I had RNY (weight loss surgery) 5 years ago. Admittedly I'm not very good at taking vitamins and supplements on a daily basis. It's hit or miss for me.
Last year my ferritin was 7. In April of this year, my ferritin had dropped to 5, so I made a commitment to comply with iron supplementation. Other numbers:
RED BLOOD CELL COUNT 4.71 3.80-5.10 Million/uL Normal
HEMOGLOBIN 12.5 11.7-15.5 g/dL Normal
HEMATOCRIT 38.7 35.0-45.0 % Normal
MCV 82.1 80.0-100.0 fL Normal
MCH 26.5 27.0-33.0 pg Low
MCHC 32.3 32.0-36.0 g/dL Normal
RDW 14.7 11.0-15.0 % Normal
I live with chronic fatigue, but I also have sleep disorders (a circadian rhythm disorder and obstructive sleep apnea), so I just figure the fatigue is related to my sleep issues.
Is a ferritin of 5 enough to go to a hematologist? I bought some Proferrin and have been pretty good with compliance in the past 6 months, sometimes I miss a day, but I try and take between 1-3 tablets a day. I see my GP next week for another issue and plan on asking for a blood draw.
In April when my doctor (GP) sent my lab results to me, they came with the following instructions: "Your iron stores are low. Your are not getting enough iron. You should increase your iron consumption by taking or increasing the dose of your supplement like SloFe, adding a 'Total' breakfast cereal daily, and eating more foods rich in iron."
