My husband has started feeling very tired first thing in the morning. He's always been a morning person - gets up at half 6 and zonks around annoying the hell out of me cos I'm a dying slug until half ten. But he is really seriously wiped out now, from minutes after he gets up. The nurse keeps saying his ferritin is low but hasnt given him anything for it. Can anybody give an opinion as to whats going on with him for me ?
Very Tired First Thing
- Thread starter MING
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Hobs
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Unless I am mistaken, ferritin deficiency is being low in body iron without actually being registered with anemia: And low iron levels = low energy, so he needs to increase his iron rich foods to see what difference a month of extra iron does for him.
Just been on the phone to his gp - who is, as always, "on holiday"....the nurse is also on holiday :evil: But the receptionist read out the last blood results. HBAIC was 6.3. Cholestrol is 4.
But Ferritin is only 18 :shock: I just looked it up on here and it said ideal level is 70-90 and if its under 60 you need treatment :evil:
If I hadn't asked about his ferritin level then we would've been none the wiser, they got these results back on the 5th july - nobody had phoned us or asked him to go in or anything. No wonder he feels bloody tired !
But Ferritin is only 18 :shock: I just looked it up on here and it said ideal level is 70-90 and if its under 60 you need treatment :evil:
If I hadn't asked about his ferritin level then we would've been none the wiser, they got these results back on the 5th july - nobody had phoned us or asked him to go in or anything. No wonder he feels bloody tired !
Hobs
Master
- Messages
- 11,797
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
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- Argumenative barstifferous (new word *lol*) types who think that they know everything *wink*
MING said:
A standard One-A-Day pill could probably help. My wife suffers a few deficiencies and takes Tesco's own which certainly lifted her out of the doldrums.
tesco.com/superstore/xpi/3/xpi62193033.htm
Hobs
Master
- Messages
- 11,797
- Type of diabetes
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- Argumenative barstifferous (new word *lol*) types who think that they know everything *wink*
Yep, you got it! It took several weeks before she started to feel anything had changed and now takes them to ensure she does not get low again, and has been doing so for at least the past 18 months.
Get Spatone sachets from your chemist or on-line.
Other half who is vegetarian is recovering from triple bypass and had very low iron after the surgery. I bought Spatone - a Welsh mineral water with natural iron. Drink it with a citrus juice to enhance take up. Avoid milk. Her levels have doubled in the 2 weeks she has 'taken the water' and she has had none of the side effects which generally come with taking iron supplements in tablet form.
Alternatively eat plenty of liver - difficult for a vegetarian.
Other half who is vegetarian is recovering from triple bypass and had very low iron after the surgery. I bought Spatone - a Welsh mineral water with natural iron. Drink it with a citrus juice to enhance take up. Avoid milk. Her levels have doubled in the 2 weeks she has 'taken the water' and she has had none of the side effects which generally come with taking iron supplements in tablet form.
Alternatively eat plenty of liver - difficult for a vegetarian.
Hi Ming,
I know you posted here in the past that your husband had pernicious anemia and heart disease.
I would err on the side of caution and get your Nurse/G.P. to investigate and prescribe for his iron deficiency.
There are several conditions that can cause tiredness and he really needs to see the professionals before deciding to prescribe for himself.
Catherine.
I know you posted here in the past that your husband had pernicious anemia and heart disease.
I would err on the side of caution and get your Nurse/G.P. to investigate and prescribe for his iron deficiency.
There are several conditions that can cause tiredness and he really needs to see the professionals before deciding to prescribe for himself.
Catherine.
Thank you - he has pernicious anaemia so already eats liver three times a week, and now I'm taking kale out of the garden every second day for him. I will look into Spatone. :mrgreen:
MING said:
First of all has he been tested for an Iron deficiency and if he has and was found to be deficient why was he not prescribed anything to deal with this ?
There are many things which can cause extreme tiredness and this needs to be investigated properly and treated properly, I certainly wouldn't advise anybody to take supplements unless they were actually needed as proven by a proper test and diagnosis, which you cannot get on this forum.
Taking a supplement if you are not deficient can also be harmful.
You should get him to see his GP and discuss this before taking any supplements. Suitable medication can then be prescribed if needed.
Ken
We have been through this already ! I got him to go to the doc, asked the doc to test his iron levels, the doc said "oooh yes your ferritin is low". End of story ! They decided to leave it until his 3 monthly check, which was last week, and its like here we go round the mulberry bush all over again. Nobody has prescribed anything, they just keep wasting time. His doc is on holiday again and the locums are no use . I had to dig to get the ferritin levels out of her, she just said "oh everything's fine" :evil: !!
That's fine Ming........however just don't accept what response you have had. See another GP and ask him/her why has nothing been prescribed ? It is not good enough to have to wait when something is patently not right.
Self prescribing and self medication is not something this Forum advocates. Get a second opinion.
Ken
Self prescribing and self medication is not something this Forum advocates. Get a second opinion.
Ken
