If fatigue, brain fog or hair loss is affecting your daily life and oral iron has not worked, an IV iron infusion may restore your ferritin rapidly. Here is exactly what to expect at our Surbiton clinic.
Searching "iron infusion near me" usually follows months — sometimes years — of persistent fatigue that oral supplements have failed to fix. If you have recently had a blood test showing low ferritin or iron deficiency anaemia, and your GP has told you that oral tablets are not suitable or have not worked, an intravenous (IV) iron infusion is the next step.
At Lambert Medical Practice in Surbiton, we offer nurse-led iron infusions with a GP on site, same-week availability, and a straightforward booking process. This guide explains who qualifies, what the session involves, what to expect afterwards, and how to tell whether IV iron is right for you.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide, affecting an estimated 1 in 4 people globally and around 1 in 6 women of reproductive age in the UK. It exists on a spectrum from depleted iron stores with normal haemoglobin (iron deficiency without anaemia) to frank iron deficiency anaemia, where both iron stores and red blood cell production are compromised.
The most useful single marker is ferritin — a protein that stores iron in your cells. The NHS reference range for ferritin is typically 13–150 µg/L for women and 30–400 µg/L for men, but research consistently shows that symptoms begin well above the lower limit of "normal". Many patients with ferritin under 30–50 µg/L report significant fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, brain fog, cold intolerance, restless legs, and hair loss — even when haemoglobin is technically within range.
When ferritin is very low, iron stores in tissues and organs — including the brain, heart and muscles — are depleted. This impairs the production of enzymes involved in energy generation, neurotransmitter synthesis (including dopamine and serotonin), thyroid hormone conversion, and immune function. These downstream effects are why low ferritin feels so disabling even when anaemia is not severe.
Persistent tiredness that is not explained by sleep — even after a full night's rest. Reduced stamina and faster exhaustion during exercise.
Difficulty concentrating, word-finding problems, reduced working memory and mental clarity — particularly prominent when ferritin is below 20 µg/L.
Increased hair shedding, particularly at the parting or temples. Iron is essential for hair follicle cell division; deficiency pushes follicles into the resting phase.
The heart works harder to compensate for reduced oxygen-carrying capacity, causing noticeable palpitations, shortness of breath on exertion, and reduced cardiovascular performance.
IV iron is not a first-line treatment for everyone with low ferritin. It is typically indicated when one or more of the following applies:
Before your appointment, you will need recent blood test results. The minimum requirement is a full blood count (FBC) and serum ferritin, ideally within the past 6 weeks. If you do not have these, you can arrange a blood test at Lambert Medical Practice before your infusion appointment.
A responsible iron infusion service will not administer IV iron without documented evidence of iron deficiency. The standard pre-infusion blood panel includes:
| Test | What It Tells Us | Typical Target Range |
|---|---|---|
| Ferritin | Iron store size — most useful single marker | <30 µg/L suggests deficiency; <15 is severely depleted |
| Haemoglobin (Hb) | Whether anaemia is present | <120 g/L (women), <130 g/L (men) = anaemia |
| Serum iron | Iron currently circulating | Low in iron deficiency; also low in chronic disease |
| TIBC / transferrin saturation | How much iron-binding capacity is free | Transferrin saturation <20% supports iron deficiency |
| MCV / MCH | Red blood cell size and haemoglobin content | Low MCV (microcytosis) = iron deficiency anaemia |
| CRP / ESR (optional) | Rules out inflammation (which suppresses ferritin artificially) | Normal CRP gives confidence ferritin reflects true stores |
Not every test on this list is essential in every case. If you have a recent FBC and ferritin, that is usually enough to proceed. If your ferritin is elevated (which can happen with inflammation even when iron stores are low), additional markers help interpret the results correctly.
Knowing what to expect removes anxiety from the appointment. Here is the step-by-step process at Lambert Medical Practice:
Oral iron — ferrous sulphate, ferrous fumarate or ferrous gluconate — works well for many people. It is the appropriate starting treatment in most cases. However, oral iron has two significant limitations:
Absorption efficiency. Even in ideal conditions, only 10–20% of ingested oral iron is absorbed. This means you need a relatively large dose to deliver a therapeutic amount of iron to your body. At higher doses, the unabsorbed iron causes gut irritation — the cramps and constipation that make many people stop taking it.
Hepcidin suppression. When iron stores are very depleted, the body increases absorption efficiency — but it also uses a hormone called hepcidin to regulate how much iron enters the bloodstream. High doses of oral iron (especially daily dosing) can paradoxically increase hepcidin levels and reduce absorption efficiency over time. This is why alternate-day dosing is now recommended over daily dosing for oral iron.
IV iron bypasses the gut entirely, delivering iron directly into the bloodstream where it is immediately available to the bone marrow for red blood cell production and to tissues for enzyme synthesis. A single infusion can deliver more iron than 3–6 months of oral supplementation, with ferritin levels often rising by 50–150 µg/L within 4–6 weeks.
Most patients go home and return to normal activities the same day. Some experience mild side effects in the first 24–48 hours:
Serious hypersensitivity reactions are rare — estimated at around 1 in 200,000 infusions. All Lambert Medical iron infusion sessions are conducted with resuscitation equipment, adrenaline and antihistamine immediately available.
This is the question patients most want answered. The honest answer is: it varies, and patience is required.
A follow-up blood test at 6–8 weeks after your infusion is important to confirm that ferritin has repleted to a satisfactory level and to plan any further treatment if needed.
For most patients with iron deficiency anaemia or depleted stores, a single infusion is sufficient. The dose is calculated based on your haemoglobin level and body weight to deliver enough iron to restore both circulating haemoglobin and tissue iron stores.
However, in some situations more than one infusion may be recommended:
Your clinician will review your blood results and advise accordingly. We also offer a home iron infusion service (IVatHome) for patients who prefer to receive their infusion at home — ask our team for details.
Same-week appointments available. Bring recent blood results showing low ferritin or arrange a blood test with us first. No GP referral needed.
Also at Lambert Medical: Iron infusion service page · Blood tests Surbiton · Low ferritin: hair loss and fatigue treatment