r/irondeficiency

I’ve had chronic iron deficiency anemia requiring iron infusions, along with long-term low vitamin D and B12. One symptom I can’t figure out is my skin.

I get episodes where my skin suddenly changes texture almost overnight. It becomes extremely dry, thin, fragile, and burns/stings. It cracks easily and almost feels like “paper skin” or like the moisture completely disappeared from it instantly. The texture is noticeably different during these flares and it hurts very easily.

I also have strange hair changes where some white hairs grow in thick/coarse and seem banded in color.

Has anyone experienced this from nutrient deficiencies alone, or did it turn out to be something else like malabsorption, autoimmune disease, thyroid issues, eczema, etc.?

For context:

chronic iron deficiency despite treatment

history of iron infusions

persistent low vitamin D despite working outside

low B12

elevated platelets during deficiency episodes

elevated D-dimer previously with negative imaging

I’m trying to understand whether deficiencies alone can really cause this level of skin change or if I should be pushing for more testing

Ferritin started at 7. In 4 months of talking Thorne ferrasorbe it only jumped to 18. What made your guys iron go up faster? (1 pill, twice daily. Total of 72mg)

After seeing that I switched to three arrows heme iron. (2 pills twice daily, 80mg total.)

The low ferritin has been a driver of my OCD symptoms so I’m looking to get it higher as fast as possible without an infusion.

I’m in my early 30s and constantly dealing with low energy, brain fog, getting out of breath after basic things, and horrible fatigue during periods. I’ve tried random iron syrups + multivitamins prescribed by my GP before but either they upset my stomach or I saw zero difference, so I’d stop after a few days..
has anything worked long term?? Need tried and tested solutions pls 😭😭

Hi folks, my ferritin levels are at 9ng/mL and the hair loss is real. I've been trying to figure out the best foods for iron absorption and prefer to stay away from red meat if I can. The recommendations online are throwing me off a bit. Specifically I've been comparing canned clams, mussels, oysters, chicken liver, and beef liver but the numbers online conflict. Some sources rank canned clams as the #1 food for iron (~24mg per 3oz), while others put them far lower (~2-3mg per 100g). The USDA database itself seems to have inconsistencies, and I've come across studies suggesting clam iron values may be unreliable, with measured values ranging anywhere from under 1mg to nearly 60mg per 100g depending on the product.

So if I want to raise my iron levels (other than pairing it with vitamin C rich foods), should I be focusing on canned clams? Or would oysters, or muscles, or a type of liver give me a better bang for my buck? (I'm slowly trying to increase my calorie intake as well, so ideally something that has high iron levels on a per calorie amount)

And more broadly, is there a good source of truth in the nutrition community to understand the correct levels of micronutrients across food for me to be able to make these decisions a bit better?

I had an iron infusion 3 weeks ago.
1000mg Ferinject. It was fine, no side effects.

I’m still feeling the same as before. I’ve had a few odd days where I feel slightly energised, but most days I’m fatigued, unmotivated, unable to focus on tasks, and still experiencing headaches.

I believe it’s too early to retest my blood.
For context my serum iron was 5, ferritin 30. HG was normal, as was vit D.

Has anybody else experienced this? Is it normal to take so long to improve?
My doctor said “a couple of weeks” and I’d be back to normal.

Lately I’ve been dealing with some ongoing symptoms that I can’t quite figure out, and I’m just looking to share in case anyone else has experienced something similar or has insight.

For a while now I’ve been feeling off — episodes of dizziness, lightheadedness, and a sort of “foggy” or weak feeling that comes and goes. Sometimes I’ll feel shaky or just not quite right, like my body is a little out of sync. I’ve also noticed occasional chest discomfort or heaviness, especially after activity or even eating sometimes, and moments where I just feel generally fatigued and unlike myself.

I’ve had some basic labs and heart workups done in the past that were normal, which is reassuring, but these symptoms still come and go and are honestly frustrating and a little unsettling.

I’m mostly sharing because I know sometimes others have gone through similar things and it can take time to piece together what’s going on. If anyone has experienced anything like this or has suggestions on things that helped them, I’d really appreciate hearing about it.

Not looking to jump to conclusions—just trying to understand my body better and figure out next steps.

My ferritin was but my hemoglobin was normal at 16

I am back to being anemic again which I know is a big risk factor for PEs. I need to be taking a liquid iron supplement, but they all taste like blood to me and it grosses me out. I super hated Floradix. Do any not taste like that?

Hey all! Does anyone feel worse from taking an iron supplement? I have been trying to figure out why I feel so off and not well , and yesterday I didn't take my iron supplement and I felt a lot better .. I'm wondering if that's it ??

https://preview.redd.it/qdwe73dav20h1.png?width=1100&format=png&auto=webp&s=3b4264f350dcf77f65c6cb6b1d46565144c75203

Hey guys, 22M here.

So last year I got my Vitamin D checked and it came out to be 27 ng/ml which is deficient. Started taking 4000 IU of D3 daily for about 2 months and honestly felt amazing — focus was back, no drowsiness, felt like myself again. Was taking it without K2 btw.

Then I stopped thinking my levels must be fine now. And the drowsiness and sleepiness came back again within days. Heavy eyes, brain fog, feel sleep deprived even after a full night's sleep, and this weird processing delay where I'm holding something and my brain takes a second to register what it is.

https://preview.redd.it/sybk7gv7l20h1.png?width=1420&format=png&auto=webp&s=27d3b429b680ea8a2bc4dd001b39f232368e40ba

https://preview.redd.it/2mungp0av20h1.png?width=1100&format=png&auto=webp&s=87deddf56e8cc26db81dafe700caff4732e4e825

Got a CBC and thyroid test done today and some things are flagged:

• HGB: 12.8 g/dL
• MCH: 24.6 (flagged low)
• MCHC: 31.0 (flagged low)
• Platelets: 471 (flagged high)
• TSH (Ultrasensitive) : 5.030 (high)

Still waiting on my serum iron results. Mom has thyroid so that's worth checking.

Has anyone experienced something similar? What was the root cause for you? DO i have IRON Def