Just got the labs back from my blood work, my hemoglobin is 10 and my ferratin is 5..........my doctor told me to just keep taking over the counter Slow Fe pills, but take 2 a day instead of one............He just seems so unconcerned, shouldn't I be doing something else also? Between this and the hypo I don't feel so good and resting just isn't optional with the kids and everything else I have to do.........I am discouraged. I do not want another blood transfusion, I just won't do that again....................

5 is low for the Ferritin. Mine was 3 last March and now I have 0 iron stores and have to go every week until at least the end of October for IV iron to build it back up. It's so frustrating when your Primary Care doctor doesn't seem worried about this. I was told the same thing last spring-take 2 iron pills a day instead of 1. I did have the GI work-up which showed I had no active bleeding. At the end of August when I went for my check-up and told her I felt really tired she redrew the CBC and my Hgb was down to 7 with a Hct of 24. There's the reason for the extreme fatigue. She then sent me to a hematologist who wouldn't even let me leave the hospital until I got a bag of IV iron. He ran some more tests and said that I don't absorb the oral form of it well. He told me last week it will take at least 7 bags of iron before I begin to feel better and I'll probably have to get a minimum of 10. It might be time to discuss your concerns with your doctor. A hgb of 10 isn't too bad but if it goes below 8 then they want to trannsfuse,give IV iron,etc. At the very least he should schedule you to have another blood test in a few months to see how you're doing. Best of Luck!

Shamrock, did you have any side effects when you got the IV iron?? I had a fever and horrible shaking with chills after the transfusion, I believe it was on the 3rd day..........after I got out of the hospital and was home. My doc just says "unitl you have a hysterectomy to stop your heavy menstrual periods, you will be anemic". I have an appt. with a new gyno that is suppose to have "alternatives" to hysterectomy, will see him in October.

In the meantime, I feel awful and I know my family is tired of me being tired. I just feel like crying, all the time. And sometimes I do. Its pathetic to be this tired. I'm sure part of it is the depression that comes with all this. Thanks for your reply.

Anah,no I really don't have any bad side effects with the IV Iron other than feeling tired believe it or not. I get an IV iron called Venofer that is much more well tolerated by people. It is supposed to be very safe. It only takes about a half hour for it to go in. I was afraid to get it initially because I have alot of bad allergies to medications. One time I had to have a CT scan with iodine dye and my throat started to close up. I was so glad to get the iron without huge problems. Some of my anemia is due to heavy periods at times as well. I want to avoid the hysterectomy too. My GYN did talk to me about a procedure called endometrial ablation where they essentially use a laser to get rid of build-up in the uterine wall. It's supposed to help your periods become lighter although I have a friend who had it done and she was back to heavy periods again in a few months.I think the response to it is different in different people. I also have problems absorbing the oral iron so that's why they're giving it to me IV. I have esopahgitis and the hematologist told me you can have small amounts of blood loss over time from it and not even be aware of it! The Protonix that I take for the esophagitis can block oral iron from being absorbed. Anyway,if you ever need to get the IV iron it's really not too bad. I won't start to feel better until about 7 bags into it the nurses told me last week. it's frustrating because it's so slow and I'm really tired of feeling so tired all the time!:mad: Anyway,best of luck and I hope you get some answers soon! :)

HI, my ferritin is 4 and my hemoglobin 10...my doc is trying me on chromogen forte..which is iron in a oral prescription form.. i do not want iron infusions cause i heard too many bad things about them..i am on this medication for about a week and am starting to feel better...more energy etc..

At least you have a prescription for iron, my doctor just told me to take over the counter slow fe.........I went to a health food store and bought some heme iron.....liver extract capsules.......and sogars chelated iron pills, I'm taking both, I'm desperate to feel better.

shamrock hi
it's so good to find someone else out there getting venofer!! :blob_fire i've been searching for you! if you read my story on one of these threads- i dropped to hmg of 5 ferritin of 1 -reacted badly to the iron dextran and now they insist on putting me on mega doses of prednisone and benadryl and tylenol before they will give me the venofer. i go weekly-have been going since dec 05. i can only tolerate 200 mg? of venofer at a time and they infuse it over a 2 hour time period!! with all these precautions i still get a terrible "burn" sensation in my hands and upper arms. I also come home so tired-i guess it's all the benadryl....i haven't even been allowed to drive all this time. anyway do you have the "burn" too? nothing seems to help it -i've kinda got used to burning all the time...well anyway it's nice to "meet" someone else who kindaknows how i feel and what i'm going through! oh btw-do your veins cooperate? i've had to get stuck so many times at one point they insisted i have a port put in surgically or they wouldn't continue treatment-i resisted so far...it's such a long tiring time. thanks for listening:angel: