u/Secure-Eye-1624

Last month I had a bad cold and was finally given a blood test (I'm not from the US, for context).

It came back showing my iron was low I’m deficient. Right before that, the doctor was telling me I didn’t look sick at all and seemed great. She went completely silent once she saw my results. She prescribed an antibiotic, iron tablets, vitamin B12, vitamin C (to take with the iron), and magnesium.

For the last 3 years, I practically begged my hometown doctor to let me get blood work done, and she always refused. I moved to a different city recently, and this new doctor ordered the test without hesitation. That’s the only reason it was finally caught.

This was last month. The new doctor told me to take the supplements only around my period a few days before, during, and a few days after. I followed her instructions, felt amazing, and then stopped exactly as she said.

This month when my period came, on day 2 I couldn’t even get out of bed because the headache was so severe. I took a painkiller and it stopped, but the moment I bent down or went from standing → sitting → standing again, the headache instantly came back. My period is over now, the headache is much milder, and I feel better, but I’ve decided to just start taking the iron tablets every day on my own.

The thing is I’ve felt this weak and drained for as long as I can remember. I recall being little and my mom calling me lazy because I would always sleep longer than anyone else.

Every single time I stood up, I’d see black. That never stopped, even now. I’m 19 years old. I also remember having blood work done as a child when I had colds, and I have no idea why nobody ever said anything. I’m not even sure anymore if my iron was already low back then. Once, after a blood draw, I actually fainted, and afterwards I couldn’t regain my strength I felt so incredibly weak, way beyond normal. Nobody connected the dots.

I talked to my mom on the phone. She has anemia too, but she was only diagnosed 4 years ago, she says that she didn’t have it earlier in life. She told me I might have been born with anemia nothing extreme, but maybe it was always there.

I think the new doctor only gave me those limiting instructions because she saw my hemoglobin was borderline.

I’m starting to feel like my whole life finally makes sense. Has anyone else been told they “look fine” only to find out something was wrong for years?

Should I keep taking the iron daily even though I wasn’t told to?

Could I really have been mildly anemic since birth without anyone noticing?

TL;DR: 19F, not from the US. Begged my hometown doctor for blood work for 3 years, she always refused. Moved to a new city, got tested during a cold, found iron deficiency. Doctor said I looked healthy right before seeing results. Also had childhood blood tests when sick that never flagged anything, and once fainted after a draw with extreme weakness. Told to take iron only around my period, felt great, stopped, next period got a positional headache so bad I couldn’t get out of bed. Now taking iron daily. Realized I’ve been weak, slept excessively, and seen black when standing my whole life. Mom has anemia, thinks I might have been born with it and it was never caught.

I’m 19F and I found a lump that literally doesn’t show on camera no matter how I position the light you can’t see it at all, I can only feel it when I press with my fingers. I actually didn’t even notice it until my neck started hurting because I slept in a really bad position. That’s the only reason I started touching around and found it.

I’ve also been sweating at night, but yesterday I was cleaning a ton and pushing myself physically, so I don’t know if that’s just from overdoing it.

For context, I was diagnosed with anemia about a month ago. My doctor told me to only take my iron pills when I’m on my period. Last time I had my period, my nose was bleeding too.

This month I took them during my period like I was supposed to, but they didn’t make any real difference. I just finished my period, and before that I was so dizzy every time I stood up that I could barely move. I felt like I was going to collapse every single time.

Honestly, I’ve felt tired like this my whole life ever since I was 8 years old I’ve always had this feeling that I might be anemic, but the doctor I had back then wouldn’t even let me do a blood test, so I never got checked until now.

I also have allergies to pollen, house dust, and dust mites. Right now the city I live in is full of pollen and I’m not taking any allergy meds at the moment (I’m not from the US, just so you know).

Other random history: I had all three tonsils removed when I was 7

And because of the anemia fatigue, I was so dead that I didn’t wear my retainers for 7 days straight (I know, not the point, just saying how wiped out I’ve been).

The lump is only something I can feel, nothing visible, and I wouldn’t have known it was there if my neck hadn’t hurt from sleeping weird. I can’t even go to the doctors rn.

TL;DR: 19F, not from the US. Can feel a lump in my neck (invisible, found after neck pain from bad sleep). Night sweats maybe from cleaning. Diagnosed anemic a month ago, only take iron on my period, just finished it extreme dizziness on standing. Had lifelong fatigue since age 8, was never allowed a blood test back then. Allergic to pollen, house dust, dust mites currently high pollen season where I live, not taking allergy meds. Tonsils out at 7. Too exhausted to wear retainers for 7 days. Can't see a doctor atm. Worried if this is serious.

I’m 19F and I found a lump that literally doesn’t show on camera no matter how I position the light you can’t see it at all, I can only feel it when I press with my fingers. I actually didn’t even notice it until my neck started hurting because I slept in a really bad position. That’s the only reason I started touching around and found it.

I’ve also been sweating at night, but yesterday I was cleaning a ton and pushing myself physically, so I don’t know if that’s just from overdoing it.

For context, I was diagnosed with anemia about a month ago. My doctor told me to only take my iron pills when I’m on my period. This month I took them during my period like I was supposed to, but they didn’t make any real difference.Last time I had my period, my nose was bleeding too.

I just finished my period, and before that I was so dizzy every time I stood up that I could barely move. I felt like I was going to collapse every single time.

Honestly, I’ve felt tired like this my whole life ever since I was 8 years old I’ve always had this feeling that I might be anemic, but the doctor I had back then wouldn’t even let me do a blood test, so I never got checked until now.

I also have allergies to pollen, house dust, and dust mites. Right now the city I live in is full of pollen and I’m not taking any allergy meds at the moment (I’m not from the US, just so you know).

Other random history: I had all three tonsils removed when I was 7

And because of the anemia fatigue, I was so dead that I didn’t wear my retainers for 7 days straight (I know, not the point, just saying how wiped out I’ve been).

The lump is only something I can feel, nothing visible, and I wouldn’t have known it was there if my neck hadn’t hurt from sleeping weird. I can’t even go to the doctors rn.

TL;DR: 19F, not from the US. Can feel a lump in my neck (invisible, found after neck pain from bad sleep). Night sweats maybe from cleaning. Diagnosed anemic a month ago, only take iron on my period, just finished it extreme dizziness on standing. Had lifelong fatigue since age 8, was never allowed a blood test back then. Allergic to pollen, house dust, dust mites currently high pollen season where I live, not taking allergy meds. Tonsils out at 7. Too exhausted to wear retainers for 7 days. Can't see a doctor atm. Worried if this is serious.