I am glad that i am able to say hello to everyone that is suffering with anemia in any form..chronic or deficient etc.I am 44 yrs. old and have been anemic for over 10 years.I have been tested over and over again throughout the years yet none of my doctors went any further than telling me.No treatment options until now.There is hope!! I had went to my lung doctor,unable to get enough air to be able to breathe.My heart was racing,severe chest pains,so weak i could not walk without help. When my doctor saw the extreme of my anemia he sent me to a hematologist immediatley! He ordered ct scans of my abdomen and pelvis(i suffer with IBS also which the doctor explained to me that because of the irritable bowel syndrome(ibs) the iron tablet would not absorb into my system due to the fact it isn't in my body long enough). Continuing with chest x-rays,tons of blood work and mri's. My ferritin level which should be between 150/200 and it was virtually undetectable at a whopping 2. He started me on iron iv's right away and a b12 shot.If this does not bring up my iron level i will have to have a blood transfusion.He had told me that he was surprised i was still alive. I have had 4 treatments so far yet have felt no improvement due to such a low level. I go in 2 times a week for the iron iv's and the b12 shot every 4th treatment. Due to the severe anemia,it has caused inflammation of my chest wall and that accounts for the pain i am experiencing in my chest and also the fast heart rate.The reason for feeling as though i am unable to breathe is the fact that the oxygen level in my blood is very very low. I am weak and extremely tired yet cannot sleep. If my lung doctor wasn't so worried about my anemia i would not be writing this right now! Along with my iron iv treatment on friday and my b12 shot my hematologist ordered more blood work consisting of 14 viels of blood. I am very fortunate to have been directed to the correct doctor to save my life! Never give up and continue on a search for the right physician until you find them. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to go about it. Ask everyone.All of your doctors,pharmacists,friends,people you see in the doctors offices,check the internet for specialists in your area and PLEASE again NEVER GIVE UP!!! I have written this in hopes that my experience may help others! Hang in there and best of luck for all of us that suffer with anemia in it's many forms! Syndi~~

I'm glad that you have found a good doctor to bring your levels up.

What was your hemoglobin at? If you only have a low ferriten you are not considered anemic... you are only anemic if your hemoglobin and/or hematocrit are low. Having a low ferriten hardly puts you near death. Not at all. Also, I've never heard of anyone receiving a blood transfusion with just a low ferriten. People only receive transfusions if their hemoglobin is VERY low. You can experience some unpleasant symptoms from low ferriten so at least through the iron infusions those should be gone soon. It takes some time for the iron to work so be patient.... at least you only have to bring up your ferriten and not hgb/hct. That would take a lot longer.

One more thing... I'm surprised that your doctor did not refer you to a GI doctor to do a colonoscopy and endoscopy. That is the standard testing for someone who is anemic, and doctors sometimes do that for people who have low ferriten. Again, having low ferriten does not make you anemic. I am really surprised that your doctor was making such a big deal about just a low ferriten (as in saying that he's surprised that you're still alive, etc). I hope that this eases your mind a little in knowing that you're nowhere near death here!!

One last thing... the lab range for ferriten levels is usually 20-200 or so. The range does not start at 150. Most people should be around 50-100 or higher and it really depends on the person before they start feeling symptoms.

Do you know what your hemaglobin count was? Your CBC counts have a lot to do with your anemia. If they are very low, I can't understand why you did not get a blood transfusion. I hope that the B12 shot and iron treatment works. As was said before you should find a good GI doctor and have scopes done to see if you are bleeding internally. Good Luck

Hi, sorry to hear of your troubles with your heart and breathing, it can be very serious. I'm glad you have a Doctor that is doing everything he can for you. I too have experienced breathing difficulties, especially at high altitudes. While low Ferritin does not make you Anemic, it IS very serious and it can lead to low Hemoglobin later.It's only a matter of time if it is not treated. Low b12 is serious too. Good luck and I hope you are feeling better, Georgi