Iron Levels....

Good morning! It is chilly here in NW PA this morning!! Of course, I am always cold compared to anyone else! LOL..... I had some blood work done for my Family MD on Friday. Everything came back really well, except for my iron level....he said normal range should be between 50 and 100....mine was 31....he is starting me on some iron medication.....he said this is something that most patients who have had WLS experience...I know I have read about some of you having low iron.....are you taking meds?? any side affects?? Did you have any symptoms or did you just have blood work drawn like me? Holly

Hi Holly! Yes, most WLS patients have issues with iron. We no longer absorb it very well. At my 6 month check-up, my Ferritin was down to 23. The surgeon sent me to a hemotologist for consult for an iron infusion. He had me try oral Iron Glyconate (sp?) for a month, which did nothing to change the count so I had an infusion. I was taking twice the recommended dosage of this iron, which was 56 mg per day. The RSDA recommends 18 mg per day. I was really worried about the infusion, but it turned out to be no problem at all.....it was kind of nice actually, like forced relaxation. The hemotologist says that I will need to have infusions periodically for the rest of my life, either once or twice a year. I had noticed a bit of fatigue at the time of the blood tests. That was the only symptom that I really had, and I probably would not have linked it to iron at the time. He warned me that it could take 4-6 weeks or longer for that to pass after the infusion. I was skeptical, but he was right. It has been about 6 weeks and I am feeling more energetic finally! There seems to be a lot of confusion about whether oral iron can help enough. My hemotologist says that it is a waste of money to even bother with the supplements as they do not absorb enough to matter, and putting up with the side effects of the iron supplements is not worth it either. My surgeon's office thinks that we can absorb some, but they are not sure how much, so they are kind of experimenting with dosages for newer patients right now. As with all of this, it seems that each surgeon has a different opinion. I hope the oral works for you, but if not, know that the infusion is not a big deal and take the opportunity to catch up on your reading or watch a movie! Hope this helps! Dawn

I will find out what my labs are on the 9th but wanted to say that I believe a lot of people have trouble with Iron. So far so good here but who knows what these next labs will show. Keep us posted on how it goes with your new meds ok!! *huggles* Felicia =0)

I do take iron occassionally because at my 6 month check up I was on the verge of being low and the doctor said by my 1 year check up I would have to start taking iron on a regular basis so I started taking it a couple times a week back in April. I have found if I don't take iron atleast 3 times a week I get tired. I have actually gotten to the point where I try to take everyday. Side affects of taking iron constipation so increase your fiber intake. Good luck.

My iron levels were good at my 6 month checkup and just had blood work yesterday and hope it is still in check. I do take iron daily and I take a stool softener to counter balance the side effects of the iron. Hope you can get your levels up. Hugs, Tabby

I hear ya. My iron levels came back @ a 9 - yes I said 9. I take a multi vitamin w/ iron and two 27mg tablets a day of iron and that is still not enough. They did a second set of labs and those came back with an 11 score! The nutritionist sais I should never be below 40. She recommended that I buy Iron pills called Vitron-C and take them 3 times a day. 200 mg each tablet! (will I ever poop again? ) In addition, they found that I have an under active thyroid...must explain why I've been walking around almost comatose. SOOOO tired.

HEY HOLLY, I, ALONG W/ MOST WLS PTS. DO AND WILL HAVE AN Fe UPTAKE PROBLEM. WE DON'T ABSORB Fe AS WE USED TO. I NOW TAKE 125mg OF Fe ALONG W/ MY REG. VITAMINS. WE'LL SEE WHAT MY NEXT LEVEL IS IN MARCH, AT MY NEXT DR. VISIT. I JUST GET OVER THE COUNTER Fe AND TAKE TWO EACH MORNING. THE REASON FOR TWO IS BECAUSE MOST SINGLE TABS ARE ONLY 65mg AND MY DR. WANTS AT LEAST 100mg IN. AS FAR AS SYMPTOMS? NONE. GOOD LUCK W/ THE Fe DONNA, SFY