Iron per day?

Just wondering how much iron you consider your daily minimum--if you've been told to track it, or track it on your own.

I notice that MFP automatically gives me a 100 target, and the Unjury Opurity Bypass Multi has 167, and am curious about what is considered optimal for us.

I think this is highly individual.  I'm always battling anemia  (have been for years, before the surgery).  I'm vegetarian, so that is part of the issue... also just the way my body is, I guess.

I take 400% of the RDA of iron every day.  That's iron in a multi, plus three Ironsorbs (each contain 18 mg elemental iron, or 100% RDA).  Even with all of this, my ferritin is still low and my hemoglobin is always just bordering out of range low.  Sigh.  It's frustrating.  My endocrinologist just the other day recommended that I up my Iron intake to 6 ironsorbs a day (which, with my multi, would put me at 700% RDA!)

Most people don't need to take this much iron, though.  I'm just kinda special. ;)

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't  believe we have any malaborption of Iron due to a smaller stomach.  So we shouldn't have to take mega doses, like you do with RNY and DS.  But  do be sure to not take it with calcium at the same time as that will interfere with absorption.  

I can see that being vegetarian would compound the issue.  The only time I was anemic was when I was losing lots of blood due to girly-issues, which were eventually dealt with.  I've been sleeping more lately and am more tired than usual, so it made me start wondering.

Fatigue is definitely a major symptom of anemia... and one that often (at least for me) shows up even when my levels aren't terribly low.

Of course, fatigue is one of those things that can be a symptom for a huge laundry list of ailments. It's frustratingly non-specific, so it's often hard to pinpoint the cause.

My monthly isn't too terribly heavy.  Doctors have never really found a cause, so I think it must just be the lack of iron in my diet and maybe genetics (my mom is often borderline too, and she isn't vegetarian).

It's true.  Fatigue can also be a symptom of depression, which I have.  It's kind of like headaches.  They can be caused by several different things in my case--stress, not enough sleep, sinuses, TMJ. 

So it's always interesting figuring out what the culprit is.

I don't track it- but I did make the error of supplementing it early out without verifying with my labs, thinking that I just should.. so don't do that.. Get your labs checked before you take any additional that doesn't come through diet.. my ferritin was way, way too high after using supplements (Vitalady Tender iron, fab for low ferritin btw!!) for 6mo.. I haven't had and switched to an iron-free multi as I'm trying to use up what I over-stocked. Too much iron stores can be dangerous.

I'm only taking the bariatric multi, nothing beyond that.  I will have labs drawn next month for my six month checkup.  First time they will be drawn since getting sleeved.

I'm wondering if I should have them checked by my PCP now just to make sure that's not why I'm sleeping more.  But I'm probably okay.  I don't know if this means anything but almost five months out and I am not losing hair (knock on wood).

Cool, just make sure you get copies, read them and keep them.. I really am a strong advocate for keeping tabs on your own labs, most Drs even the great ones - don't say anything till you are "out of range" and some ranges are set way too low by the labs (like B12 & D.) So you could be within range on things, but still symptomatic due to low levels..

Thanks for that advice.  I'm kind of a low-energy person anyway, so when I start getting more tired it is hard to tell if it's "real" or just my normal level of sloth!

I hear you, sleeping is one of my favorite pastimes!