Michelle M...

Per Dr. Teitlebaum (leading Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue specialist - not a GI doc): Iron deficiency will often be present even if the blood tests are technically normal. This is because the blood test

Your son's ferritin level is too low. Most people would feel unwell at this level with fatigue, hair loss, etc... Some doctors advocate supplemental iron when ferritin levels fall below 50. The ferritin levels are the iron stores in the body. From what I understand, once those fall low enough, then "laboratory signs of anemia" usually show up as low hemoglobin (sp?) and hematocrit - earning the true medical diagnosis of anemia. However, many people feel and show symptoms of anemia long before that happens (once ferritin levels are low enough even if still in "normal range"). Sounds like