Understanding Iron Deficiency: Rose Stokes’ Journey

After welcoming her second child, freelance journalist Rose Stokes found herself constantly exhausted. “Honestly, I could hardly manage anything beyond the basics with my kids. I’d tuck them in around seven and then head straight to bed,” she reflects.

Initially, Rose thought her fatigue was just part of being a mother of two young children. However, she soon realized there was more going on. “It wasn’t just fatigue; my hair was falling out, and I had this odd metallic taste in my mouth. There were tongue ulcers, breathlessness, and even dizziness,” she shared.

She visited her doctor multiple times, but each time, she felt dismissed: “Every time they said, ‘Well, you’re a mom with small kids; what do you expect?’ But the exhaustion? It was unbearable,” Rose explained during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.

After persistently pushing for more answers, she asked for a blood test that revealed low ferritin levels. While her first doctor minimized her ferritin levels, saying they weren’t that concerning, Rose eventually found a different doctor who diagnosed her with iron deficiency.

This condition is relatively common, particularly among women, with about 8% affected, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. In contrast, only around 3% of men experience it. Of course, pregnancy, like Rose’s recent experience, often plays a significant role in this issue.

Beyond her initial symptoms, Rose learned that signs of iron deficiency include dizziness, heart palpitations, and unusually pale skin. Some people even face more unusual symptoms like tinnitus or restless legs syndrome.

Initially, she was given iron tablets, which are a standard treatment. Unfortunately, none of the three types she tried worked well for her. Dr. Sue Pavord, a consultant at NHS Hospitals Oxford, recommends taking iron tablets first thing in the morning with water or a glass of Vitamin C for better absorption. Otherwise, they might not be effective.

Upon having adverse reactions to the tablets, her doctor referred her for an iron infusion, a method that delivers iron directly into the bloodstream. Dr. Pavord noted that this can be a game-changer for those with severe deficiencies but emphasized that it’s essential to try tablets first since they can also be quite effective.

Diet also plays a crucial role in preventing iron deficiency, according to Dr. Pavord. Foods rich in absorbable iron, like red meat, chicken, liver, and fish, are recommended. While vegetables like spinach and broccoli do contain iron, they are not absorbed by the body as readily as meat sources.

Now, two-and-a-half months after her infusion, Rose feels like a “completely different person.” She commented, “I can actually do things. At first, it was just getting through the day, but now I can get up with the kids in the morning and not feel completely drained.”