Questions on low ferritin and iron infusions

I'm worried about my ferritin level being at 10. This was back in May. At that time I felt fine. This month I feel exhausted along with some other symptoms of low iron. My other iron levels are normal. Also, I knew that at 18 months old I was anemic. I didn't tell him that because I thought it was just that once. After this appointment, when I was talking to my mom about it, she told me I had been anemic several times as a child. I'm not sure if this is something I should tell him since it was so long ago or if it would even help with getting infusions.

My lab results for iron
Ferritin 10
Hematocrit 40.7
Hemoglobin 13.1
Iron serum 146
Iron sat. 47
Iron TIBC 308
MCH 30.9
MCHC 32.2
MCV 96
RDW 14.2
Platelet ct. 252
Red blood cell ct. 4.24
Unsat. IBC 162
White blood cell ct. 6.2

I went to my pcp yesterday and told him some of my DS friends experience with low ferritin and normal everything else and how they still needed iron infusions. (My dr is very good to me. He has included labs that I have asked he for, and does listen to me to an extent so I want to keep him. I'm hoping he will see that the things I have been telling him are happening like I've told him and he will eventually start taking me more serious). I was hoping he would set me up for infusions but he didn't think insurance would cover since the other labs were normal. He is doing thyroid test (results were normal on this) and heart monitor for 24 hrs. He doesn't think my symptoms are from iron. I thought he would at least re-check my iron to see if it had dropped more but he didn't. He said he would send me to a hemotologists but didn't think they would do one either. He didn't set that up but I may ask him to after my test results come back.

Here are my Q's:

Did you have to have iron infusions? If so, how were your labs? Were ALL iron labs low, just ferritin or everything except ferritin?

Should I be worried that I'm NOT getting infusions?

If my symptoms are due to low iron what can I expect to happen to me if I can't get them up with pills?

Has anyone paid out of pocket to get an infusion and if so how much does it cost?

So sorry for the long post. Thank you for your time.

Ronnie

I see you haven't gotten any replies, so I will comment, though I don't have a good answer for you.

i have had infusions when my ferritin was 6.  It took a while to get my first one.  I had iron absorption tests that showed I couldn't absorb iron.  Only after those tests did I get infusions.  Now, I am in the process of finding out how long my iron levels hold out.  Still working on that.

What makes you and I different is my iron serum was low, and my iron saturation was also very low.   My hemoglobin was low.  Thus, My iron levels were low everywhere.  I dont think your labs read the same.  Like I said, I have no answer, but I did want to share my own personal experience.  

Thank you. I appreciate you sharing your experience. I think I would like to have an iron absorption test. Is this only done by a hemotologists? How is it done?

Yes.  It was done by my hematologist.  I purchased carbonyl iron from Vitalady, and also the Proferrin, which is heme iron.  They draw your blood, you take your pill (i think I took two), and the draw blood at the hour mark and the three hour mark.  You can read the manufacturer's information about when maximum absorption takes place,  I believe with the heme, it was in two or three hours. I had a test for carbonyl one day and followed up a couple of weeks later with the heme.  I believe my hematologist wanted to prove in his mind that the reason for my low levels was due to poor absorption.  I had no changes in my iron levels after ingestion.  Thus, he was able to prove poor absorption, and was comfortable with giving me infusions.

It is important to determine the cause of the low iron first, and then treat.  While I knew that it was attributable to WLS (and he had seen this in other WLS patients as well), I believe a drs professional standards require this thorough approach.  It was difficult for me to be patient though!

I would think that seeing a hematologist would be beneficial.  So many of us require infusions, that its almost considered the norm. Good luck!

Oh that's interesting how its done. I have been taking the proferrin for years now (except there were a few times I had to go maybe a month without them) but just started the carbonyl last night. I'm going to get my pcp to set me up with a hemotologists once he calls back with my heart monitor results. I don't see why they can't checky my iron absorption since the ferritin is low.

Thanks for your help.

I don't know anything about iron but I had a question for you. I noticed your a lightweight too. How long did it take you to lose all your weight?

My reply may not be encouraging to you, sorry. And I'm also only 4' 10" so that may be a reason too. I've heard its harder for a short person to lose. Right at a year I was a pound away from my goal wt. and I sat there until I was 21 months out from my surgery and I finally got 1lb under my goal wt. Have you ever heard that saying, "I'm 1 stomach virus away from my goal wt"? Lol Well I came down with strep throat and it got me to my goal wt. But really, I feel like it took me a year to get where my body wanted to be.

I had a month's worth of iron infusions last summer, but I had other deficiencies, too.  Sloppy self-care was my reason, as my Mom was ill, and passed away last April.  The bad labs were drawn in May.

Wow! That didn't take long. When was your last set if labs befire the ones in May and were you low on anything on those?

My labs 6 months before the low ferretin only had issues with PTH (calcium off) and Vitamin D.  Everything else was "within normal limits"