after having my Mirena IUD removed this year (seven years after getting it), I started feeling profoundly tired with every menstrual cycle. I spent 10+ hours on the couch, unable to think clearly or even go for a walk. I consider myself very high energy and had never experienced anything like it, so I was sure something was very wrong and, of course, assumed the worst (use your imagination) a doctor (not one medical, obviously) asked whether I’d had my iron checked recently. at first, I ignored her. I had some image in my head of what an “anemic” woman looks like like, and I didn’t think it was me. but I did the test anyways and sure enough, she was right to ask: my iron studies came back, and my ferritin had fallen from 45 in jan 2025 to 21 in march 2026 It took a lot of pushing to get iron infusions at that level. one clinic cancelled my appointment when they saw my ferritin was only 21. iron pills were hard on my stomach (common symptom), and I wanted a faster way to replenish my iron stores (infusions are 100% absorption). around the same time, @ArtirKel introduced me to @alysoncogene. Alyson is trained in aging biology at harvard aka “longevity person". she researches problems in women’s health! (a gem to work with) we spent months talking through what I was experiencing and digging into the research together. TL;DR: iron deficiency is a huge and surprisingly neglected problem, especially among women who menstruate after four venofer infusions (i've paused for now) and I feel so so much better. I wish I’d known sooner to ask about ferritin. If your periods leave you exhausted and "horizontal", it’s worth asking your doctor to check your iron