Iron infusions - how fast does your ferritin fall?

I'm new to getting iron infusions but I know they are very common around here.

how fast does your ferritin level typically fall after an infusion? How frequently do you get tested or have infusions?

My ferritin was (I think) 12 before my infusion. A couple of weeks after the infusion it was 222. Two months later it was 99.

Is this the typical pattern? It seems like a sudden drop but maybe that ferritin had to be "used" to get my hemoglobin up. Hemotologist wants me to retest in November unless I start having anemia symptoms again.

There doesn't seem to be a typical. I've seen some need infusions every 9 months, and some every 3 or 4 years.

Some folks absorb oral iron a little better than others, so it likely spaces infusions further apart. The best thing you can do is keep on top of labwork and supplements, and proceed accordingly.

St iron supplements a few days before labwork. Taking them too soon before can throw your numbers off.

I wasn't sure how fast ferritin tends to drop after the initial boost from the infusion. Mine went from 222 down to 99 in 2 months. I guess I was curious if this was a typical pattern or if I might need more sooner rather than later.

Right now im scheduled to retest in November. Does that seem reasonable?

Im so so so thankful for the iron infusions. I am literally a new person with them!!! Seriously the best thing ever. ;)

I noticed that you had the sleeve. Do you take any oral iron? Since you don't have any malabsorption (I had the DS) some of my issues may not pertain to you.

I've battled iron deficiency anemia for about 10 years. I have a few questions for you. This may be silly but are you male or female? If you are female, are you pre- or post-menopausal? If you are pre-menopausal, do you still have regular periods? Are they heavy?

When I started I was pre-menopausal and had issues maintaining my ferritin after infusions. I had very heavy periods and once we discovered that the underlying problem were fibroids, I had a fibroid embolization, which put me into menopause (I was in my late 40's, so it wasn't an issue for me). Once I stopped the monthly periods, I was able to keep my ferritin within the normal range for almost 4 years. Tried maintaining within oral iron but that never worked, so I just recently had a series of two infusions with a new drug for people who don't absorb oral iron - called Injectafer.

So if you are a pre-menopausal female, remember that you are losing blood on a monthly basis.

You might want to work with your doctor to find out if there is any underlying issues.

Hi, -

Yes, I've taken iron since I was sleeved. I actually thought I'd avoid this type of issue by opting of the sleeve rather than a surgery with malabsorption. I was wrong - lol. The hematologist explained to me that much of our iron is absorbed in the portion of the stomach that got removed --- so even though my intestines are in tact I am still not absorbing like I should.

I'm 41 and I'm thinking I'm entering an early perimenopause .... I do have heavy periods at times, but my periods that were once regular are now going wonky. I probably have a lot of years to go before I am actually through menopause... but who knows.

Do you think this is a significant drop in ferritin, or just a drop that is pretty typical? My hematologist didn't seemed shocked, just said we should retest in 4 months and do another set of infusions if needed.

For now, I'm still feeling GREAT. (yea!!!)

I didn't know about the iron absorption in the stomach. I've never had that significant a drop in such a short time. As long as you're feeling ok, I say keep an eye on the number (retest in November as long as you continue to feel ok) but pay close attention to symptoms of iron deficiency anemia (tired, restless leg syndrome, pica). If any of these start appearing, head back to the hema and demand retesting.

Thank you - that's good advice!