice a day along with blood-building nutrients and vitamin C. I am still on the lower side but better than the very low reading last year.

First identify the cause. Mine was 4 and the hematologist wanted scopes and a full gyn workup even though I had already done most of them and knew heavy periods were responsible. I delayed one test because of upcoming surgery, had infusions, but levels dropped again after six months. After the hysterectomy and more infusions they stayed normal a year later. If they had dropped I would have done the remaining test. See a GI and hematologist.

Mine has been as low as 4 and I have needed infusions almost every year since. I agree that if you are male it definitely needs checking out.

Mine was 4. An infusion made me feel much better. Right after it reached 20 but now it is 11 and they will not do another until it hits 5, which is frustrating. I do not know why my body does not hold iron and pills have not helped.

Mine was 11. A hormonal IUD that stopped heavy periods fixed it completely.

You are right. Statistically menses is the most common reason in younger women so they simply need more iron, while in men or non-menstruating women a serious cause is more likely. That probabilistic approach can still miss early cancers in women though. You cannot test everyone for everything because of false positives and costs, so decisions depend on how high the chance is. Primary care can be limited unless you have more resources.

I donate blood often because of being on testosterone replacement. My latest labs came back a week after giving blood. That accounts for the gap I see between my iron and ferritin readings. It makes me think I should cut back on how often I give since there aren't any problems from the therapy that call for it. I put all my lab results, medication timing and amounts, exercise logs, donation records, and weight tracking into an AI tool and had it review everything. The odd parts in the numbers were easy to account for, along with what needs attention and what came from training or when things were measured. It helped me get ready to talk with my physician, since they probably glance at the labs right before the appointment and skip over the background details that fill out the story.

I have low ferritin plus an iron-binding issue that predates TRT, GLP-1, and peptides. I have already done upper and lower scopes, oral iron, stool tests, urine tests, genetics, diet changes, supplements, new cookware, labs, and imaging. After three years and significant cost the current plan is one infusion per year. It is not a big deal and takes about 45 minutes.