Dealing with extremely low iron levels

Question: I’ve been feeling pretty wiped out for a while now, but lately things have taken a turn for the worse. It’s gotten to the point where if I even climb two stairs, I feel like I’m about to pass out. I finally went to get some blood work done this morning to check my iron levels since I've always struggled with anemia. I just got my results back online and, honestly, I'm freaking out a little: hemoglobin is at 74 (normal range is 119-157), and iron is sitting at 0.7 (normal is 8-20). Has anyone else dealt with something this bad? thx

Hey! I actually started a thread today asking about alternative ways to deal with anemia, since mine is a side effect from chemo. With iron levels being that low, your doctor is definitely going to put you on some supplements right away—there are tons of different kinds out there. You might want to try pairing the "official" meds with a natural syrup, like the one Walgreens recommended to me.

Sam Ruiz7 said:question: I’ve been feeling pretty wiped out for a while now, but lately it’s gotten way worse—like, if I walk up two steps, I feel like I’m actually going to pass out. I went to get blood work done this morning to check my iron levels since I’ve always struggled with anemia, and honestly, seeing the results gave me a massive scare: hemoglobin is at 74 (normal range is 119-157), and iron is sitting at 0.7 (normal is 8-20). Has anyone else dealt with something this extreme? thx

I’ve definitely been there. It was the exact same thing for me. At first, they just had me taking some basic iron supplements from the drugstore, which helped for about a month before everything crashed again—and it hit me twice as hard the second time. I ended up struggling with it for over a year. Given how low your numbers are, you really need to get a referral and go see a hematologist at a hospital like Mayo Clinic or something similar; once I finally saw a specialist, they put me on much more "serious" medication, basically a heavy-duty treatment plan, because they told me straight up that those over-the-counter pills aren't going to cut it when things are this bad. One of my friends felt so terrible she actually had to get iron infusions at the clinic, so yeah, you'll figure out the best route once you talk to your doctor.
And don't forget, you have to eat really well; pills alone are never enough to fix this. I used to drink these specific beet and blueberry juices and made sure to load up on anything high in iron. You really have to be disciplined about eating quality food and getting plenty of Vitamin C to help it absorb. 😉 It’s a grind because your iron levels won't just jump back up overnight, but if you stay on top of it, you'll be totally fine.
Back then, my iron was hovering between 0.6 and 2, but after staying consistent, I've been right around 13 for almost a year now.

Sandra Hernandez5 said:Hey! I actually started a thread today asking about alternative ways to deal with anemia, since mine is a side effect from chemo. Honestly, when your iron levels are that low, you gotta listen to the doctor and take the prescribed iron supplements immediately—there are tons of different kinds out there. You could always try supplementing the "real" meds with some herbal syrup that my nutritionist recommended.

The thing is, I've been on this iron supplement for ages now, and it usually works fine. Like, three or four months ago, my levels actually climbed up to 10, so I stopped taking it... and now everything has just tanked again.

What kind of syrup are we talking about?

Kimberly Morgan said:Man, I feel you. Honestly, I went through the exact same nightmare. At first, they just handed me some basic iron supplements from the drugstore, which made me feel slightly better for maybe a month before everything crashed and burned—and twice as bad as before. I was fighting that battle for over a year. Once your levels get that low, don't even bother with the OTC stuff; demand a referral and go see a hematologist at a major hospital like Mayo Clinic. My specialist gave me the "real deal"—basically a much more aggressive treatment plan—and made it clear that those little pills you grab at CVS aren't going to cut it when things are this bad. One of my friends was feeling so trashed she actually had to get iron IV drips. But hey, you'll figure out the specifics once you talk to Dr.
. And listen, you seriously have to watch what you eat. Pills alone? They won't save you. I was constantly sipping on specific beet and blueberry juices and loading up on anything high in iron. You really have to be disciplined about nutrition and slamming plenty of Vitamin C to help it all absorb. 😉 It’s a grind because your iron levels aren't gonna skyrocket overnight, but if you actually put in the work, you'll be fine.
Back then, my iron was hovering between 0.6 and 2. Now? After almost a year of grinding, I'm sitting steady around 13.

Ugh, okay, hearing that it can actually be fixed makes me feel a little less hopeless... 🙂 but like, which juices specifically? And what kind of food?

Where can I find those specialty juices around here?
As for food—beetroot, blackberry wine, spinach, Cabernet Sauvignon, blackberries, kale...