Misdiagnosis of iron deficiency can lead to years of debilitating illness. Could nanodiamonds be the solution?

At about 14, Lily developed persistent fatigue, oversleeping, low energy and heavy menstrual bleeding. At 25 she received diagnoses of anxiety and depression and was prescribed antidepressants, which relieved mood symptoms but caused memory loss, reduced libido and weight gain. Years later a GP ordered blood tests and found critically low iron bordering on anaemia; an iron infusion produced a dramatic improvement. One in five Australian women have an iron disorder, many living years with untreated, debilitating symptoms. Studies show substantial misdiagnosis—35% in one Swiss cohort—often as depression. Low iron reduces dopamine production, linking iron deficiency and mood symptoms, and improved diagnostic tests are being developed.

At about the age of 14, Lily* started to feel tired a lot of the time. She would regularly oversleep and lacked the energy to do basic things. It was also the time she started menstruating and having heavy periods. At 25, Lily was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and prescribed antidepressants for her symptoms. While they helped her, she also had to put up with the side effects of memory loss, low sex drive and weight gain.

The week after, I just felt so wildly different, she said. After decades of experiencing symptoms of tiredness and feeling overwhelmed, you start to identify with that, as just who you are. Lily is among one in five Australian women who have an iron disorder, and many, like her, live for years with debilitating, untreated symptoms. The scale of iron disorder misdiagnoses is not well understood, and there is a lack of research in the area.

Dr Nicole Jenkins, a scientist at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, says such misdiagnoses are not surprising considering symptoms like feeling down or finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning are common between iron and mood disorders. Iron is necessary for the production of dopamine, which is often called the feelgood chemical, so if iron levels are low, dopamine production tends to be low.

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