iron levels

[Happy DSr]

I see many threads about iron deficiencies from vets, and supplementation using proferrin or infusions. I see Vitalady recommends iron supplementation.

My iron levels have held well for four years without supplementation. How about the rest of you? Am I alone? I'd bet there are many of you who also have perfectly acceptable iron levels we just don't here from you.

Are we the 99%?

[mesa0102]

My iron levels blow, but they blew before surgery, too. My hemo thinks I never absorbed iron well pre-op, as I have dealt with iron-deficiency anemia since my early teens (I'm 32.) I went through every oral supplement known to man post-op before finding a hemo for infusions. Maybe others with post-op iron issues may have similar pre-existing stuff like me?

Edited to add: Because of my sucky iron, I've been using birth control to suppress periods for the past 15 years at my gyno's direction. So, periodic loss of blood isn't a factor for me.

[Deleted]

I did very well for around four years, particularly because I've had a hysterectomy and therefore had no "leaching" of iron stores going on from there. I took carbonyl iron, as it's the only one that didn't tear up my gut.

But then I sagged enough to be symptomatic even though all levels were still WNL, so I said enough of this, time for infusions. I had two, a week apart, last summer, and felt like a new person. Very likely I'll be ready for a couple more when my next set of labs comes back soon.

[Happy DSr]

I had a hysterectomy many years before my DS. I wonder if that has helped me to keep by iron levels stable?

[emalee]

I don't have a period and my have kept up except my ferritin. Though I went to a hemo about my ferritin and they jumped up 30 pts and I have no clue why or how?

[bldeck]

Yup, I would say you are alone, all alone. Mine suck, they were doing not bad but fell considerable at my year labs. Hemo Doc is thinking about infusions, wanted me to try adding another pill first.

Betty

[Deleted]

Jan 8, 2012 8:45:01 GMT -5 @cajungirl said:

Jan 8, 2012 8:30:44 GMT -5 @en said:

I did very well for around four years, particularly because I've had a hysterectomy and therefore had no "leaching" of iron stores going on from there. I took carbonyl iron, as it's the only one that didn't tear up my gut.

But then I sagged enough to be symptomatic even though all levels were still WNL, so I said enough of this, time for infusions. I had two, a week apart, last summer, and felt like a new person. Very likely I'll be ready for a couple more when my next set of labs comes back soon.

Interesting EN same here after I had my hysterectomy my iron levels plummeted. It's about time for me to have labs drawn again, I'm really interested in seeing my iron panel, I still feel OK since my infusion in July. (not as good as then but not like I felt prior to the infusion).

Sorry, I wasn't clear: My iron levels got happy as soon as I got the slaughterhouse removed. That was a couple years before my DS. It was marvelous while it lasted . Now I'm a happy fan of infusions AND I'm all plugged in so I can get the darned things at my local hospital fifteen minutes from home. You might recall the big drama I had last spring where I would have had to go clear across freaking New Jersey to see an in-house hematologist for a damned iron infusion . So I dug up a doc in Montana and it was totally simple.

(My old PCP here retired, so I managed to find a new one, an internist, who's much closer to home, or as local as one gets in NJ.)

[happycatbert]

Mine have been bad for a while. I tried supplementation of a number of varieties, but nothing helped. I now get at least one infusion per year, and that does the trick.

I still have my uterus though

[KathyF]

My levels respond well with iron bisglycinate.

Oh, I am in surgical menopause, so I don't have to worry about that.

[joanlaptods]

I have had two of a series of 5 125mg IV infusions of ferrlecit and beginning to get some energy back.

[hollydawn]

Jan 7, 2012 22:47:51 GMT -5 Happy DSr said:

I see many threads about iron deficiencies from vets, and supplementation using proferrin or infusions. I see Vitalady recommends iron supplementation.

My iron levels have held well for four years without supplementation. How about the rest of you? Am I alone? I'd bet there are many of you who also have perfectly acceptable iron levels we just don't here from you.

Are we the 99%?

I am the same as you except I am about 2 1/2 yrs out. My iron was crap before my DS but now my numbers seem to be holding steady. I don't supplement my iron except what is in my multi vitamin. I just chuck it up to the fact that I am eating so much more protein which is higher in iron rather than living on carbs like I used to.

[justelizabeth]

I tended towards enemia prior to my DS. I have to keep an eye on my levels and supplement all the time, sometimes heavily. I also can tell when it is coming on. I start getting tired ALL the time. That's when I start taking an additional dose of iron, usually when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

[valgroce]

Mine have held well over the years, too. It may have to do with me eating red meat daily, or I'm just an ironclad woman, lolololol

[mrsannie]

Mine was really low and I was in danger of infusions so I went to a hemoltolgist and here's what he said:
Use only Carbonyl Iron we absorb it much better. Ferrous Sulfate is a waste of time.
(I take 4 pills daily which is 180mgs)
Take on an empty stomach, with vitamin C and not near any diary products or antacids.

I had no idea so I was shooting myself in the foot from the start. Now I am doing much better!

[kirmy]

Mine were scary high for some time then slowly started to drop so now I supplement once a day and have high levels again but nothing that requires blood letting. That will do me.

[jaellie]

I am sure I do overkill, but my iron levels are have been good (since my ablation in 2010).
180 mg of Carbonyl with Vit C, 150mg Tender Iron and 1 Proferrin. Scared to mess with that formula since it has been working.

[valgroce]

Mine have also been very good and I haven't taken extra iron since my first year. Maybe its because I love red meat and eat it daily, who knows?

[jg]

jaellie, just so you know... Tender Iron is carbonyl

[Deleted]

I have been dealing with anemia myself. I had an infusion last year and have been diligent about getting in my iron daily. I was on three Proferrin a day and my numbers continued to drop--hence the infusion. Anyway, I felt much better and am awaiting results of my last labs to see where I'm sitting but I fully intend to get another infusion. This past year, after my infusion, I switched from the Paragard IUD to the Mirena IUD to prevent any unnecessary bleeding. My hemo basically said I stop bleeding or else he would be unable to do anything to help me. He said all the infusions in the world won't help if you keep bleeding. So, I switched, I'm happier now and hope that my numbers are a little healthier.

I don't take Proferin any longer unless I'm out of something else. It's a waste of money for me.

[Deleted]

As an aside .. anybody take a liquid iron supplement? My hemo said that he's had incredible luck with liquid iron in his patients with rearranged insides. I was thinking of trying it.

[MontanaGirl]

i am only 8 months out but my iron and ferritin are going up. i do not suppliment at all because i am super sensitive. i still have periods and spotted for a full 2 months after my first depo shot. now i bleed only once and awhile on it. regardless it still went up.
my mother runs high with iron and sometimes she has so much iron the doc thinks something is wrong. so just naturally holds lots, i hope i get this from her. that would be amazing!

[Deleted]

Too much iron is dangerous, it's called Hemochromatosis. But, it's rare in women to my understanding. My Uncle had it.

[MontanaGirl]

yes its very rare. i seem to get a lot of genetic fun stuff tossed down to me including hashimoto's, an extra lumbar, bad hips, a slew of autoimmune diseases, diabetes ..... got to love the gene pool

[chicarita]

Not that rare! Just got diagnosed with it!


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[jazzyone2475]

I'm anemic for the first time in my life, but I got sloppy abpout nutrition and vites for six months before my last labs due to my Mom's decline and passing. I never had to supplement iron before, but I'm getting infusions to bring it back up.
Lesson: Don't skimp on vites and nutrition, no matter what! I thank God my surgeon does six month labs!

[bearmom]

I have been borderline anemic since I started having periods, so I knew I'd have to be real with my iron supplements after my DS.

I've switched up my iron supplements, and seem to hold steady ( I have something where my red cells don't "mature", so have a lot of turnover, but this is likely an inherited thing, and she assures me it has nothing to do with any surgery). My body is surprisingly resilient in compensating for the early red cell death in other ways, and I actually seem to be doing better at this since my DS. Again, likely not from my DS, just coincidence, but I AM more resilient about not getting colds or other crud going around than I was pre-op.

I now take both carbonyl and poly sacharide iron, and miss about half my days, and seem to maintain just fine.

One thing that was an issue for me, but is now being dealt with, is that periods became horrible with the rapid weight loss, and it was not possible to keep my iron up with that, so make sure you take some form of birth control, or ablation or whatever you can to not let bleeding get out of control and deplete you.