Ferritin

My ferritin levels are still very low.I have been taking the Bariactric Advantage Iron  18mg,3 tabs a day for over a month and it has only gone up 3 pts. It was 5 and now it is at 8. Any suggestions. I'm trying to eat high iron foods also.


Hugs Donna

I struggle to get my iron up, too.  Some folks have trouble with B-1 and B-12 - mine are off the charts with just a weekly sublingual, but my iron is my nemesis.

I take 100 mg a day chewables (Tender Iron from Vitalady) with a 500 mg. chewable Vit C (to increase absorption) once a day.   After 6 months of this I raised my iron about 15 pts.

Of course I have to take stool softeners every morning to keep things moving - ugh.......

You say you are taking it 3 x's a day - are you taking any calcium within 2 hours of taking your iron?  Calcium interferes with iron absorption.

I take my iron at 5:00 a.m. every morning, and I don't take any calcium or eat until after 7:00 a.m. I also take a 500mg vit c with my iron. This is so frustrating. I have been very faithful taking my vits since day 1. all the drs even my surgeon has told me in the past that my iron has always been good. My B-12 use to be over the normal by alot, and now it has dropped down to 900's. I guess that it always ran around 1800. I think since my surgery 6 yrs ago I have maybe gone a whole week without vits. It scares me to bad to not take them. Maybe soon it will all get worked out. Sure hope so because I have been so tired.

Hugs Donna

Donna, I actually believe you are making good strides.  Ferritin DOES NOT go up very quickly, it takes time.  Continue what you are doing and possibily add more a day.  If you can gain 4-5 more points soon (a month or two) it's possible you wan't be "anemic" anymore.  It does depend on how your other iron numbers are tracking too.

Dana the dr says that I'm not anemic yet. It is all crazy to me. Thanks for the post. It makes me feel better.


Hugs Donna

My iron counts were low.  It could have been because I wasn't taking iron.  But I wasn't taking it because the constipation was more than I could handle.  So my surgeon put me on Ferritin IPS which is a liquid iron you can order from Bariatric Advantage.  It's suppose to be over the counter but so far I have only found the pills.  It's easier to absorb and it doesnt' cause the constipation that other irons can.  I don't have my iron retested unit December but I feel a little better than I was.  So you might check that out.  I was afraid it would taste REALLY bad but it doesn't.  It says it's a berry flavor but it taste more like vanilla to me.

Thanks Teena. I can't believe how tired I'm staying.I have no energy!!


Hugs Donna