# very low iron levels



## lotsky

Hi \
I had my 30 week blood tests done and I got the results, they were 4.8  

My gynaecologist has put me on iron tablets 3 times a day 200mg. 

I know not to drink milk with them etc, but Im worried? What are the risks for my unborn child, and what risks am I looking at for the labour. 

I dont understand it, - Since doing IVF Ive been taking a pregnancy vitamin supplement every night before sleep with a glass of water which says it contains12mg of iron which is 86% of the rda. we eat alot of beef, ( steaks ) and green salad, spinach etc, so how can my levels be so low? Im confused. ?

Im scared that the pills wont make any difference as perhaps Im just not absorbing iron, and thats half the problem? 

Can you advise if this is possible? 

Lotsky x


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## oink

Hi

I'm a bit confused, an Hb of 4.8 would make me want you in hospital having some treatment more than a few iron tablets a day!! And also finding out why it is so low!?

You can get the spatone sachets from the health shop. These will be absorbed quicker than the tablets and cause no side effects but I really think they should be finding out why your level is so low.

Have they repeated the blood test??

When do you next see someone?


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## lotsky

Im in Holland at the moment but we had our ICSI in London. Im with a gynae in the hospital here. 

I had my 30 week bloods a few days ago, and all I got was a big envelope through the post with the prescription in the envelope and no explanation. Phoned the hospital in panic to ask what it was when I was just told the figure 4.8. My DH as hes Dutch rang back to check Id understood. The polyclinic woman said to us the prescription was for Iron tablets as my Iron was low, and having done no research on it I didnt think anymore and have been taking the pills now a few days. 

Then I saw Aweeze post today about iron and your reply, and I thought gosh, mine were well below that- 4.8 how worrying. So I did some more googling and everyone says if its below 9-10 its a bit dodgy. 

I called the hospital again and they said here in Holland no one worries unless they are below 7, and seen as mine were lower than that thats why i got the pills again. I dont see the gynae until 32 weeks again ( here you get a scan every 2-3 weeks if youve had fertility treatment ) so on September 14th I get to go and see him again. DH again phoned back today to say we were concerned and the woman said oh give the pills a chance to work. 

Im just not convinced. 

Thing is I AM dead tired, that would explain it, but as I dont work I can get away with lounging around in PJs half the time and thinking nothing of it. As its a first pregnancy I just assumed excess fatigue is part and parcel.

DH did ask to move our 14th Sept appointment forward, but the woman on the phone just said not necessary unless the pills dont make me start to 'feel' better in the next few days. 

How can I know Im feeling better? Knowing me, with my neurosis, Ill worry so much Ill be tired from no sleep anyway. 

I just dont get it.?

Lotskyx


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## oink

I think you need to see someone asap, to get them to explain things to you.

A 'low' iron level requiring iron treatment is about 9 so a level of 4.8, would require much more treatment, and also investigations into why your level is so low.

It may be that the values are a different level or that they look at something else other than Hb, but I'm not convinced.

You need to see someone asap

Let me know how you get on

Take care x


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## lotsky

Hi

I just charged off to the hospital today as I woke up feeling ready for a coffin. Literally so so so tired. 

They re took my bloods and monitored baby as well as I got to see the gynaecologist. 

I didnt quite understand everything as they used alot of technical terms, but the long and the short of it was that apparently from my bloods I had at 12 weeks I was anemic before we even started. ( still didnt work that out because of our good diet and mulit vits ) But I explained that I struggled to believe it, and they said that my levels were 6.8 @ 12 weeks and some people just do have a low level. They said they are more worried about someone dropping from say 12 to 4.8  than someone dropping from 6.8 to 4.8 as some drop is pretty normal in pregnancy. ?!??

Anyway I asked for another test, which showed the iron level is now 5.7 ( probably cause of the pills Ive been taking for a couple of days now ) They did a more advanced blood test, and said that my blood had thinned very much, which is normal in pregnancy, and because it was very thin, ( apparently on the top side of thin ) then the reason for the low iron level was because the iron was dispersed, so it was all 'relevant'- Then they read out other scores to me which were all abit technical, about the plasma level and the like- all of which were skimming the bottom curve of 'low side'. So they explained that Im feeling crap because all bits of the blood were on the low side, but not too low to start a transfusion or get admitted for. The only one a bit too low was of course the iron, but because of the thin blood story that made sense to them...... They ve sent me home with some more pills which should have a faster working effect on the iron story and told me that if I still feel crap in a week to come back and we can work on it. They took my blood pressure which was 90/70  which they said was fine.

My main worry of course was baby so they hooked me up to a CTG for 1 hour and the little one gave them a score of 10 ! So I was pleased for that. 

Im totally worn out shattered and am just going to spend the rest of the weekend in bed with my laptop. 

I hope the new pills work faster and Im just pleased the iron level is now going in the right direction, even if its pretty low.  5.7 is better than 4.8, so Im hoping its going to continue in that direction. 


Thanks ever so much for your help, I wish you were my midwife here, they are so DUTCH here and very stiff upper lipped.


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## oink

Hi

what else have they given you to take?

Did they mention folic acid or vitamin C to you? Both of these will help your body to absrb the iron.

I too don't understand the low iron levels and especially as they were so low initially, I'm suprised they continued with everything.

Go back to them as many times as you need to and don't stop asking them questions, thats what they are there for.

Let me know if I can do anything else

Take care x


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## lotsky

Thanks for your help, My DH rang again today to make a new appointment with our consultant to have things properly explained and a print of the results- As soon as I know whats happening Ill let you know. 

You are a star x


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