Anyone post-op w/ iron deficiency?

Hi,I haven't been to this sight in years! I had bypass surgery 6/01,everything went better than great! A year and a half later i had a breast reduction and they also said I had a hernia, so in Feb 2003, I had the hernis repair w/ tummy tuck. Things didn't go so well. The surgery itself was a success, but I lost alot of blood and had to have 2 transfusions, also during surgery I was positioned weird and woke up with my left arm totally numb and usless. Well, I kept feeling worse and worse and every Dr. I saw thought I was just depressed so they kept giving me more and more Zoloft. After a year and a half of that I was allowed to go back to work part-time, but I felt lousy, I couldn't get out of bed most days, and forget cleaning or doing laundry,it was enough work just getting my kids off to school everyday! Well, this past Sept. I got so bad,I went to my family Dr. again, they a lump of somthing in my stomach so here I go again, have ANOTHER surgery this past March and they took out a 5 in fatty tumor, I thought FINALLY i'll be better! NOT! The Drs. decided to do more extensive blood work, then my family Dr. calls me and wants me to see a hematologist. I went yesterday, and the first question he had for me was when did you have gastric bypass? So I told him and he said, I was a little early to see him,usually it's patients post-op about 5 years,but I probably was helped along because of the anemia after the Feb 2003 surgery. He said he is getting 3-4 new patients a month for the last 2 years who have this same problem, our bodies are absorbing NO IRON, he said he was at a conference last month in Columbus,Oh and met with serveral surgeons about the possibility of changing exactly how the bypass is done, since iron is not getting into the blood stream and basically just getting past on through to the colon and out! He is all for the surgery, just making it better. Anyway, starting tomorrow I have to undergo an Iron Iv therapy,2 hours first time then 1 hour a week for 5-6 weeks,after that I should be able to do it once every 1-2 months,possibly forever. His first patient he seen with this does it every 2 months, just to keep her iron and red blood cell count up. What I want to know is if ANYONE has heard of this happening,or had it happen to them,I never thought anything like this was possible! Thanks for any help you can give!

Hi Andrea, I haven't had surgery yet, but have been approved and though I don't know anyone who has gone through this, I really appreciate you posting this thread!! It gives us all a heads up on things that can happen after surgery. I'm SOOOOOO sorry you have gone through this and hope your Iron Iv Therapy makes you feel better!! I live close to you.......I'm in Waynesfield, I used to live in Lima.....in the Egdewood area!! I know alot of us that are in the Lima area/surrounding area that post here have been looking for a support group that has started, Do you know of any? Well keep us informed about how your therapy goes!! I'll keep you in my prayers!! Tabitha

I am already having this problem. I am on iron therapy and baractic vitamins, which seem to be making a difference. The bases of my problem is my period, it comes very heavy and depletes my iron. I am schedule to have a biospy an D&C next week to hopefully end this problem. Hope things get better for you and I.

HI, I am 4 mos post op and just diagnosed with Iron Deficiency. It's not bad but enough that they are giving me Iron supplements in addition to the multivitamin and liquid b complex that I already take. I am Chronically nauseated and vomiting as well. I just had a PICC line put in for fluids and probably vitamin infusions as well. I wish I were not having the complications, but I am still very positive about the surgery. I have lost 70+ lbs and am NO LONGER being treated for diabetes and high blood pressure. Even with these setbacks I am healthier than I was 4 mos ago. Do you know how much of your small intestine was bypassed? That has alot to do with how your absorbtion is. Each surgeon has their own standard for how much they bypass. My surgeon did a 150cm bypass some surgeons go as high as 275cm. Obviously you absorb more from a smaller bypass than you would the larger one. If you dont know how much was bypassed, it would be good to find out. Good luck, I know vitamin deficiencies are tough to overcome. Make sure you have your B-1 Thiamine tested as well, and make sure when they draw the blood they put it in a light filtering container. B-1 breaks down in light. Sherri