6 month labs help please
It is much more helpful to post the entire list of labs you had done so that reviewers can tell whether you had a complete set or not.
Based on low iron numbers, it appropriate to do a more involved lab if you did not have it already. This would include a CBC, iron panel, TIBC, and definitely ferritin. Ferritin is like your storage form for iron. And if you have no ferritin, you have no iron, and as much iron you throw through your mouth might not make that number go up and you may just feel horrible horrible horrible...on and on and on...
As for the ferro-sequels, interesting product. I just looked it up and it's timed release and actually has docusate sodium in it (the generic form of colace--a stool softener). And it's ferrous fumarate, not sulfate as everyone thought. Ferrous fumarate is actually a recommended type of iron by the ASMBS, but I don't know anyone taking it, so I can't comment on it's effectiveness. If it were ME, I'd probably add it to whatever iron I was already taking, but I am into that sort of experimentation. You can decide whether you're into that sort of thing or not.
Whether you decide to take it or not, something has to give with the iron. You either need to switch something up or add something, cause whatever you're doing isn't working. Another product a lot of people like is Proferrin, which is a heme based iron which is much more bioavailable in general. It is recommended to split it into 2-4 pieces for better absorption. It is expensive, I will warn you, but a good product and you don't have to avoid calcium or take vitamin C with it (this only applies to heme iron, not other irons!)
How much tender iron are you taking? Hopefully more than 1. You do not need to take vitamin C with the orange capsule product, as vitalady has included it already (yaaay!), but you will still need to take it away from calcium.
Oh, and if you go get your ferritin done (which you really really should), and it comes back at like...5, ask for a referral (or refer yourself if a referral is not necessary) to a hematologist, who can order that you end all the silliness of oral iron and get an infusion (very, very common in WLS post ops). My hematologist says some days there's a whole line of WLSers in his office being infused. Some people just don't absorb iron by mouth, it's the most common deficiency even in normal folks, and WLS makes your absorption problem worse.
Good luck.
Based on low iron numbers, it appropriate to do a more involved lab if you did not have it already. This would include a CBC, iron panel, TIBC, and definitely ferritin. Ferritin is like your storage form for iron. And if you have no ferritin, you have no iron, and as much iron you throw through your mouth might not make that number go up and you may just feel horrible horrible horrible...on and on and on...
As for the ferro-sequels, interesting product. I just looked it up and it's timed release and actually has docusate sodium in it (the generic form of colace--a stool softener). And it's ferrous fumarate, not sulfate as everyone thought. Ferrous fumarate is actually a recommended type of iron by the ASMBS, but I don't know anyone taking it, so I can't comment on it's effectiveness. If it were ME, I'd probably add it to whatever iron I was already taking, but I am into that sort of experimentation. You can decide whether you're into that sort of thing or not.
Whether you decide to take it or not, something has to give with the iron. You either need to switch something up or add something, cause whatever you're doing isn't working. Another product a lot of people like is Proferrin, which is a heme based iron which is much more bioavailable in general. It is recommended to split it into 2-4 pieces for better absorption. It is expensive, I will warn you, but a good product and you don't have to avoid calcium or take vitamin C with it (this only applies to heme iron, not other irons!)
How much tender iron are you taking? Hopefully more than 1. You do not need to take vitamin C with the orange capsule product, as vitalady has included it already (yaaay!), but you will still need to take it away from calcium.
Oh, and if you go get your ferritin done (which you really really should), and it comes back at like...5, ask for a referral (or refer yourself if a referral is not necessary) to a hematologist, who can order that you end all the silliness of oral iron and get an infusion (very, very common in WLS post ops). My hematologist says some days there's a whole line of WLSers in his office being infused. Some people just don't absorb iron by mouth, it's the most common deficiency even in normal folks, and WLS makes your absorption problem worse.
Good luck.
5'9.5" | HW: 368 | SW: 353 | CW: 155 +/- 5 lbs | Angel to 
If it's a time released iron, that may not be the best for us. Usually they recommend we don't do time released meds because they don't stay in our digestive system long enough for them to all be absorbed. We do better with the non-time released version of stuff, and just need to take them a couple times a day.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Wow, I didn't realize I was supposed to take more. I have been taking 1 Vitalady iron capsule daily. It's the orange one with Vit C included. The Ferro-Sequels doesn't have C so I am taking a C capsule with it. As far as the my other numbers here they are. I have no idea what most of them mean lol. I am so thankful for this site and so many knowledgable people to help me. Thank you all :)
WBC.....................8.1
RBC......................4.82
Hemoglobin (HGB), Manual Enter............13.3
Hematocrit (HCT), Manual Enter..............39.0
Mean Cell Volume.....................................81.1
Mean Cell HGB Concentration.................34.1
RBC Distribution.......................................13.3
Platelet Count............................................183
Mean Platelet Volume................................10.2
Grans, Electronic.......................................51.7
Lymphs, Electronic....................................42.0
Monocytes, Electronic...............................4.1
Eosinophils, Electronic..............................1.7
Basophils, Electronic.................................0.5
Grans, Absolute.........................................4.3
Lymphs, Absolute......................................3.4
Monos, Absolute........................................0.3
EOS, Absolute...........................................0.1
BASO, Absolute.........................................0.0
Sodium......................................................137
Potassium.................................................4.1
Chloride.....................................................102
BUN............................................................18
Creatinine Serum.......................................0.59
Glucose, Manual Enter..............................88
Bilirubin, Total............................................0.7
Albumin......................................................4.5
Protein, Total..............................................8.2
AST............................................................20
Alkaline Phosphatase.................................97
Calcium.......................................................9.2
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)................................28
ALT..............................................................21
Estimated GFR,, Non African Amer...........>60
Estimated GFR, African Amer....................>60
Anion GAP.....................................................11
Cholesterol...................................................177
Triglycerides-Trige.........................................93
HDL Cholesterol............................................45
Cholesterol, Total/HDL..................................3.9
LDL Cholesterol, Calculated............................113
Non-HDL Cholesterol (Chol-HDL)....................132
Iron.....................................................................39
Total Iron Binding...............................................431
Iron Saturation....................................................9
Transferrin.........................................................289
Hemoglobin A1C................................................5.7
Estimated Average Glucose..............................117
Folate..................................................................21.44
Ferritin.................................................................21
Free Retinol (Vit A)..............................................49.6
Thiamin, RBC......................................................142
Vitamin B12..........................................................865
Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy...........................................34.1
TSH, High-Sensitivity..........................................1.431
PTH Intact...........................................................24.5
WBC.....................8.1
RBC......................4.82
Hemoglobin (HGB), Manual Enter............13.3
Hematocrit (HCT), Manual Enter..............39.0
Mean Cell Volume.....................................81.1
Mean Cell HGB Concentration.................34.1
RBC Distribution.......................................13.3
Platelet Count............................................183
Mean Platelet Volume................................10.2
Grans, Electronic.......................................51.7
Lymphs, Electronic....................................42.0
Monocytes, Electronic...............................4.1
Eosinophils, Electronic..............................1.7
Basophils, Electronic.................................0.5
Grans, Absolute.........................................4.3
Lymphs, Absolute......................................3.4
Monos, Absolute........................................0.3
EOS, Absolute...........................................0.1
BASO, Absolute.........................................0.0
Sodium......................................................137
Potassium.................................................4.1
Chloride.....................................................102
BUN............................................................18
Creatinine Serum.......................................0.59
Glucose, Manual Enter..............................88
Bilirubin, Total............................................0.7
Albumin......................................................4.5
Protein, Total..............................................8.2
AST............................................................20
Alkaline Phosphatase.................................97
Calcium.......................................................9.2
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)................................28
ALT..............................................................21
Estimated GFR,, Non African Amer...........>60
Estimated GFR, African Amer....................>60
Anion GAP.....................................................11
Cholesterol...................................................177
Triglycerides-Trige.........................................93
HDL Cholesterol............................................45
Cholesterol, Total/HDL..................................3.9
LDL Cholesterol, Calculated............................113
Non-HDL Cholesterol (Chol-HDL)....................132
Iron.....................................................................39
Total Iron Binding...............................................431
Iron Saturation....................................................9
Transferrin.........................................................289
Hemoglobin A1C................................................5.7
Estimated Average Glucose..............................117
Folate..................................................................21.44
Ferritin.................................................................21
Free Retinol (Vit A)..............................................49.6
Thiamin, RBC......................................................142
Vitamin B12..........................................................865
Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy...........................................34.1
TSH, High-Sensitivity..........................................1.431
PTH Intact...........................................................24.5
Most Active
Recent Topics