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Iron infusion?

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Posted 4/4/2022 6:51 AM (GMT -5)
Hi everyone, I hope everyone is doing well. I just had a question about blood work. I have been low in iron and anemic for over ten years. I take ferrous sulfate twice a day but still my ferritin is only 10. My doctor said that I could get an iron infusion, has anyone ever had this done before? Thank you!
Posted 4/4/2022 9:24 AM (GMT -5)
Have you/your doctors looked into why your ferritin level is so low?

My son had low ferritin - even after supplementing and it turned out he had celiac disease.

Have you been tested for celiac?
Posted 4/4/2022 10:04 AM (GMT -5)
Hi girlie, I do have uterine fibroids and my cycle is really heavy plus I do not eat red meat. I think I read once either Lyme or parasites can cause low iron too. Thanks for your reply!
Posted 4/4/2022 10:16 AM (GMT -5)

CalmLittleBuddha said...
Hi girlie, I do have uterine fibroids and my cycle is really heavy plus I do not eat red meat. I think I read once either Lyme or parasites can cause low iron too. Thanks for your reply!

Awww…sorry to hear that.
Posted 4/4/2022 11:48 AM (GMT -5)
high monthly blood loss and no red meat in the diet will be enough to give you low iron levels to the point of anaemia

ionic/mineral sources of iron are not well absorbed - so that explains why it made no difference

red meat is the best source - organ meats like liver, heart, kidney are the best - a small amount of those each day - like 1-2oz would be enough
Posted 4/4/2022 12:03 PM (GMT -5)
I don't have experience with iron infusions, but I do have experience with heavy menstruation, low ferratin, and anemia. Maybe you know all these suggestions already, but just in case:

If you are vegetarian, then you could consider the soy-based Impossible brand burgers as a source of heme iron. They use a synthetic form of heme iron, which is the only non-animal source of heme iron, and it's proprietary to the company. Heme iron is thought to absorb better than non-heme iron.

Floravital and floradix are liquid iron supplements with a good track record of iron absorption for people with heavy menstruation.

Another supplement option that comes to mind is ferrochel, which is chelated iron. (Chelation is a process that binds the iron molecules to an amino acid, so your body recognizes it as food and is more likely to absorb it.) It might absorb better than ferrous sulfate.

Finally, make sure that you also have plenty of vitamin C and B12 in your system at the time you consume iron, and make sure that you do not have any calcium in your system. Your body will absorb the calcium and not the iron, if both are present. This can be tricky.
Posted 4/4/2022 1:30 PM (GMT -5)
The liquid iron supplement that Saraeli mentioned is what we fed our son when he was very low and I also used it when I was borderline low.

https://www.vitamart.ca/salus-floradix-formula?msclkid=13734389e46b1557815b21c2d933a992&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping%20%7c%20brand:%20salus&utm_term=4580840330580642&utm_content=salus
Posted 4/4/2022 4:23 PM (GMT -5)
Thank you so much everyone for the advice. Maybe I will start will the liquid iron and see how that goes. Saraeli, have you done anything to treat your heavy bleeding? I have had to fibroid embolisms but I do not think this last one worked. Thank you all again!
Posted 4/4/2022 5:11 PM (GMT -5)
CLB, I do not have fibroids (as far as I know) but I am sorry to hear that you are struggling with those. I have bled heavily my whole life, but I can say the bleeding was much heavier and brighter red when I was on the Buhner protocol. This made me somewhat more conscious of the blood-thinning properties of various supplements. The blood loss didn't start making me anemic until the past few years, though, so perhaps infections or other chronic illness processes are contributing. My system does not tolerate hormonal contraception well, which is what mainstream doctors have recommended. A Lyme-literate functional medicine gynecologist diagnosed severe hormone imbalances and HPA axis dysfunction, but treating that (chaste tree extract, adaptogens, yoga, sleep, stress management, etc.) has only led to a modest improvement. I think the blood loss has slowed down a little as I inch closer to perimenopause, but it's still a lot. (The Diva Cup makes it very easy to measure exactly how much fluid I'm losing.) I just plan not to leave the house for a few days every cycle, and try to supplement C, B12, and iron as much as I can. My periods got much lighter when I was consuming a lot of stevia, but I wasn't comfortable with my hormone levels being reduced in general, so I backed off on the stevia. Sorry I don't have any good suggestions!

Have you considered a uterine ablation? Do hormonal contraception treatments work for you at all?
Posted 4/4/2022 6:25 PM (GMT -5)
Thank you Saraeli, I am sorry you are dealing with this issue too! It’s hate when you try a lot of treatment options but only get minimal results. I have aura migraines so I avoid birth control. I have not heard of uterine ablation but have had two embolisms, the first one worked for a few years this past one did not. I am going to try that liquid iron you suggested. Thanks again!
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