Question:
How can a WLS be iron deficient with all the meat we eat now?
Hi All! I see that it can happen by reading some of the posts but I would like to avoid any iron deficiency problems in the future by understanding how it can happen and not have to wait until my 6month bloodwork to find out that I'm deficient.I am 7weeks post-op and I've been taking my vitamins and supplements faithfully everyday and drinking my water but am still feeling tired during the day and DEAD TIRED at night. I wonder if this is the beginnings of iron deficiency for me? It never occurred to me before because of all the meat I eat. Thanks ahead for any help!! Connie — Connie O. (posted on January 18, 2004)
January 18, 2004
My Surgeon recently told me yes...he said that any woman that is still
having a mentral cycle needs to take an iron suppliment. He recommended
that I go buy Vitron C. He said that these are small enough for me to
swallow.
— [Deactivated Member]
January 18, 2004
I was the same way up until 2 months post-op. I took all of my vitamins
religiously. I even bought a liquid b-complex but my energy level was
still low. All of my bloodwork came back normal. I'm almost 5 months out
now and my energy is fine. I think my body just needed more time to adjust
to the surgery.
— Morna B.
January 18, 2004
I continued to see my PCP on a regular basis after surgery. He likes to
check my labs, so mine were done more often than every 6 months! If this is
something you are concerned about, see your regular doctor and explain this
to him. (You might need a B12 level as well as your thyroid hormones
checked.) Too much iron is not a good thing. My PCP recently told me to
only take my iron supplement one week of the month. I also had to cut back
on my B12 early on. Remember that you also have some malabsorbtion going
on, so not everything you eat is being absorbed properly. He also has been
responsible for monitoring mmy B/P and lowering the dosage until I was off
B/P meds.
— koogy
January 18, 2004
3 oz lean roast beef contains 9 % of the rda for iron. since 3 oz is the
most meat I personaly can eat in a sitting and I eat about 6 times a day 9%
x 6meals = 54 % of the rda for a "normal" person. factor in
**MALABSORPTION** after that. I have to supplement 325 mg iron twice daily
plus there is 18 mg iron in each of my 2 multis a day. that totals 686 mg a
day (rda I think is 18 mg for a normal person) this is what I do to not be
anemic. prior to starting the 325 twice a day I was only getting my 36 mg
from my multis plus whatever I got in my diet I was anemic.
— **willow**
January 18, 2004
All the meat we eat now? There are a lot of us that cannot eat much meat
at all. I have days i can't eat any meat. i eat eggs, cheese and cottage
cheese on those days.
— Delores S.
January 18, 2004
The section of our small intestine that was bypassed was the section that
absorbed iron, calcium and B12 best. So now we take supplements to help us
absorb more.
— mrsmyranow
January 18, 2004
I have not felt that way, but I have several friends who have had our
surgery who have. Both of them started taking the B12 tablet daily and
that did the trick for them!
— Suzanna M.
January 19, 2004
One word: MALABSORPTION.
— kultgirl
January 19, 2004
That was the first sign for me and I am not B-12 deficient--my
iron--hemoglobin is low. I couldn't eat spinach or heme-iron--steak, beef,
etc. and I took iron daily under doctor's orders-- seeing a hematologist
soon.
— who A.
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