Low iron...please help! - ThinnerTimes

Tracie · 07-29-2004, 11:27 AM

Well, I had my 3 month check yesterday and now I am freaking out. My iron is at 24 and the range is 40-180. My binding capacity is 240 (range 250-350) and my saturation is 10 (range 15-?)

Anyway, I take ferrous sulfate 65mg 1/day (with Vit C to help with uptake). I was told to double it, but I don't think that is enough. I am going to switch to carbonyl iron because I have heard that some of us have a problem absorbing sulfate.

Do any of you have any ideas? Any direction to send me in? I am just really worried.

Oh, and one other thing, my HDL cholesterol is down to 26 and it is supposed to be above 40. My risk factor for heart disease or whatever is now high at 4.7 What on earth do you do besides eat real butter and almonds and exercise to raise your good cholesterol???? HELP!!!!

Mary W · 07-29-2004, 11:48 AM

Tracie,
Relax, At my six month my iron was at 19. It is now at 133. I took one 65mg iron tab plus my multivitamin with iron and it corrected itself. These unusual numbers are not rare after surgery. Our bodies get thrown off. Your numbers are not that low. If there was any concern Kelly would have had you get blood. It is good to pay attention to your numbers and take your suppliments, but it is not anything to get upset about.

I took the cheap, generic Target Brand Iron, and it did the trick. Don't spend a lot of money where you don't need to.

Good Luck,
Mary

melanie hirschorn · 07-29-2004, 07:48 PM

tracie,
i don't know what to tell you as far as the iron, but the cholesterol i can tell you that my surgery was in april 2003. before surgery my cholesterol was great. the same thing happened with my cholesterol as you after surgery and i had to go on cholesterol medication and now it's perfect. what a nutritionist explained to me and my pcp is during surgery our intestines as you know are rerouted and often times that leads to that high cholesterol because of the way we're producing bile that goes to the liver. it's something to do with the surgery. talk to your pcp and you may need to go on cholesterol medication. good luck
i'm going to send you a private e-mail also in case you don't read this.
melanie