Any Anemics Escape Iron Infusions with Oral Iron?

I have never heard  of an iron supplement being made out of anything other than plant based. Do you know how to find out which type of iron I take is? I have been trying to search but I can't find which type of iron it is....I want to see more information about what I am taking. Thanks

I escaped anemia...although I was only slightly anemic.  I started taking repliva, and then found out you can buy the same iron OTC for about 1/4 the price (my prescription plan won't cover repliva).  Anyway, I now take  NOW VITAMIN's IRON COMPLEX , I started off with 150 mg everyday for 21 days and took 7 days off, now I take about 60 mg in the morning on an empty stomach an hour before I eat and before I pop any more suppliments.   My levels came up within 2 months. As for your question, I'm not sure........it would seem that some people just don't aborb oral iron as well as other people....I know even in DS circles, where part of the duodenum (absorbs iron) is left in the digestive track....there are DSers who need transfusions a couple of times a year.  Even amoung the Non WLS people there are people that have to get iron transfusions.  Why?  Have no idea. Good luck to you, hopefully you can get your iron up without a transfusion. Scott

I've been looking into Repliva...and did a search for the ingredients! I went out yesterday and got the final ingredient and am taking the main ones to see if that works out for me at all!  I was already using the same iron (amino-acid chelate)  got the ester-c that is in repliva...(tastes like dirt! Yes, I gotta break up my pills in smaller chunks! I'm a big baby)  Nothing like regular Vitamin C!  But all together I am taking the ingredients in repliva three times a day  in small doses to keep ANY iron in my blood rather than just once or twice a day. I read in reports that it helps to have a continual dose of iron all day.   I'm taking the highest dosage (per day) I can find any doctor recommended at 325mg for anemia)....So....One more month and I'll see how things went.   I have such minor symptoms that it's so hard to tell if I am making any improvements at all.  Last night I could not get warm for hours after getting into bed with a tee shirt and sweat shirt...flannel pants, socks... a heavy comforter and an extra two blankets!  I woke up sweating though!  LOL  These little things make me wonder if I'm getting anywhere at all... I still have doubt, but a there's a spark of hope that thinks I'm going to beat it without radical treatment!  But that's how I got here in the first place....Too much thinking that I am immune to these problems and can fix them myself.  Thanks for the well wishes and sharing!  I was glad to hear repliva helped you!  (There's that hope again! )  :) Hugs Anita

You know perhaps a multi iron approach would help?  I 've talk to michelle (vitalady) at the time when my iron was low and she told me that different irons work in different ways.  Some irons bring up your front  numbers right away, some work on ferritin.   So in severely anemic people, perhaps using 2 different formulation of irons would be useful for you?  I know that her gentle iron is suppose to bring up ferritin, and it tastes ok.   The polyiron is more of an upfront type thing.  I actually bought the poly iron but ended up not using it because the repliva worked for me.   There is another iron I've been told about on the DS forum http://www.coloradobiolabs.com/ apparently this form of iron works well for those with bypasses and DSs because it  is animal protein based and it is absorbed in the last 1/3 of the small intestine. Maybe it's something you want to look into. Scott

Thanks Scott... I am taking two different irons together along with two forms of vitamin C too...(One Iron is Tender Iron from Vitalady) I just wish she warned me about them having calcium in them so I wouldn't have freaked out when I saw that!  But I'm okay with it now that I read the patent's on them :)  They do taste good...I liked what I read about this iron.  I think I started off on TOO many and didn't feel too good at all....I had to gradually bring it up...So I started all over...I let myself fast from Vits a few days and started slowly bringing up the dosage and have felt much better since.  Thanks for that link...That sounds ideal!  I'll certainly look more into it... Anita

i am anemic........take ferro sequals (sp) from walgreens, take 3 1x per day. my endo is content with my levels....why do I see an endo....no bariatric surgeons will see me here since my surgery was done in Boston.....not Memphis......

who knows........................

have a good day,

tabbykat

 

Yep!  I was taking this one too!  Only in another brand Vitron-C...It's a Ferrous Fumarate and is supposed to be absorbable for us WLS peeps!  But this one was a bit harsh on me poor guts! So I had to quit that one for now...and it didn't like the other iron I take either...so we can't have all that fighting going on in my guts!  I got mighty grumpy... Oh well! 

Hi everyone,  You can buy Hematinic Iron by Solgar at any Vitamin Shoppe, if there is one near you.....Or if not, you can any of their products on-line at http:www.vitaminshoppe.com.  It really has been the ONLY kind of iron that I can tolerate, with no constitpation......  Hope this helps!

I never got as far as infusions, but I was very anemic. I do know oppl who've been on infusions, but kept taking orals, just changed types and dose and eventually got OFF infusions.

You might want to talk to ppl here, since many of us are 10+ yrs out now.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

It's hard to climb up on orals and so many docs do not know which irons to use or how many mg to rx for us. That's how most become anemic. Either not launched with iron, or too little, wrong kind. Then it's too little, too late, and wrong kind.

So, yes, it's possible to escape the merry-go-round, but ask some ppl who've done it and STAYED off.

Anita i am so sorry that your level have not come up and you have not been feeling good. For me I have been on every kind of iron pill out there. Even the ones that my sugeron told me to take. But imo no matter what I take . I end up back at the rcc for iron transfusion that imo. Is a quick fix band aid seeing How the last time. I got a total of 12 infusion. Plus took 600 mg of iron. That only lasted only 9 nine months in my system. And I am back in the chair again for two hour infusions three time a week. Plus vit c with my iron pills that are 600 mg of iron. My feritin level was 6 when I started the infusion and now have had a totals of of sick. And my level is back up to only 7.5. Seeing when I finished my infusion nine months ago my level was 250. Ummmmmm who knows maybe my body loves the infusion seeing how they look like car oil lol. I wish you the best of luck and that they can get your levels up again. have a good day and a wonderful nite Taichi.