Treating Celiac Related Anemia While Taking A Ppi - Prevacid

[HavaneseMom]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am wondering if anyone has had success treating their Celiac related Iron Deficiency Anemia while taking a Proton Pump Inhibitor such as Prilosec or Prevacid?

 

I am currently taking Prevacid for GERD and have been taking various PPI's for about 3 years now. I was just recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and am hoping that as my body begins to heal that I will be able to stop taking PPI's completely, but I have only been gluten free for a few weeks and still have lots of GERD issues.

 

I also have moderate anemia and my doctor has recommended that I take either 325 mg of iron, or 65 mg of elemental iron, three times a day. Everything I have read says that PPI's reduce stomach acid and inhibit absorption of iron. My doctor kind of blew me off when I asked him about this and said we could test in a few months to see if I am absorbing the iron. I am wondering if iron supplements will even work in correcting the anemia while I am taking the PPI? I would dive right in and start taking them, but when I have taken iron supplements in the past it has made me very nauseous along with constipation. I'm not sure if I should put my body through taking such high doses of iron if it won't be absorbed anyway?

 

If anyone here has any experience with the situation I would so appreciate any advice or suggestions. The fatigue and brain fog the anemia is causing me is pretty extreme and I want to work at correcting it as quickly as possible.

 

For reference my iron blood test numbers are:

Ferritin: 2 , Iron: 11 , Iron Binding Capacity: 466 , Iron Saturation: 2 , Hemoglobin: 9.2 , Hematocrit: 30.7

They are all out of ideal range, but I don't think they are bad enough for IV iron.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[cyclinglady]

I had iron deficiency anemia.  My last ferritin check came back at 55 (started at 2).  Anemia was how I was diagnosed back at the end of March 2013 for celiac disease  My doc recommended iron taken twice a day.  I took a cautious approach.  I took nothing -- no supplements for a month.  Then I added in the iron taking only one a day with Vit. C at night prior to going to bed and started all the other supplements recommended on this forum for the various deficiencies I had.  That's it.  After another month I haphazardly began taking two (65 mg.) a day.  I'd reduce my dosage if I felt that it was causing constipation.  

 

I'm doing great now.  Back to running after a fractured vertebrae in June doing nothing!  (Get a bone scan!)  My hemoglobin is the best it's ever been (I also have Thalassemia another anemia that does not respond to iron).  I declined several blood transfusions by several doctors.  I decided to be patient.

 

Hopefully, you'll feel more relief in a few weeks and will be able to get off the GERD meds.  

 

Welcome to the board!

 

 

 

Think about slowly adding iron.  You won't absorb all, but at least a little.   Iron is a cheap supplement (esp. at Costco).  Add into your gluten-free diet, iron rich foods (like molasses, I ate it by the spoonful) and cook in cast iron.

[HavaneseMom]

I had iron deficiency anemia.  My last ferritin check came back at 55 (started at 2).  Anemia was how I was diagnosed back at the end of March 2013 for celiac disease  My doc recommended iron taken twice a day.  I took a cautious approach.  I took nothing -- no supplements for a month.  Then I added in the iron taking only one a day with Vit. C at night prior to going to bed and started all the other supplements recommended on this forum for the various deficiencies I had.  That's it.  After another month I haphazardly began taking two (65 mg.) a day.  I'd reduce my dosage if I felt that it was causing constipation.  

 

I'm doing great now.  Back to running after a fractured vertebrae in June doing nothing!  (Get a bone scan!)  My hemoglobin is the best it's ever been (I also have Thalassemia another anemia that does not respond to iron).  I declined several blood transfusions by several doctors.  I decided to be patient.

 

Hopefully, you'll feel more relief in a few weeks and will be able to get off the GERD meds.  

 

Welcome to the board!

 

 

 

Think about slowly adding iron.  You won't absorb all, but at least a little.   Iron is a cheap supplement (esp. at Costco).  Add into your gluten-free diet, iron rich foods (like molasses, I ate it by the spoonful) and cook in cast iron.

Thank you for the great advice cyclinglady!

My anemia was what led to my Celiac diagnosis also. I am more comfortable taking the cautious approach you suggested - and I will try to be patient too. I have been so tired for so long that I want to see instant results, but it sounds like that is not realistic.

I am glad to hear you are doing so great! It is very encouraging. I actually have a Bone Density Scan scheduled for tomorrow. My Vitamin D level came back at 19, so I guess they want to look in to that too. Hopefully all will go well.

I will try the molasses and cast iron too. 

Thanks Again!