What's on your menu today (Tuesday) RNYers?

I really hate to tell you, but doubling up on the iron isn't going to do squat.

You need an infusion and now. Mine got to 4.5 last November and I was referred to a hematologist who immediately set me up for infusions. Almost 2 months later and my ferritin is at 63. I have to be monitored every 3 months and I also started taking Proferrin 3 times a day to hopefully raise it more and avoid anymore infusions.

Best of luck.

63!! WOW! I can only imagine how much better you feel! Thanks for the response! I'll be going to my family Dr and see if she will refer me.

You need a hematologist and an iron infusion NOW. You will never be able to bring your level up to where it needs to be with oral pills. Your nurse doesn't know what she's talking about. Get yourself to a specialist please.

I thought it was low and her response odd. But she's the bariatric nurse, so I didn't pu**** If I wasn't feeling so crappy I'd let it go.

I'm going to contact my family Dr and see if she will refer me.

Thanks for your response!

Lori

Mine was a 4. I have brought it up to a 29 on my own with patches and about a million supplements.

I would kill for an infusion but my bariatric team doesn't seem to care one bit about this. They told me that for my height and weight, 6 is normal. Uh, total BS! Anyway, if you can get an infusion, do it for the both of us!

Also, the type of iron that is best absorbed and easiest on the tummy is carbonyl iron. I use the EZ Melts brand, along with double patchMD iron patches every day.

Thanks! I'm going to check out the patches. I fear my family dr will be hesitant to send me. She wasn't a fan of the surgery to begin with and as the bariartic team isn't concerned I'm not sure she will be either. I shall try my best to get those infusions though!

Can I ask if you had many bathroom issues with taking the iron? Sorry if it's TMI. It's a concern for me.

Thanks again!

Hi! Welcome-visit and post often. Re: iron, I was only able to move my ferritin from a 6 to a 12 after 2 months of supplements and honestly the pills made me so sick to my stomach I wasn't going to be able to keep taking them. My doctor definitely said at that point I needed an infusion. Luckily, I didn't have any issues getting the infusion. I am sure others will be able to chime in with their experiences too. Good luck.

2 months? and only a 12? Not what you'd expect. I'm nervous about the pills as well as I already have issues, I don't need more. :)

I'm going to ask my family Dr for a referral. The nurse is from my bariatric clinic, and she was adamant that pills were the way to go. Not sure why she was so against anything else.

Thanks for your response!!

Lori

Infusion worked great for me- its been 2.5 years and numbers are still up

Hi NewMe,

Not sure which Centre you went through in Ontario but you can see from my signature line I went through Toronto Western Hospital. I was told by one of the NPs at TWH that my Ferritin of 4 was normal. In fact I have it in an email from her.

I can tell you that I felt like death. I truly had no idea what was wrong with me and I thought I was a walking Zombie. I put my trust in the NPs, Dieticians etc at TWH Bariatric Centre and for MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE it has been less than stellar considering they are a "Centre of Excellence." But I digress...

I was so shocked after I consulted with all the Vets on here that told me to RUN and get an iron infusion STAT as a ferritin of 4 is quite deadly, I mean would the NP get worried if I hit zero? There is not a whole hell of a lot of room to go down from 4 to zero for crying out loud. In fact I have in the email from the NP to just double up on my iron pills. I was already taking 2 Proferrin daily and nothing worked. Some of us just don't absorb iron orally no matter how much we take.

So here is what you need to do. You can either go back to the NP and demand you get an iron infusion. Don't let her jerk you around that its costly (OHIP pays for it), that's its painful (I have had five infusions and NOT one hurt!!) or that its not needed. It is NEEDED.

I menstrate very heavy each month and so I keep my Ferritin around 200 and that is the only way I feel "normal." If you don't menstrate then a Ferritin of 80-100 would be fine. 4 is totally and completely unacceptable. I know a lot of the Vets here say that a Ferritin under 50 should be getting iron infusions.

If the NP at your Centre won't listen to you go to your family doc, request a referral to a hematologist STAT and explain and due to Malabsoprtion and you don't clearly absorb oral iron this is really critical.

And once you get your Ferritin back up, it might take one or two infusions than you can either try to keep it up with oral pills or the Iron Patch from Patch MD. I use the iron patch. I had blood done two weeks ago and my Ferritn is at 193 which I am happy about. I do plan on adding in an oral pill and I know a lot of the USA folks like to use "Vitron-C High Potency Iron Supplements," we can get them from Amazon.ca (I looked). They have vitamin C already built into the tablet so you don't need to take extra Vit C.

You could also take Proferrin, its a heme iron, they are the best for those of us who have had WLS. Heme iron pills tend to be more pricey but they work the best. You should take an extra Vit C pill with that.

And last but not least, if you do in the future take an oral iron pill note coffee & tea affect the absorption a lot, you need to not drink coffee/tea a few hours before and after you take the Iron pill. Its best to take it at night and let it absorb while you are sleeping. You also can't take your calcium pills and iron pills at the same time.

Google Low Ferritin Iron Deficiency or Iron Deficiency Anemia or Symptoms of Ferritin Deficiency, I bet you have all if not most of the symptoms. It sucks and you need treatment ASAP.

This is your health and you need to take charge, best of luck!

By the way I am working on writing a letter to the head of the Bariatric Centre at TWH as I am putting in a formal complaint about my care I have had there. I got copies of all my blood work from the last four years and let's just say there were things there in my blood work results that the Lab noted as severe alerts that was never shared with me and also with the NP telling me a Ferritin of 4 is fine, this is in fact dangerous practice and she is putting patients health at risk.