Iron Injections - Are they working? - Anemia Message Board

peanuts83 · 06-13-2008, 06:12 AM

My doctor has been giving me a course of iron injections for 3 months because I am a regular consumer of meat and other great sources of iron, but never the less my body seems to have little to no ability to absorb or retain iron.

His course of iron injections are 1ml doses, the first month I had one each week for 4 weeks, the second month I had one every 2 weeks, and the third month I had 1 dose. Up until now that means I've had a combined dose of 7ml of iron. Is it ok that my iron has only gone up 8 points?

I think my doctor and I are going to double my dose because I'm still at a really low ferritin level. Has anyone else had experience with this? Thanks

Audrey-B · 06-15-2008, 12:50 AM

3 months of iron injections is a very long time. Do you know your ferretin level? Does your doctor check your ferretin every 3 months? If you are on iron long term they ought to be checking your levels on a regular basis. Most doctors seem to do it every 3 months.

I did a course of iron injections but only for 5 weeks. One injection per week. My iron in the end didn't go up hugely, only about 9 points. I requested the injections thinking it would send my iron up sky high and faster than any supplements. My doctor agreed to the injections, but said they only give a false high. I felt the false high for about 4 weeks. I wanted to run a marathon, couldn't remember ever having such energy, it was amazing and thought i'd feel that way for ever, but then i came off the high and things went more or less back to normal. After the injections i seriously went back to taking my iron supplements.

If you are unable to absorb iron readily and you have been on high dose supplements or on injections, doctors ought to be looking at what is causing your malabsorbtion. Have you been tested for gluten intolernace? Mine is due to my pancrease not making sufficient enzymes to digest protein.

Your doctor should also check whether you are not absorbing other things besides the iron. I wasn't readily absorbing Vitamin D or Iodine.

If i were you i would find out what things have been tested and what hasn't been tested to see what else you are low in. At the same time you can include a blood test for gluten intolerance as this can also prevent you absorbing iron and other things. Low iron is often a symptom of something else wrong in your body and you have to find out what that 'something else' is.