FeraMAX (iron)

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone taken FeraMAX for iron?  Are you achieving good results?  I work in health care and I was told by one of our NP's (not a bariatric unit) to ask my Dr. to put me on FeraMAX for my iron levels instead of what I am using now.  I like the idea of only taking one pill instead of three a day.  However I can not find much info online about it working well for post gastric patients (absorption).  Thought I would ask the community here

Thanks

Susan

This is what I took.  No absorbtion problerms as with cheaper iron supplements, no constipation, more effective.  Leona Dove who used to be active on OH has written articles & made presentations on iron issues.  Her handle was the Iron nurse, if I remember correctly (her profession).  Just google Leona Dove & iron you will get some detailed information. (She is a VSG'er so it makes her a double expert).

Leona did tell me any iron supplementation will take about 6wks to show results - but as with any of this stuff, consult with your healthcare peeps.

I take feramax 2 times a day with a chewable vitamin c since that helps with absorption.  I have hemoglobin issues and have had since before RNY.  I see a hemotologist and she likes that brand better then some of the others on the market.  I buy mine at Costco and they do have a generic form of it but I don't know what it's called.  The pharmacist told me about it but I but the name brand one.

I know Leona is a big proponent of Feramax.   I took it for a year with poor resutls.  I am now on proferrin which is a heme iron.  My levels improved dramatically within 6 weeks.  Just don't wait as long as I did if feramax doesn't quickly improve your levels. 

I've had much better luck with Proferrin myself. Not great for those of us who don't ingest animal products, but better "for me" than Feramax.

It didn't work for me either but it has for many.  Here is Leona's website if you want more info.

http://theironmaiden.ca/

I recently had Leona come to Elliot Lake and do a presentation on iron deficiency and bariatric patients at our local support group meeting.  We only absorb 3 kinds of iron post surgery, feramax 150, proferrin and jampfer generic called Jamp-ferrous-polysacccharide you can order from any pharmacy by giving them the following NPN 80047569.  At the end of her presentation she gave us samples of feramax 150 and proferrin so i believe she deals with both drug companies now just FYI for those who did not know that yet.  I currently take feramax 150, twice daily as per Leona suggestion i had a uterine ablation done november 11th in hopes that my menstrual cycle will be over and with taking the feramax twice daily it my iron can finally have a chance to come back up.   As someone above stated if it doesnt seem to be working maybe up your dosage you can take up to 3 or 4x daily from what she told us in the presentation.  If it still doesnt seem to be helping switch to proferrin and see what happens.  

http://theironmaiden.ca/

Excellent advice.

I disagree completely that these are the only types of iron that we can absorb. The ferrous salts have more side effects, but the iron gets absorbed. And a lot of us take various beands of carbonyl iron, which is absorbed just fine, with no side effects.

It sounds to me like she is selling iron, not giving out information.

I agree with this opinion.   Leona pushes feramax to the degree that it makes you wonder re her funding