Low ferritin levels?

Hi everyone! I just had my 2 year post-op bloodwork drawn and my Ferretin levels came back low at 7.  I take an over the counter Iron supplement (65 mg) every day but apparently it's not enough.  Anyone else have issues with this?  It never was an issue before but now I'm running a lot so is that part of the problem? --Deanna  :)

Deanna,   Sorry to hear about that, but running IS part of the problem.  I had really low hematocrits (29) when I first started my marathon training and really felt prett lousy most of the time.  There were several references online about this, and we lose iron in our feet both from the pound and the sweating.  I also take an over the counter iron and it's helped me a lot.  Do you take it with vitamin C and on an empty stomach?  Calcium interferes with iron absorption (in case you didn't already know that), so I generally take mine early in the morning with grape juice before I eat anything or last thing at night.  Mine is 134 mg iron sulfate.  By the way, if you can tolerate taking it with juice, the acid helps convert the iron to the right oxidation state for absorption.  This is especially important since we don't have the stomach acid to do this for us.  I do feel your pain and it sucks.  My guess is that's part of the reason you've been feeling so exhausted after some of your runs.   Linn

Linn, this is very interesting ... thank you!  Is your iron supplement over the counter?  If so, what brand is it?  I hadn't been taking mine on an empty stomach or with vitamin C ... I guess I will try that!  Thanks for your help! --Deanna  :)

I'm just using the Safeway Select brand right now, and have been doing fine with it.  Our budget is pretty tight and I go cheap whenever I can.  You might have a little stomach upset (I don't but have heard some people do) if it doesn't go right through, but it shouldn't last long. Linn

Oh good!  I'm on a tight budget too so this is great news!  I'm going to look for it tonight!  Thank you SO much for your help!  I can't wait to see if it helps! --Deanna  :)

Deanna,   I wouldn't worry about buying anything new.  What I have is iron sulfate, just like all the other over the counter ones.  Try just taking 2 of what you have.  You may not notice much difference for a week or two - gotta give the body a chance to make some more hemoglobin!   Linn

Good thinking!  Do you tolerate grape juice better than orange juice?  Just curious!

I DO tolerate grape juice a lot better than orange juice.  I use at least 4-6 oz when I take the iron, just to make sure there's enough acid and vit C for absorption.  I'll do the OJ if I don't have another choice, but vastly prefer the grape.