Re: Anemia and my iron infusion-Jane &

[Guest guest]

I was just wondering - I was anemic and my doctor put me on 6-8 iron supplement

tablets per day - I had to build up to them gradually, but that's what I took

over a period of about six to eight months. My levels finally came up and I

" normalized " but it's a constant struggle. I'm still taking 3 tablets per day.

My doctors feel my anemia is caused more by a uterine fibroid tumor and

excessive bleeding than by my surgery. Funny - my iron levels were consistent

until I lost 100 pounds and then they took a major dive - at the same time that

I started having really heavy mentral cycles.

Rancho Cucumonga

1/12/2004

247/143/165

(high;lowest;currently)

O'Neill <threedognitemare@...> wrote:

I was tired- and my ice cravings were really getting out of control. I

went

to the emergency room one nite because my I felt like I couldn't get enough

air. At that time I had just been to my doctor about a week or two prior-

and he had checked my blood and put me on two iron pills a day. My iron

deficiency definitely took a long time to get to this point- I was running a

low grade fever for about a month- at work I was shakey and dizzy. I would

try to take the stairs for exercise- if I went up one flight of stairs I was

totally out of breath- my head felt like it was going to explode and legs

were achy. I told my husband it was like running a short distance while

holding your breath- your head feels like it will explode.

Yes, getting up, taking a shower, drying my hair and getting dressed to go

to work- and I felt like I was ready for a nap- not to drive 40 min to get

to work. At the ER they said my hemoglobin was 8.4, my doctor's test said it

was 9- either way I was in bad shape. My regular doc wanted to give me a

blood transfusion, but decided to just send me to a hematologist and let him

decide the best treatment.

The hematologist took my blood and got the results back about 5 min later.

He had all of my blood work in front of him and said that taking the oral

iron wasn't making any difference since I had been doing that for about 3

weeks and his test still had my hemoglobin at 9. He scheduled the infusion.

He also told me not to worry about taking iron pills since it was obvious it

wasn't doing anything. He told me the iron infusions would be a lifelong

thing and that I would need to come back to him every 4 months to get my

blood checked and as soon as it starts going down- they will give me an

infusion- he says they will fix it before it breaks.

I wasn't even able to work for the week before my infusion because I was so

tired and I was afaid of driving to work- it was 40 min away and I would be

so dizzy and shakey I didn't know if I would be able to drive myself home.

Immediately after my infusion I felt no different. I was grateful not to

have side effects- but within 24 hours I was feeling really nausious. But

that went away in a few hours. Then I just felt really run down and tired

for a good week after the infusion. One of the side effects- probably what I

had- is flu like symptoms that can last up to a week. But then I started

feeling better and was even walking 2 miles in the evening after work- a

short 2 1/2 weeks after the infusion. This past week I have felt bad again,

because of my period- really run down and tired- for the whole week, but now

I am feeling better again.

Being really anemic can mess up a lot in your body- it can make any other

problem worse- so it is definitely something to keep an eye on- originally

my doc said he would see how I responded to 2 iron pills a day for a month-

then re-check my blood- I didn't make it a month I was in the emergency room

about a week or two later- let your doctor know that this is a common

problem with gastric bypass and hopefully he will send you to a hemotologist

now- then you can start getting better.

Hope this helps

>From: " Jane Brenton " <janebrenton@...>

>Reply-

>< >

>Subject: Re: Anemia and my iron infusion

>Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 08:44:55 -0500

>

>,

>

>Please tell me about some of the problems you were having before you got

>the infusion.

>I recently was diagnosed with very low red blood counts, and the doctor

>started me on iron supplements.

>

>I stay exhausted. It takes just about everything in me to just get up and

>move every morning.

> And by early afternoon I am so wiped out that I have to take a nap. Days

>that I have to go to court (10 hour+ days) put me in bed the next day and

>sometimes for two days.

>I stay nauseated and don't feel like eating.

>

>Does any of this sound like what you went through? How did the doctor

>decide to try the infusion?

>The hemotologist I went to said that taking more iron supplements should

>bring my red blood count back in line.

>After 2 months of taking the increased iron supplements, he may consider

>the infusion.

>

>You indicated that for a week after the infusion you felt like you had been

>hit by a truck... I hate to be dense, but could you be a bit more

>descriptive because if I am going to have an infusion? I will need to plan

>my work schedule so that I

>won't be in court for several days in a row if I am going to be out of

>commission.

>

>After the infusion does taking the supplements keep you perky? Are will

>you have to have infusions on a regular basis?

>

>Thanks for hearing me out,

>

>Jane Brenton

>Dover TN

>5-17-02

>311/141/152

>Dr. R.

> Anemia and my iron infusion

>

>

> Hi,

>

> An update on my iron- my doc originally wanted to give me a blood

> transfusion but opted to send me to a hematologist who decided the iron

> infusion was what I needed. I has been almost a month and I am feeling a

>lot

> better. I felt like I had been hit by a truck for about the first week

>after

> the infusion and then I started to feel better. Definitely stay on top

>of

> your iron- and don't let it get really low- it really messes up your

>body.

>

>

>

> Dr. R 07/01/03

> 222/147

>

> __________________________________________________________

> http://liveearth.msn.com

>

>

>

>

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------------

>

>

> No virus found in this incoming message.

> Checked by AVG Free Edition.

> Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.14/885 - Release Date: 7/3/2007

>10:02 AM

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>

>

[Guest guest]

Oh my goodness , I remember you I was supposed to have my surgery

the same day you did.. but I had to cancel. Your stats look great though!

Congrats!

Suzanne in CA

2/11/04 Dr P - Rancho

236/119

Wendell <vikwendell@...> wrote:

I was just wondering - I was anemic and my doctor put me on 6-8 iron

supplement tablets per day - I had to build up to them gradually, but that's

what I took over a period of about six to eight months. My levels finally came

up and I " normalized " but it's a constant struggle. I'm still taking 3 tablets

per day. My doctors feel my anemia is caused more by a uterine fibroid tumor and

excessive bleeding than by my surgery. Funny - my iron levels were consistent

until I lost 100 pounds and then they took a major dive - at the same time that

I started having really heavy mentral cycles.

Rancho Cucumonga

1/12/2004

247/143/165

(high;lowest;currently)

O'Neill <threedognitemare@...> wrote:

I was tired- and my ice cravings were really getting out of control. I went

to the emergency room one nite because my I felt like I couldn't get enough

air. At that time I had just been to my doctor about a week or two prior-

and he had checked my blood and put me on two iron pills a day. My iron

deficiency definitely took a long time to get to this point- I was running a

low grade fever for about a month- at work I was shakey and dizzy. I would

try to take the stairs for exercise- if I went up one flight of stairs I was

totally out of breath- my head felt like it was going to explode and legs

were achy. I told my husband it was like running a short distance while

holding your breath- your head feels like it will explode.

Yes, getting up, taking a shower, drying my hair and getting dressed to go

to work- and I felt like I was ready for a nap- not to drive 40 min to get

to work. At the ER they said my hemoglobin was 8.4, my doctor's test said it

was 9- either way I was in bad shape. My regular doc wanted to give me a

blood transfusion, but decided to just send me to a hematologist and let him

decide the best treatment.

The hematologist took my blood and got the results back about 5 min later.

He had all of my blood work in front of him and said that taking the oral

iron wasn't making any difference since I had been doing that for about 3

weeks and his test still had my hemoglobin at 9. He scheduled the infusion.

He also told me not to worry about taking iron pills since it was obvious it

wasn't doing anything. He told me the iron infusions would be a lifelong

thing and that I would need to come back to him every 4 months to get my

blood checked and as soon as it starts going down- they will give me an

infusion- he says they will fix it before it breaks.

I wasn't even able to work for the week before my infusion because I was so

tired and I was afaid of driving to work- it was 40 min away and I would be

so dizzy and shakey I didn't know if I would be able to drive myself home.

Immediately after my infusion I felt no different. I was grateful not to

have side effects- but within 24 hours I was feeling really nausious. But

that went away in a few hours. Then I just felt really run down and tired

for a good week after the infusion. One of the side effects- probably what I

had- is flu like symptoms that can last up to a week. But then I started

feeling better and was even walking 2 miles in the evening after work- a

short 2 1/2 weeks after the infusion. This past week I have felt bad again,

because of my period- really run down and tired- for the whole week, but now

I am feeling better again.

Being really anemic can mess up a lot in your body- it can make any other

problem worse- so it is definitely something to keep an eye on- originally

my doc said he would see how I responded to 2 iron pills a day for a month-

then re-check my blood- I didn't make it a month I was in the emergency room

about a week or two later- let your doctor know that this is a common

problem with gastric bypass and hopefully he will send you to a hemotologist

now- then you can start getting better.

Hope this helps

>From: " Jane Brenton " <janebrenton@...>

>Reply-

>< >

>Subject: Re: Anemia and my iron infusion

>Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 08:44:55 -0500

>

>,

>

>Please tell me about some of the problems you were having before you got

>the infusion.

>I recently was diagnosed with very low red blood counts, and the doctor

>started me on iron supplements.

>

>I stay exhausted. It takes just about everything in me to just get up and

>move every morning.

> And by early afternoon I am so wiped out that I have to take a nap. Days

>that I have to go to court (10 hour+ days) put me in bed the next day and

>sometimes for two days.

>I stay nauseated and don't feel like eating.

>

>Does any of this sound like what you went through? How did the doctor

>decide to try the infusion?

>The hemotologist I went to said that taking more iron supplements should

>bring my red blood count back in line.

>After 2 months of taking the increased iron supplements, he may consider

>the infusion.

>

>You indicated that for a week after the infusion you felt like you had been

>hit by a truck... I hate to be dense, but could you be a bit more

>descriptive because if I am going to have an infusion? I will need to plan

>my work schedule so that I

>won't be in court for several days in a row if I am going to be out of

>commission.

>

>After the infusion does taking the supplements keep you perky? Are will

>you have to have infusions on a regular basis?

>

>Thanks for hearing me out,

>

>Jane Brenton

>Dover TN

>5-17-02

>311/141/152

>Dr. R.

> Anemia and my iron infusion

>

>

> Hi,

>

> An update on my iron- my doc originally wanted to give me a blood

> transfusion but opted to send me to a hematologist who decided the iron

> infusion was what I needed. I has been almost a month and I am feeling a

>lot

> better. I felt like I had been hit by a truck for about the first week

>after

> the infusion and then I started to feel better. Definitely stay on top

>of

> your iron- and don't let it get really low- it really messes up your

>body.

>

>

>

> Dr. R 07/01/03

> 222/147

>

> __________________________________________________________

> http://liveearth.msn.com

>

>

>

>

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------------

>

>

> No virus found in this incoming message.

> Checked by AVG Free Edition.

> Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.14/885 - Release Date: 7/3/2007

>10:02 AM

>

>

>