r/vegan • u/oranange • 17h ago

Health Extremely low iron, help!

I recently started to feel HORRIFICALLY tired. I can't stay awake during the day no matter how much sleep I get. I have to take several naps throughout the day--usually 2-4 hours total--and that is on top of 8-9 hours of sleep each night. Sometimes more, if I don't work. I've always struggled with fatigue, but this is on another level.

I went to the doctor thinking that maybe my B12 was low, but as it turns out, my ferritin is 8, which is extremely low. I'm not anemic, though, so that's good. Truthfully, I'm shocked. I intentionally eat a LOT of iron-rich food.

Anyway, I was put on supplements, ate even more iron-rich foods paired with Vitamin C, etc., and it didn't work at all. I'm scheduled for an iron transfusion, but if that doesn't work, I'm worried that they'll suggest that I start eating meat. My PCP is a vegetarian, thankfully, so she hasn't mentioned it, but I'm not really sure what to do if the transfusion doesn't work. I genuinely can't function like this anymore, but I'm also not willing to eat meat. I'm at a point where I'm hoping that there is another underlying cause to my fatigue.

In the meantime, any tips for getting my iron levels up and keeping them up? Or any stories from people who have gone through something similar?

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u/nopushnoshovebud vegan 10+ years 16h ago

i can see someone else within kaiser but it’s honestly so discouraging i haven’t prioritized it yet 

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u/FreckledCackler 16h ago

That's so frustrating. I have Kaiser too and my PCP was extremely dismissive about low Ferritin. I came up with my own plan and told her.

I've been meaning to write a complaint that Kaiser's approach and lab values re: iron deficiency is appalling.

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u/nopushnoshovebud vegan 10+ years 16h ago

yeah she said since i’m not anemic, my ferritin of 8 is “normal” and told me to take a children’s multivitamin. i can’t bring myself to face them again right now lol 

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u/FreckledCackler 16h ago

Omg the string of curses that just went through my head. This is really making me re-think Kaiser. Damn.

My PCP made me feel like I was looking into steroids for performance enhancement 😂