Iron

Is there any way other than a blood test to tell if you are low on iron?

Look for iron serum. You want that level to be between 80 and 100. Ferritin should be between 200 and 300 but some docs don't believe that. If you're over 100 they are pleased a*****h. Also look at hematocrit; that should be over 36. Hemoglobin should be over 12. (These are the American measures. Canada and Europe use different measures and you can find conversions online.) It would be easiest to say you want all these labs at the top of the stated range.

--gina

Thanks!! I will have labs pulled in early January. In the meantime are there any signs to watch out for if I were low? I want to avoid it and will eat liver daily if I have to!!!

Signs might be exhaustion, easy bruising, and hair loss.  A good supplement available up there is Proferrin. It's like eating liver every day without having to really eat it.   lol

Edited to add: a crazy cravings to eat ice, clay or dirt, ...weird things like that.

 

I love liver!!! You seem to be a wealth of info on vites and supps... I am going to come back to you on that. I want to take the minimum necessary but also would love advice on things like B complex and Zinc and whatever else is really good for you...surgery or no surgery!

I'll be glad to help if I can. I learned from Vitalady so you may see me repeating things she says.

 

Thank you for this post!  Hugs, C

Unfortunately, expect for the pica thing (craving to eat non-food items), most of the  signs of low iron are vague and similar to the signs of low other thing.

I have to laugh at Gina saying that most docs are happy if you have ferritin over 100. IME, most docs are happy if you are within the official range which starts at TWENTY! I know no doc of mine has ever *****ed about my ferritin which started out at 23 and was last at 34. I also know docs who won't give us an iron infusion even if our ferritin is in the single digits. It's insane!