Question:
can we absorb a vitamin iron supplemnt called hematinic plus

my doctor prescribed hematinic plus as a vitamin iron supplement because my blood was at 8 , and my hemacrit was 25 ??? im not sure what this means or how bad it is i could some advice on this matter , and has anyone been prescribed this medicine can we absorb it properly ? and how bad is my blood level i have been very lazy lately and everyone says i look haggard ! LOL any advice is appreciated thanks angela    — angela J. (posted on May 10, 2005)

May 10, 2005
Angela, Our bodies don't absorb much of ANYTHING well after this surgery. That is what some of our doctors FORGET to tell us! I just went thru an AWEFUL bout with my hemoglobin AND ferritin levels and have posted on my site what it was that I had to go thru! Your hemoglobin being at 8 is DANGEROUS and don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Mine went down to SIX and I had to have a FOUR pint blood transfusion! DON'T and I will repeat DON'T wait on your body to absorb ANYTHING! TELL your doctor, no wait DEMAND to your doctor that you would rather have what is called Iron IV's! They are not painful but will return both your hemoglobin levels as well as your stored iron levels back to a more normal range faster and that is what gastric bypass patients need! It can take a "normal" person's body up to 3 months to absorb iron into their blood streams. I recently found out it takes a gastric bypass patients OVER six! At that rate your levels would or could bottom out! I'm not telling you this to scare you or anything, but only to get you to tell your doctor what you know is good for you! I hope this little bit helps you out! If you would like to contact me thru direct e-mail about this it is [email protected].
   — Carole M.

May 11, 2005
Building on Carole's points, I'd suggest you get a second opinion from a hematologist (blood specialist), preferrably one with some familiarity with the malabsorption consequences of your weight-loss surgery. I have good docs, but it was like pulling teeth to even get them to test my ferritin, to get them to double my iron pills when it was found to be in the low end of the "normal" range (which is huge) so that I could *avoid* being in your predicament. In retrospect I wish I'd just gone to a hematologist instead of enduring a lot of bemused looks from doctors who didn't appreciate what a smart move it is to cut this problem off *before* you get anemic. Many of them wait until you are flat-out ill (and off the lab's "normal" charts) before acting, and that's just totally unnecessary.
   — Suzy C.

May 11, 2005
I had a very bad situation where I passed out twice and broke my ribs - twice within a 6 week period. Went to the ER and then followed up with my primary care doctor, who is very well informed and familiar with the needs of gastric by pass patients. He put me on the same supplement because my blood level was even lower than yours. It took a few months and he regularly tested my blood but I am back to normal. I also looked haggard and could barely move. I hope that you are feeling better soon!
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 11, 2005
It might work for you, might not. Be sure to apply the iron rules to any iron you take, even if you are able to do iron shots or IV. However, I hate to see anyone rush into IV iron is there is still a chance with orals and maybe trial and error to get the one that's right for you. Iron rules: iron is taken with vit C, not with dairy, caffeine, whole grains, eggs, other meds, vites or minerals. They need to be alone together for an hour. What are your iron and ferritin levels?
   — vitalady