Low Iron Woes

[gpmed 623]

I'm close to one year out from RNY and the past few months, I've been feeling really tired and lightheaded. I kept brushing it off and thinking it was something else, like I had a touch of a cold or needed to double down on Protein.

At my six-month visit with my bariatric clinic, they did bloodwork and my Iron saturation was low (10 percent). Right after I got the results, I messaged them through their patient portal and the fill-in nurse acted unconcerned and blew me off. My PCP recommended I start taking Iron supplements (my surgeon told me to stop taking them two weeks after surgery because they were upsetting my stomach). I called my nutritionist and was at least able to get a recommendation for another formula to take that's easier on the stomach. I started taking it once a day.

Fast forward through months of feeling like crap. I was feeling tired and kind of foggy last Tuesday afternoon, but pushed myself to do my BodyStep class anyway. I ended up falling and spraining my ankle. Swelling has gone down, but still hurts. I also still have a knot and bruising on my lower back where I hit the step.

I called the bariatric clinic and thankfully the regular nurse is back. She's sure I'm feeling bad because my iron is low and told me my surgeon recommends taking iron three times a day with meals when it gets low like that. I started doing that on Thursday and felt better for about a day before I started my period.

For those of you who have dealt with low iron, how long did it take you to feel better? Did you feel worse when you had your period?

[CharlotteKat 90]

You are getting uninformed advice from your clinic. You CANNOT absorb Iron after gastric bypass. If you have had gastric bypass, your duodenum is now bypassed. That's the part of your stomach that absorbs Iron. My doctor sent me to a hematologist and she explained that no amount of supplements will ever raise your iron level because it is impossible to absorb it. She told me that the supplements whether they are pill or liquid are a complete waste of money. The only way to raise your iron level now is having an IV iron infusion.

Red blood cells only live 120 days. With low iron, you are producing less and less red blood cells. If you don't correct this, you are going to become very weak and ill. Your red blood cell deficit will only get worse over time.

Demand a referral to a hematologist as soon as you can!

[WannabeH 114]

My experience with Iron supplements has been positive.

During my surgery I lost 2 units of blood and I had a blood transfusion immediately after surgery.

However my Iron levels were still very low and so as instructed by my doctor I took a course of iron tablets. At my 6 month check up my levels returned to normal.

I now take a Multivitamin as recommended by my doctor which still does include iron, but I no longer require the additional supplement.

I did have the bypass, and I'm almost 9 months post surgery. I would say for many months now I have enjoyed excellent health and on most days my energy levels are very good.

[JulieNOLA 44]

Try Iron Patches. Also you can't take Iron and Calcium within a few hrs of each other. B12 patch would give an energy boost too

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[o00 494]

I was cleared to take slow release Iron post surgery since that's what I had been taking prior to surgery. Makes a huge difference in my energy level.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[manitobamama 10]

Just don't have Calcium when taking Iron pills. Best to take with Vitamin c

manitobamama

[manitobamama 10]

we still have a pouch that will absorb

manitobamama

[gpmed 623]

Thanks for the info, everyone! I'm still doubling down on Iron, but my surgeon actually thinks something else is causing my symptoms. My iron is low, but apparently I'm not anemic. He's having me evaluated for something called POTS, which he says people sometimes develop after RNY.

[CharlotteKat 90]

OK, folks, it seems that no one is comprehending what they did to the part of our stomachs that absorbs Iron. The duodenum is the part of our digestive tract that absorbs Iron. Gastric bypass reroutes food so that it will NEVER pass through the duodenum ever again. This is why iron supplements are a waste of money. You would think that doctors and nurses would know about the duodenum being bypassed, but it appears that many do not know this.

If you look at the picture then you can see that our new stomachs aren't attached to the duodenum anymore.

http://www.women-info.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/obesity-64-gastricbypass.jpg

[WannabeH 114]

Sorry CharlotteKat but Iron supplements are not a waste of money. My Dr has been in the business for 10 years and under his advice my Iron levels have returned to normal by taking iron supplements.< /p>

Please have an open mind. Don't write of people's experiences.

My lab results prove iron supplements work.

Just like our bodies can absorb other supplements.

Where I live we have just gone through winter. For the first time in many years I've had not a cold or a flu. This is also the first year (due to the bypass) I've been methodical about taking supplements.

The are some good informed comments on this thread and they should not be written off.

This is the last thing I say on this thread as I don't want to enter one of those derogatory thread arguments.

[CharlotteKat 90]

WannabeH,

Please don't tell people that Iron supplements work when their ferritin is low. It is irresponsible and science does not support this.

Please tell everyone what your ferritin levels were and NOT what your Iron level was when you started your supplements. These 2 things are not the same thing. You can have a good iron level and poor ferritin level at the same time.

[tmenzia74 0]

I have Iron infusions as needed. I have my labs checked every couple of months to make sure im good.

Sent from my LGMS631 using the BariatricPal App