I have iron deficiency anemia and mine is caused by the inflammatory process of Crohn's disease. I was misdiagnosed for over many years before they finely had me swallow a camera pill which was the only thing that found my ulcers in the duodenum. Colonoscopy and endoscopy did not reach the ulcers and so I went undiagnosed for a long time. I became so short of breath that I was hospitalized and given 2 units of blood but they still didn't check my iron. Finally I got a referral to a hematologist and my iron was so low it could've be measured. During the 10 years that followed I tried many medicines that did not work for me. I was finally put on Skyrizi which slowly started my stool calprotectin level (which measures the inflammation in my GI tract) to decrease. Bringing down the inflammatory process is helping my iron levels become more stable. It has been a long hard battle but you can't give up. Find where the inflammation is in your body so you can stop the root cause. I think your body will not release ferritin in order to absorb iron if the inflammatory process is not halted.I don't really understand it all, but somehow finding out where the inflammation is located and stopping it is the key to being able to absorb iron. I hope my experience helps you.