A Kinder, Gentler Iron Supplement?

[marciab]

ChelsE,

I'm really disappointed that your doc isn't going to order an iron iv for you. But, you have a lot of good ideas for iron loading.

At my pre-op this morning the nurse told me to use a cast iron skillet for cooking my meat in. She said that you will pick up some iron from the skillet. Sounds weird, but I bought one while I was out anyways.

And, my B12 was 286. My doc said that although the norm is 200 - 1100 a lot of people have problems unless their number are apprx. 500 . It says on my lab work "Although the preference range for B12 is 200 - 1100, it has been reported that 5 - 10% of patients with values between 200 and 400 may experience nueropsychiatric and hematologic abnormalities due to occult b12 deficiencies. "

She made sure that I got a shot of B12 before I left the office. And I wasn't acting nuts I'm going to start using the sublingual B12. I hope it is safe for sensitive tummies.

Oh, and I don't have a copy of what my ferritin was when my doctor ordered the iron iv for me. I was too weak to think of it back then. But it is an 8 now. My report doesn't talk about iron binding capacity. Sorry I can't help with that.

Marcia

[penguin]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record--I'd bet that when you do go off gluten completely again, your levels will improve

I'm certain it will

Come on August 21st!

Although, I must say that I'm enjoying being able to eat fast food and flour tortillas, even if I am in the bathroom an hour after

I'm not enjoying the return of classic symptoms, but meh, maybe I'll get a good biopsy out of it.

On the upside, my mom is increasingly convinced that I have celiac (and that my sister needs to be tested).

ChelsE,

I'm really disappointed that your doc isn't going to order an iron iv for you. But, you have a lot of good ideas for iron loading.

At my pre-op this morning the nurse told me to use a cast iron skillet for cooking my meat in. She said that you will pick up some iron from the skillet. Sounds weird, but I bought one while I was out anyways.

And, my B12 was 286. My doc said that although the norm is 200 - 1100 a lot of people have problems unless their number are apprx. 500 . It says on my lab work "Although the preference range for B12 is 200 - 1100, it has been reported that 5 - 10% of patients with values between 200 and 400 may experience nueropsychiatric and hematologic abnormalities due to occult b12 deficiencies. "

She made sure that I got a shot of B12 before I left the office. And I wasn't acting nuts I'm going to start using the sublingual B12. I hope it is safe for sensitive tummies.

Oh, and I don't have a copy of what my ferritin was when my doctor ordered the iron iv for me. I was too weak to think of it back then. But it is an 8 now. My report doesn't talk about iron binding capacity. Sorry I can't help with that.

Marcia

I've heard that about the cast iron skillets too, I'm going to have to cook in mine more often!

I was thinking the same thing about the B-12 levels. With a range that huge, the normal levels on close to the end range on either end can't mean much! That must be why Red Bull makes me feel so much better, it's got tons of B vitamins.

I get the bloodwork re-done in 6 weeks. I imagine if it hasn't gotten better, or if it's gotten worse, they'll do something more drastic. The only value that really bugs me is that my iron saturation is 4. Sheesh, I wonder if my blood is even red at this point

[acousticmom]

My dr. gave me Niferex last month (ferritin = 11). I can handle it once or twice a week at most if I drink lots of water every day. I took Freeda Quintabs-M for a few months before that, and it didn't have any effect on the ferritin levels. Maybe it was a less absorbable form of iron, or maybe I had malabsorption issues (went gluten-free in Feb., but don't know for sure whether gluten is a problem; other food intolerances definitely are).

Does anyone know if it's worthwhile to take Niferex only once or twice a week? I know I need to ask my dr. about it, but I don't think much of him so I've been putting it off.

Carol