does anyone know anything about intravenous iron

my doc is going to be putting through this since i cannot absord pill form of iron. my ferretin levl is 9.

Do an OH search above (iron infusion) there are many many posts regarding this. I've had it. You can check my profile if you like, last infusion was Feb and March 07. Last one held well and my iron is stable for now. Do not be afraid of iron ifusion.

"my doc is going to be putting through this since i cannot absord pill form of iron. my ferretin levl is 9." Hi there...I don't have an aswer to your question...but I have a few questions if you don't mind sharing.  I'm trying to get my iron levels up too and I know that in all the efforts I am making to do this orally and with food, that I won't be able to either.  I was wondering how long did your doctor try iron therapy orally before he decided on the infusions?  And what type and how much iron were/are you taking? My doc is giving me two months and I have one more left on my own...my ferritin level was 5.1. Also...do you know what your HGB count was?  Mine is 11.1 and I feel pretty much fine....but from the research I have done, I have found that you really begin to feel it when your HBG is at 8...That is when people can't even stay awake.  I guess I'm doing okay for the last month since I haven't felt terribly tired yet.  How are you holding up?  We're all so different and have different levels of tolerance...I hope you are feeling okay.  The only comfort I can give you is that the infusions seem to help nearly everyone who have had to have them.  Good luck and big hugs... We'll both get through this...so many others do! :) Anita

I had a ferretin level of less than 1 and I had the iv iron.  It was not bad at all.  I went into the office and they hooked me up to an iv.  the 1st dose is very low and watched very close for allergic reaction.  Allergic reaction is a very high risk with iv iron.  But they watch you close for any indication of a reaction.  If you feel anything odd at all let them know.  If all goes well, you will then have your 1st full 1/3 dose.  And then can receive the other two I believe it was 4 days apart.  I had mine a year ago and am still good to go at this point.  My cbc lvls are dropping but not at a drastic rate and I will more than likely have to have another infusion before too long.  I would recommend iv iron to the pill just to save yourself from the clogging that oral iron does.

I started iron infusions last winter.  My ferritin was around 9 and my hemoglobin was 10.  I get a product called Venofer.  It's given over an hour.  But first I get IV Benadryl to avoid any nasty allergic reactions.  I had 2 a week apart and then one about 6 weeks later.  The last one was at 10 weeks which was about 2 weeks too long as I felt horrible.  I see the hematologist next week and hopefully, she will be able to judge a better schedule than 10 weeks.  It was interesting, in that I was taking oral iron, ferrous fumerate after I received the 1st two infusions.  Then she had me stop it.  No difference in my ferritin level.  It still dropped the same as when I was taking the iron.  So I absorb no iron.  Makes me wonder what else I'm not absorbing.  We're going to address that issue next week.

Iron infusions are a pain, but you could do worse. 

 

Lyn

 

In December I finished my six week Iron infusion.  I went once a week for six weeks. Each session took about an hour.   My ferritin was 9 also. It is now in the hundreds.   I go once a month for the doctor to check my blood levels. BUT what brought my levels down and my WC up was I had two bleeding ulcers that I didn't know I had.  Half way thru the treatment they found it. No, the ulcers did not hurt right away but the first time they did I went to my surgeon and he went in and checked and found them so that explained my low iron and everything. Good luck.

I also take Venofer.  I am severely allergic to the other two forms.  I had weekly infusions for 8 weeks and then waited two weeks and then waited a month.  My levels had dropped after a month so we are back to two weeks again.  My bypass surgeon said not to bother with the oral stuff because I wasn't absorbing it.  My ferritin was a 2.

I'm in my 3rd week of Venefor treatment.  I'll tell you what I have noticed: --- the iron secretes in my urine for a minute - I can smell it. --- Always on the 2nd day after tx, I can taste the iron in my mouth - just like the liquid oral iron --- On the 2nd day after tx, I get what feels like a urinary infection -  I knew I wasn't crazy so I started reading a bit.  In the the Staying Young Drs. Oz & Roizen book they say something about the state of low iron protecting the body from infection.  An example was a region afflicted by malaria - some peoples bodies developed low-iron to protected them from the disease.  I was very conflicted about this tx after I read this.  Maybe my body was protecting me from something.  The point is though, I felt like **** with low-iron. So I am eating lots of yogurt and taking cranberry pills to boosten my defense against any bacteria (Yogurt enzymes replace "good bacteria" and the cranberry makes urine very acidic and disallows bad bacteria to enter.  I am also messing with Goldenseal & Echinecea - natural antibiotics). The great news - This week I feel like I am awakening!!!  This is really exciting to be myself again! Make sure that you remain seated after your 1st I.V. as some people have a bad allergic reaction to this treatment.  The reaction is immediate, so it will reveal itself right then and there.  Some people are pumped with Benedryl even before tx begins. All the best, Leila