iron infusion tomorrow

What's it like? How long should I expect to feel better? What should I plan for? How often do most people have to have this done?....

I'm 3 yrs post op gastric bypass. I've always been slightly anemic. Last year my feritin levels began to tank.  I've been trying everything to stabilize my levels but have been unsuccessful.  My iron absorption blood test came back fine.  Eating lots of iron rich foods every day, cooked in cast iron, with citrus, eating lots of vitamin c.....Ive been in bed all week, exhausted, achy and dizzy.

 

I got an infusion just last week...took a couple of hours...they start out with a slow drip to make sure you don't have a reaction to it then speed it up after about 30 minutes...Mine went fine...but I don't feel particularly less anemic...but made my poop very black!

Good luck...

What were your numbers going in?

 

Thanks

Sorry-Actually don't know...I went in for emergency surgery for an unrelated issue and after five days in, they decided I was anemic and gave me an infusion before releasing me...

I had one about a month ago and it took 6 HOURS!  No kidding.  My ferretin was 7 and I forget what my iron was but it wasn't good.  They will retest in January then I see the hematologist after that to see where we go from here.

I've had infusions thanks to renegade periods. They were done in rounds for me. Like three infusion sessions in one week. Seems like it took 2 or 3 hours from check-in to leaving. Bring something to listen to or a (physically) light book to read.
In my hospital, the iron infusions were in the same place as the chemo infusions. Most of the people there were getting chemo.
I think I felt better within an hour of the second infusion.

I've had two iron infusions this year!  Same thing happened to me.  Iron and Ferritin levels were so low and I didn't know until I got so tired that i couldn't even function.  Like keeping my eyes open at any point of the DAY was so very hard.  I couldn't stay awake at work, while driving, while watching my 3 small kids.  It was horrible.  So I saw a Hematologist and sent me right in for an iron infusion.  The first 20 min is fluid.  then another 30 minutes for a test dose.  If you do that well, then it's 6-7 hours after.  So plan to be there for a good 8 hours, is what they tell me.  I brought a big bag of magazines and stuff.