Question for those who are anemic

Hi Nanners,
Sorry you're feeling so worn out. I was really anemic too and I wasn't absorbing the oral iron. I did the IV infusions of iron - once a week for 8 weeks. After the 6th or 7th infusion, I felt so much better! Before, I would get winded when I just stood up and walked around the house. Now I'm back to doing yoga! I'm not sure if there is a shot you can do at home, but I highly recommend the infusion - they're expensive though. Mine were done at the infusion center at the hospital and each one was about $2300. That totaled over $18,000! Thank goodness I have decent insurance.

Good luck to you :)

Nanners, I am borderline anemic and my GI wants me to start oral Iron. I'm hesitant to because I suffer from occasional constipation. He recommended a brand called Slow FE. He said it is supposed to be very gentle on the system. Have you tried this? Just a suggestion.

Can't even do the multi-vitamins as they upset my delicate little gut too. Julie, I have heard of the slow-fe, but anything oral just seems to tear up my insides something fierce, so I am even scared to try that. I wish there was a way that they could give me an iron shot, instead of something orally. I was hoping someone would know if there was such as thing as a iron shot. I knew about the IV infusions, but didn't know you had to do so many to get relief. Heavy sigh!!!!

Yes, there are iron shots. I got them weekly for 10 weeks once but they didn't do much, and they really hurt. Ask your doc about Venofer IV infusion.

I have iron infusions - my GI sent me to a hematologist who does them in their infusion center.

I LOVE them. Easy, painless, and I felt better within a few days.

Back in 2004 before I knew I had crohn's (before I was having HUGE stomach issues) I was so severely anemic that at my lowest point my hemaglobin was 5.6 (11-13 being "normal"). I had tried several oral iron supplements. At one point I was up to like 1200mg a day by pill...YUCK!! I finally got a 1 time IV treatment that was 5 hours long (1 hour "test" infusion then as long as no reaction within that hour they started the 4 hour infusion). It helped boost my level back up to like 11 within 2 weeks and I was better able to maintain it with diet and pills. In 2006 I got a 5 week round of IV infusions (1 hour each I think) when I was at my worst with crohn's and that also helped bring it back up from 7 to 13 over that 5 week period. It was a bigger pain in the butt cause it took 5 weeks but still worked.

GOODLUCK!

most docs will recommend a ferrous sulfate form of iron. slow fe is one. i took this many many years ago as i was initially diagnosed via anemia. this form of iron does constipate you. so i recommend NOT taking it. there are other brands out there that are non-constipating. but to get them you have to go to a health food store or order them on-line as the constipating kinds, which are cheap, are sold at the drug stores. they're also synthetic iron in most cases.

i'm also dealing with anemia. basically low iron store levels. my blood work comes back good now, but the iron stores/saturation rate are low. right now the iron supplement i am taking is called gentle iron by solgar. it is in the form of iron bisglycinate. 25 mg per capsule. my hematologist has me taking 3 per day. it is non constipating and is sugar and starch free. i have no problems with it. does not bother my system. the dosage for the amount of iron is different from ferrous sulfate and the form in the solgar iron pills i take. so talk to your doc to get the equivalency so you know how many to take.

you can get iron naturally through food - increase your consumption of dark leafy greens, eat more red meat (cooked no more than medium rare) and try liver.

getting your iron levels up will take time. be patient.

The most easily absorbed form of iron is heme iron from red meat. You may not get enough from that source if your digestion is impaired, so I would suggest blood sausage. It is not to everyone's taste, but it should help the iron problem without the need for infusions (and a lot cheaper).