Feeling really frustrated tonight just thinking about the fact that my low iron levels were ignored or passed off as in normal range for so long. My ferritin was at 21. I think the "normal range" that many clinics use in my area is 15 - 150. I've been dealing with fatigue, fast heartbeat, weakness, hair loss for so many fucking years now to just learn by going into a dermatologist FINALLY that she considers me iron deficient. She wants my ferritin to be around 70 to potentially help with the hair loss. Not one of 4 doctors I've had in the past 6 years has thought that my iron was low. So it's probably been slowly getting worse over the years to where now I'm at the point I feel incapable of walking around the block or even cleaning most days. Is this definitively what my problem is? I'll find out over the next year as I supplement but god damn I'm mad.
My mom has struggled with anemia throughout her life and her lowest level was 23. She could barely move some days just from the pain. It took one doctor to be like.. 23 is way too low holy shit. And it was only after her ferritin levels came up from supplementing that she felt better. Then years later when it happened again, a hysterectomy to stop her insane bleeding. Thankfully my periods aren't like my moms were but even if you have normal periods, look at your ferritin. I'm begging you. If you feel like crap and you can't figure out why, know that the ranges currently in use are failing to prevent anemia from progressing to the point I'm at right now. No way in hell is anyone at the lower end of the spectrum, lower than me, okay.
Every body is different and some people might need more iron than what doctors consider to be in normal range. You might function great at 25 while others need to be much higher.
