Carbonyl Iron? - Vitamin Gurus I Would Love Your Response!! Kind-of Long!!
OK I have a question about Iron. My mom is 5.5 years post op & has had very low iron almost from the get-go. She has tried everything that the Doc's have told her to get her Iron up, but it just seems to be getting worse. When I began the pre-op process 8 months ago (I am now 6 weeks post-op), I began reading the posts here on OH about Vitalady Carbonyl Iron & it's benefits to RNY patients. About 3 months ago my mom started taking the Vitalady Tender Iron (60mg) with Vitamin C (400mg) Capsules. Her latest labs about a 1.5 months ago are still low (sorry I don't have the exact numbers right now).
Soooo......today my mom & I went to the bariatric support group at the clinic where we both had our surgeries. The topic was vitamins & deficiencies post-op. Well, when the topic of Iron came up, the physicians assistant, who my mom talked to about changing to carbonyl iron, began talking about the 3 different types of iron (ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate) and said that ferrous gluconate is the preferred iron because it is easier on the stomach & causes less constipation. She then started saying that recently patients (one being my mom) had talked to her about switching to carbonyl iron, so she did a little research on it and said that it is not FDA approved & really is only a food additive not a vitamin, so people should be careful who take carbonyl iron. I was a little shocked by this statement.
Now I have read on OH many times about how much carbonyl iron is better absorbed by RNY patients & how much it has helped people whose iron has been low & no other types of iron have helped except carbonyl. I know that Doc's & PA's are not vitamin experts, so I am looking for some feedback / thoughts from OH members & those of you who have spent countless hours researching vitamins.
Soooo......today my mom & I went to the bariatric support group at the clinic where we both had our surgeries. The topic was vitamins & deficiencies post-op. Well, when the topic of Iron came up, the physicians assistant, who my mom talked to about changing to carbonyl iron, began talking about the 3 different types of iron (ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate) and said that ferrous gluconate is the preferred iron because it is easier on the stomach & causes less constipation. She then started saying that recently patients (one being my mom) had talked to her about switching to carbonyl iron, so she did a little research on it and said that it is not FDA approved & really is only a food additive not a vitamin, so people should be careful who take carbonyl iron. I was a little shocked by this statement.
Now I have read on OH many times about how much carbonyl iron is better absorbed by RNY patients & how much it has helped people whose iron has been low & no other types of iron have helped except carbonyl. I know that Doc's & PA's are not vitamin experts, so I am looking for some feedback / thoughts from OH members & those of you who have spent countless hours researching vitamins.
Mom2Kings
I never heard or read that carbonyl iron is not really iron.
It's my understanding that it is best absorbed, at least better than those other three types of iron.
However, it's also my understanding that heme iron works for some people that seem to have trouble absorbing all other types of iron, which seems to happen to RNY folks occasionally. I think Proferrin is the brand name? Have you checked out Andrea's website? wlsvitagarten, I think is the name?
It's my understanding that it is best absorbed, at least better than those other three types of iron.
However, it's also my understanding that heme iron works for some people that seem to have trouble absorbing all other types of iron, which seems to happen to RNY folks occasionally. I think Proferrin is the brand name? Have you checked out Andrea's website? wlsvitagarten, I think is the name?
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
That is very strange that she is saying that about carbonyl iron. IF that is true why do most surgeons recommend bariatric advantage vitamins and iron. Ummm. Bariatric advantage iron is carbonyl iron.
I was told to take slow fe at first but it made me so constipated I couldn't move.
It was recommended that I take Ferrous Fumarate also. My surgeon tried to me on integra iron and it did not bring my iron up.
INtegra iron is ferrous fumarate and polysachharide iron complex. It has like 125 mg of elemental iron. I took for 3 months. It helped me to maintain my iron levels but never increase my iron. I ended up having 6 weeks of iron infusions.
I think you should look into the bifera or proferrin ES. I can't afford the proferrin ES right now but Andrea says it can be also used. You can also take with a combination with carbonyl iron
Tamara
I was told to take slow fe at first but it made me so constipated I couldn't move.
It was recommended that I take Ferrous Fumarate also. My surgeon tried to me on integra iron and it did not bring my iron up.
INtegra iron is ferrous fumarate and polysachharide iron complex. It has like 125 mg of elemental iron. I took for 3 months. It helped me to maintain my iron levels but never increase my iron. I ended up having 6 weeks of iron infusions.
I think you should look into the bifera or proferrin ES. I can't afford the proferrin ES right now but Andrea says it can be also used. You can also take with a combination with carbonyl iron
Tamara
You might want to PM directly to Andrea U and vitalady about the FDA part but I cant' see how the major vitamin companies including bariatric advantage and the company that makes Feosol - makes a ferrous sulfate and a carbonyl iron could sell then at all pharmacies, walmart and target with no problems.
I wouldnt' trust what the physician assistant told you about the ferrous irons. They get very little info during their medical training on supplementation. Nutrtionists definitely know more. My NUT told me to take either Poly iron, carbonyl iron or heme iron. These are the irons that are the most highly absorbed. Heme is very expensive and carbonyl is only over the counter, so many doctors use Poly iron as a prescription. I found the poly worked well on me but you need a high dose of atleast 150mg, some need 300mg. The problem with most prescription irons is they are usually a combination with vitamin C, folic acid and vitamin B12. There is never enough vitamin C and the B12 is useless for us since it is a pill.
Carbonyl iron is highly absorbed, easy on the stomach and non-constipating. Your mom only took 60mg which probably wasnt enough to get her levels up. My NUT starts all patients on atleast 150mg, so if the capsules are 60mg, you would need to take 3 per day, all at one time and it must be taken atleast 2 hours away from all calcium and thyroid medications. Some people need to take anywhere from 3-5 per day but it does work. For those that really have trouble with absorbtion, they try Proferrin up to 3 per day or a combination of the 2.
the ferrous irons are very difficult to absorb. You need a highly acidic environment in order to absorb those irons and we don't have that. Especially anyone that takes any type of acid reducers or PPI, the ferrous irons won't work. Those that don't take any of these, we tend to not produce much acid after a gastric bypass.
I wouldnt' trust what the physician assistant told you about the ferrous irons. They get very little info during their medical training on supplementation. Nutrtionists definitely know more. My NUT told me to take either Poly iron, carbonyl iron or heme iron. These are the irons that are the most highly absorbed. Heme is very expensive and carbonyl is only over the counter, so many doctors use Poly iron as a prescription. I found the poly worked well on me but you need a high dose of atleast 150mg, some need 300mg. The problem with most prescription irons is they are usually a combination with vitamin C, folic acid and vitamin B12. There is never enough vitamin C and the B12 is useless for us since it is a pill.
Carbonyl iron is highly absorbed, easy on the stomach and non-constipating. Your mom only took 60mg which probably wasnt enough to get her levels up. My NUT starts all patients on atleast 150mg, so if the capsules are 60mg, you would need to take 3 per day, all at one time and it must be taken atleast 2 hours away from all calcium and thyroid medications. Some people need to take anywhere from 3-5 per day but it does work. For those that really have trouble with absorbtion, they try Proferrin up to 3 per day or a combination of the 2.
the ferrous irons are very difficult to absorb. You need a highly acidic environment in order to absorb those irons and we don't have that. Especially anyone that takes any type of acid reducers or PPI, the ferrous irons won't work. Those that don't take any of these, we tend to not produce much acid after a gastric bypass.
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