What does ferritin 8 ng/mL mean when my hemoglobin is normal?

[MadisonBG]

I just got my blood work back and my doctor said my ferritin is at 8 ng/mL. I’m feeling constantly exhausted and get dizzy just standing up, but my hemoglobin was only borderline low. I’m confused why they’re so focused on this iron storage number when my main red blood cell count isn’t that far off.

[AlexanderMM]

I had a similar low ferritin a while back, and I remember the fatigue feeling bigger than the blood numbers suggested.

[ElizabethFT]

Mine started with dizziness when standing and constant tiredness, and the docs kept saying the body uses iron stores first, so when those are depleted you don’t feel right even if the Hb isn’t way low. I tried oral iron for a couple weeks, got constipation and quit, then we looked for other options.

[Edward_T]

I kept asking what caused the loss (periods, gut issues, or diet) and ended up sticking with a plan for a while, but the numbers moved slowly and the energy didn't snap back quickly.

[Aubrey9]

Sometimes the fatigue line feels like a moving target and I wonder if something else in the routine is fighting me more than the lab story, like sleep or dehydration, could something else be the real problem?