ts me Stupid...Got my labs back
No, I don't think you're good. Your iron is on the low side and your ferritin is very low - when it gets down to ten, hematologists often order iron infusions. I would increase your iron a LOT. How much have you been taking and what kind?
Your B12 is good.
Did you get other labs done? Vitamin D, vitamin A,, PTH, thiamine, folate, copper, zinc?
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.
Is it 65 mg ferrous sulfate, or 325 mg ferrous sulfate for 65 mg elemental iron? There's a big difference there, because ferrous sulfate is only 20% elemental iron. So if you take 65 mg ferrous sulfate, that would only be 13 mg elemental iron, would is almost nothing.
You can take ferrous sulfate if you want. I prefer carbonyl iron because it's absorbed a bit better in a low acid environment like our pouch. It's all elemental iron so it's much less likely to cause constipation.
At any rate, whatever kind of iron you choose to take, you apparently need a lot more than you're taking.
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.
There are two brands you can find in stores that I know of. Sundown Perfect Iron, which is 25 mg per pill (they are really tiny pills) and Feosol, which is 45 mg per pill. I use the Sundown because it's cheaper. I get it at Meijer. Some Walgreens have it also but not all of them. Probably other stores, too. CVS carries Feosol and I think Walmart does. Feosol also makes ferrous sulfate, so make sure you're picking up the carbonyl one.
I also order the Sundown from drugstore.com sometimes. They usually have it really cheap.
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.
Six months before surgery, my Vitamin D 15-OH was at 19!!! I had no idea how bad that was. Now, thanks to taking 5,000 IU daily since surgery it's up to 54. But I'm going to increase my dose since my level is still too low.
Think I should just double my dose to 10,000 IU daily? (i use Bariatric Advantage, 5,000 IU Dry).
I would. Most post ops need at least 10,000 IU daily.
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.
Please go to a Haematologist. You are probably fighting a losing battle at this point, but don't leave it until your ferritin is really in the toilet before getting a specialist consult.
Low ferritin should not be handled by your surgeon or your PCP - go and see a specialist who knows (and most haematologists are aware of our problems) what he/she is doing.
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