Question:
Carbonyl Iron supplements vs Ferrous Sulfate

This is not a question really but a huge THANK YOU to those who have taken the time to post questions about the types of iron supplements (and every other supplement!) we should be taking. I especially want to thank Michelle (Vitalady)! A wealth of knowledge that she's been kind enough to share with the rest of us! I was horribly anemic, my primary care physician kept giving me ferrous sulfate for 3.5 years and no change. I slipped to 8.1 hemoglobin last October and still he said nothing more than "take more iron". I was crashing all over the place, my levels across the board were falling and then it affected my heart. It was working too hard to make my body function "normally" under the strain of deficiencies. I was in and out of the hospital and working with 5 doctors, 2 of them cardiology specialists trying to figure out what was wrong with my heart. It all came back to severe anemia and other deficiencies. So I came here for advice and support and found it. You guys are awesome!! I found out we don't absorb ferrous sulfate plus the "rules of iron" (none of my Dr's knew that) and one of the forms of iron I read about was carbonyl iron. I tried it and guess what!?! My hematologist told me today that I'm up to 10.9 in just 4 weeks! I haven't seen the "10's" in years! THANK YOU ALL !! This is what it's all about, helping each other. You may not think your question or suggestion will actually help someone but it did! :) Stephanie    — Stephanie D. (posted on September 9, 2004)

September 9, 2004
I am really surprise they didn't give you an iron infusion with that low iron levels. Everytime my iron goes below 10 I get an iron infusion. I am really surprise your surgeon who did your surgery didn't know what the problem was either. Just my thought.
   — Sharon T.

September 9, 2004
Thank you for posting. Since no one has heard of the carbonyl form, everyone is afraid to try it. It's cheap, they're small and they don't even taste bad, but they work miracles, as they did for us. We were taking 1000mg/mo of expensive Rx irons, separating them, etc, and watching our levels drop. We used these figuring what did we have to lose and the levels started to rise (much more slowly than yours) and eventually, we had excellent iron levels. I can't take anything in this tummy (even before WLS) and the very WORD "iron" made me constipated, and these didn't make any noticable difference. They are my personal first choice to take because they're so gentle. I appreciate you posting, because iron deficiency is almost guaranteed in our population (regardless of gender or age) and it's good for people to know there is still hope in a cheap pill.
   — vitalady

September 10, 2004
I just want to second this! at 3 months out I was becoming anemic, my surgeon put me on iron, ferrous sulfate, (Just over the counter iron) and at 6 months my iron level was less than it was at 3 months post op. and that was taking the iron 2x's a day. <br><br> After reading on this site about the Carbonyl iron, I picked up a box of it (it seems to be popping up in more and more stores, I usually get it at CVS or Walmart) and have been taking it for the last month. I notice a difference in my energy level, like I actually <b>have some energy</b>, I get labs done next week, (9 month follow up visit) so I will know for sure just how much it changed my numbers. I am sure my surgeon's office will learn all about how well carbonyl iron works better for us after that. hee hee. <br><br> I do have to say, that it frustrates me that my surgeon or her nurse, or anyone in that office never brought up the different kinds of iron. They just let me languish for months feeling horrible, crappy and having no energy. They are the ones that should be staying up to date on this stuff. It kinda makes me mad that I have to research and find out how to help myself on my own. Thankfully, this site is such a wonderful source of information!
   — Patricia T.