<s>[INST] I ve been anemic all my life. I m 50 years old, still menstruating monthly but the the flow varies from heavy to clotting. Two months ago I collapsed/blacked-out. My family doctor ordered a blood count and my iron level was at 68, put me on ferrous sulfate 3x/day. He said it should be at at least 160. I had another blood work done last Saturday and now it has reached 90. What do these numbers mean? What s a good number to maintain? Is is the same level for all women across different age-group? My daughter is also showing signs of dizzy spells.. [/INST] Hello and welcome to HCM,Anemia is common in menstruating females.Blood loss during menstruation causes loss of iron and thus anemia.Iron deficiency leads to low hemoglobin and low iron stores in body.Your test report has shown low iron level in body.Thus, your doctor has prescribed iron supplements (ferrous sulphate).The treatment should be followed for atleast 3 months before improvement in iron levels can be expected.Get the iron test repeated after completion of iron replacement and consult your treating doctor with the results.If iron level has improved, the supplements can be stopped, however, if iron still remains low, iron treatment may have to be repeated.Thanks and take careDr Shailja P Wahal </s>