Re: Low ferritin level is it normal?

Hi ElizabethWater,

I agree with Wantok, I would get another doctor. BTW, it takes a while before low ferritin and saturation levels show up in a CBC and if yours is "borderline"; then you probably have been low for some time.

According to the National Institute of Health the normal range for a female is: "12-150 ng/mL (ng/ml = nanograms per milliliter). The lower the ferritin level, even within the "normal" range, the more likely it is that the patient does not have enough iron." Source ( http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003490.htm).

Both of your Ferritin and Saturation levels are very, very low -- especially if you are still menstruating. Low iron levels can cause a whole bevvy of symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, tiredness, depression, thinning of hair, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), poor sleep quality, etc.

I would defintely see a different doctor. I would also caution you not to randomly take iron except under the advice of a healthcare provider. Taking too much iron can cause serious illness, and you want to find the root cause(s) of why your iron stores are so low.

I wish you the best of luck and I hope you are well again soon.

LadyFraser