IRON LOW

Hi guys , I am new to this site. oved 2 years ago fron OKLA. I had RNY in 2001. I was not aware of it then, but I was already having trouble with anemia. Now after 7 years I got so bad I almost  passed out. Chest pain, everything. Went immediatey to Doc, but as usual...they don't quite get the gastric bypass thing about pill absorbtion, and I am now taking Geritol. Does anyone know of iron for bypass patients? What about a patch??? There has to be something better. I need to build up blood asap. Was severly anemic when I got my labs back. Sorry to start a new friendship this way, but I thought it was the best way to get knowledgable help. THANK YOU !  imzadiz

Hello Low iron and anemia is very common in post-ops and actually begins the day of surgery; but often takes a long time to show up in labs.  The area of the small intestine where the majority of iron is normally absorbed - we no longer have.  So the minute amounts that we do absorb, in what short length of small intestine we have left, just isn't enough.  We can take boatloads of iron supplements, and it might help - some; but it's very, very difficult to get enough. My own story:  I started taking Bariatric Advantage iron day-one after my surgery.  Took it faithfully every day and then last year started having some issues and symptoms that we weren't sure what they were.   My hemoglobin and hematocrit were in normal range, BUT we were not checking ferritin and iron binding capacity:  very important tests for us post-ops.  So we ultimately learned my ferritin was dangerously low and my iron binding very high and before I could get my first infusion, I had a mild heart attack!!  So this is very serious and nothing to fool around with. I had my first iron infusion in November 2007.  I then switched iron supplements to Tender Iron from vitalady.com, which is carbonyl iron.  A very good type to take, and you can chew or swallow these tablets.  I was taking about 6 per day; but it would not hold my levels, and by March, when I had my labs done again, my ferritin had dropped by half.   I waited 2 months and just finished another round of infusions.  We'll see how long this lasts, but I have pretty  much determined that iron infusions are part of my ongoing health maintenance.  I think everyone is different in how well they ultimately absorb iron as a post-op, but overall, none of us absorb it well (due to malabsorption) and some just practically absorb none.  So if I were in your shoes (and I was!), I would suggest an infusion to get your levels up immediately.  THEN, you can try taking higher doses of iron supplement to see if you can't hold it there.  Just remember, iron can not be taken at the same time as any other supplements, except vitamin C - you should always take your iron with vitamin C for better absorption.