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Iron supplements vs. infusion

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/7/2011 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
For those of you who have had to deal with a low RBC count due to iron-deficient anemia, how long did it take for your RBC count to go up after starting oral supplements and what dosage did you take?

I just started taking iron (1, 65 mg pill/day) about a week and a half ago and because my RBC count was unchanged this week, my doctor wants me to see a hematologist about possibly getting an iron infusion. I know that it takes a while after starting the pills to see an effect, so I'm just wondering how long might be reasonable to wait to see a change.
Posted 4/7/2011 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
The first time I was hospitalized, I had 2 units of blood plus an iron transfusion before I was discharged. My levels were still borderline when I left, and it took MONTHS of iron pills to get back to normal ranges.

The second time, i didn't end up with the transfusions, but they had me on double dose of iron pills, and again, it was probably a good 3-4 months before my levels were acceptable.

Now he just has me stay on them all the time. I take slow fe-I think it is 45mg for a single dose, which doesn't bother my system at all. Plus I am pregnant, so I figure it is a good plan.

It takes a while. You will definitely get a quicker boost after a transfusion, but it still isn't an instant fix. I still needed pills for a long while after the transfusion. Good luck-I hope those levels start to change soon!!!
Posted 4/7/2011 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
The infusions are meant to work more quickly, but it also depends on how low your iron is. It is my understanding that the iron tablets are not a good idea for UCer's. Given the choice, I would go with the infusions.
Posted 4/7/2011 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
You should be taking much more iron than your current dose- I had wacky labs for months, & my GI finally sent me to a hematologist. She recommended infusions, but I wanted to give oral supplements a try. So she put me on 2 325mg tabs a day, plus a Vitamin D. I'm taking those for 3 months, then getting labs done & meeting with the hematologist again. I'm not feeling as good as I'd hoped, I think to build up iron stores, oral supplements just aren't that effective. I'm expecting the infusions, at some point. I'm tired of feeling burnt out & crappy... Waah! sad
Posted 4/7/2011 8:05 PM (GMT 0)
I have a Venofer infusion every 5 weeks as soon as my bag of Remicade is finished. It has done a good job of raising my iron levels and the nurse just injects it slowly through the IV line.
Posted 4/7/2011 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
I took iron suppliments for a wile but they made me naucous so I stopped for now. My iron went from 90 down to 14.  I may ask about iron shots next before doing an infusion.

Posted 4/11/2011 2:42 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for your helpful posts. I was kind of freaked out by the idea of infusions because new things equate to high anxiety for me still, but now that I've had some time to process this, I think it could be a good thing. All of my other bloodwork is back to normal, so we just need to get those RBCs going and the sooner the better! I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow, so hopefully within the next week or so, we can figure out what the next step is.
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