Low ferritin help

Hey everyone,

I'm struggling with my ferritin levels, currently my ferritin is 12 μg/L and I can't tolerate any iron supplements they give me horrible GI issues as well as really bad brain fog+dizziness. I'm taking a heme iron supplement but it's not helping. I'm hesitant to ask for an iron tranfusion because I’ve had bad reactions to oral supplements, and I’m worried a transfusion might cause the same issues too. Has anyone had good experiences with transfusions? If not a transfusion, what other options are there for boosting iron levels safely, since I've heard iron feeds viral persistence.