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If you’ve ever listed a litany of symptoms to your doctor only to be told, “That’s normal for your age!” you might be a woman in perimenopause. Shudder. This happened to me during a “well” visit with my primary care physician. My roller-coaster moods, constant fatigue, weight gain, unusual memory slips and fistfuls of hair falling out every time I touched my head were dramatically impacting my quality of life. Still, my doctor didn’t feel it was worth ordering blood tests. She told me those symptoms are all pretty normal for a 44-year-old woman. I didn’t push the issue because, frankly, I was too tired and miserable to stand up for myself.
It took me almost six months to gather the confidence to seek a second opinion. I researched doctors who specialize in aging women’s health — who understood perimenopause and would listen to me and not brush away my complaints. I found an ARNP (advanced registered nurse practitioner) whose primary focus is menopausal transition. As I explained my symptoms and what had happened with my previous doctor, she said she gets a lot of patients in for second opinions for the exact same reason I’d come in. Apparently, a lot of doctors still believe that just because a set of symptoms are common, we should simply live with them.
After hearing me out, my ARNP ordered a full set of labs. During the appointment, she also mentioned offhandedly that my symptoms sounded like something she’s seen in a lot of her patients — low iron — right down to my odd memory issues that were frankly scaring me. I was forgetting common everyday words or sometimes replacing the word I meant to say with another word that sounded similar but had a different meaning.
A few weeks later, when I returned for my results, we learned that my hormones were mostly in a good place. My B12 and vitamin D levels were on the low end. But I was positively tanked in ferritin, a protein that stores iron in cells, and the amount of ferritin in the blood correlates directly with how much iron is stored in the body. In other words, my low ferritin meant my body didn’t have nearly enough iron. And yes, low iron absolutely could cause every one of the symptoms I was experiencing.
Dr. Stephanie Hack, founder of the Women's Health Platform Lady Parts Doctor, confirms how crucial iron is in the body. “Adequate iron levels are linked not just to energy levels, but also to cognitive function, immune system performance and overall quality of life,” she says. Her patients who have tested low in iron reported symptoms from fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath with exercise or exertion and even brittle nails, hair loss and the irresistible need to move their legs (restless legs syndrome). It hadn’t even occurred to me that I was also dealing with brittle nails and restless legs syndrome, but I definitely was.
Dr. Hack points out that getting enough iron can be difficult through diet alone and that many women need a supplement to reach optimum levels. And it’s a game-changer — especially for energy. “Patients are pleasantly surprised,” she says, “because they’ve grown accustomed to operating at lower energy levels.” Sounds familiar.
In the two months since I’ve been taking an iron supplement, here’s what I’ve noticed: The most immediate and obvious change is that my hair stopped falling out. I went from pulling out wads of hair to just a few strands. My energy has improved noticeably — most days, I wake up before my alarm goes off, and I no longer feel that desperate pull for an afternoon nap. I’ve also noticed less frustration with my memory, with names and words coming to me at a speed I’d normally expect. That twitchy feeling in my legs at bedtime has even gone away.
But really, it’s the big picture — the many small changes altogether — that makes me want to shout to tired women everywhere to get their iron levels checked. I just feel better. And how can you put a price on that? Maybe the greater takeaway here is simply to trust yourself. If you don’t feel like yourself, don’t rest until you get an answer. Just because we’re getting older doesn’t mean we don’t deserve to feel like the best versions of ourselves.
Always consult your doctor when unsure about whether to try a new supplement and please investigate any possible side effects.
Do YOU get enough iron? Have you ever had issues in this area? Let us know in the comments below.
Stocksy
Follow Article Topics: Health
