Calling on anemia / iron utilization experts

[Rinse & rePeat]

It could be helpful, if you are low in hemoglobin. I have used the methylcobalamin form tablents in the past. It's not something I take consistently.

My husband is anemic from a C. diff infection, and I am reluctant to give him the prescribed iron tablets after looking up all the bad side effects, especiall when his kidneys have been affected by blood loss. I ordered Idealabs Energin which has the B vitamins.

 

[tankasnowgod]

My husband is anemic from a C. diff infection, and I am reluctant to give him the prescribed iron tablets after looking up all the bad side effects, especiall when his kidneys have been affected by blood loss. I ordered Idealabs Energin which has the B vitamins.

Got it. I would probably add some B12 tablets in that case, as I don't think Energin has B12. B12, Folate, and B6 are some of the B Vitamins that I know can be low with anemia. I do know that a B Complex stimulated hemoglobin when I was lowering iron via phlebotomy.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Got it. I would probably add some B12 tablets in that case, as I don't think Energin has B12. B12, Folate, and B6 are some of the B Vitamins that I know can be low with anemia. I do know that a B Complex stimulated hemoglobin when I was lowering iron via phlebotomy.

Did you ever try beef liver to resolve your issue? The hospital gave him a prescription for iron and B12, but I was not happy with the list of side effects. I just don't know how to proceed safely at this point.

 

[tankasnowgod]

Did you ever try beef liver to resolve your issue? The hospital gave him a prescription for iron and B12, but I was not happy with the list of side effects. I just don't know how to proceed safely at this point.

The issue for me was dropping hemoglobin from getting de-ironed from phlebotomy monthly. I didn't use liver as much, as I thought it high in iron (although eating it once a week shouldn't be much of an issue). The B Complex really helped. I raised hemoglobin back up to near the starting level, and kept it constant while iron stores were dropping fairly rapidly (since I was loosing basically a pint of blood a month). I don't know if liver would have been enough, in that case.

I would think most of the side effects in that prescription would be from the iron supplement. If it's things like cramps and other digestive distress, you can find these very things talked about in Amazon reviews of standard iron supplements (anything that uses ferrous sulfate). It's well known that iron supplements have lots of side effects. A lot of similar symptoms stop when people go "gluten free," so maybe more is due to "iron fortification" than problems with wheat. Thomas Levy has a presentation where he suggests this, "Iron and Gluten: The Toxic Combination."

If he's really set on taking an iron supplement, he should at least get a ferritin test (or full iron panel with ferritin) before taking it. Most adult men have more than enough iron. If ferritin is over 50, I would think an iron supplement unnecessary.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

The issue for me was dropping hemoglobin from getting de-ironed from phlebotomy monthly. I didn't use liver as much, as I thought it high in iron (although eating it once a week shouldn't be much of an issue). The B Complex really helped. I raised hemoglobin back up to near the starting level, and kept it constant while iron stores were dropping fairly rapidly (since I was loosing basically a pint of blood a month). I don't know if liver would have been enough, in that case.

I would think most of the side effects in that prescription would be from the iron supplement. If it's things like cramps and other digestive distress, you can find these very things talked about in Amazon reviews of standard iron supplements (anything that uses ferrous sulfate). It's well known that iron supplements have lots of side effects. A lot of similar symptoms stop when people go "gluten free," so maybe more is due to "iron fortification" than problems with wheat. Thomas Levy has a presentation where he suggests this, "Iron and Gluten: The Toxic Combination."

If he's really set on taking an iron supplement, he should at least get a ferritin test (or full iron panel with ferritin) before taking it. Most adult men have more than enough iron. If ferritin is over 50, I would think an iron supplement unnecessary.

Yes he got back home from the hospital a week ago with confirmed anemia from losing so much blood in the waiting room for 14 hours, with bloody diarrhea from c. diff. He was already a little low 2 months earlier, but I wasn't worried because we don't eat fortified foods or eat a lot of high iron foods, and RP says rarely are people truely anemic because the medical measurement needs to be rethought and being a little low is better. Now, like you, he has lost blood, so much so that the hospital gave him 3 blood transfusions. I am hopeful the B Complex will keep him from having to suppliment iron. He finally got over his stomach aches from the infection and l have a lot of work to do puting weight back on him. He can't afford stomachs aches from suppliments. Thanks again for your input.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

The issue for me was dropping hemoglobin from getting de-ironed from phlebotomy monthly. I didn't use liver as much, as I thought it high in iron (although eating it once a week shouldn't be much of an issue). The B Complex really helped. I raised hemoglobin back up to near the starting level, and kept it constant while iron stores were dropping fairly rapidly (since I was loosing basically a pint of blood a month). I don't know if liver would have been enough, in that case.

I would think most of the side effects in that prescription would be from the iron supplement. If it's things like cramps and other digestive distress, you can find these very things talked about in Amazon reviews of standard iron supplements (anything that uses ferrous sulfate). It's well known that iron supplements have lots of side effects. A lot of similar symptoms stop when people go "gluten free," so maybe more is due to "iron fortification" than problems with wheat. Thomas Levy has a presentation where he suggests this, "Iron and Gluten: The Toxic Combination."

If he's really set on taking an iron supplement, he should at least get a ferritin test (or full iron panel with ferritin) before taking it. Most adult men have more than enough iron. If ferritin is over 50, I would think an iron supplement unnecessary.

At the 18:35 mark of his video was he meaning that the blood RECEIVER has an increased chance of new cancer?


View: https://youtu.be/NUjmwTwNCAI

 

[tankasnowgod]

At the 18:35 mark of his video was he meaning that the blood RECEIVER has an increased chance of new cancer?


View: https://youtu.be/NUjmwTwNCAI

He meant that donating blood reduces your chance of cancer. I think he said "increases" by mistake.

There is such a thing as "transfusional iron overload," but this generally doesn't apply if someone is getting a transfusion for an acute loss of blood, since the iron in the transfused blood balances out iron lost in the first place. It's more for people that need blood transfusions chronically, like in Sickle Cell Anemia, of Hemophilia.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

He meant that donating blood reduces your chance of cancer. I think he said "increases" by mistake.

There is such a thing as "transfusional iron overload," but this generally doesn't apply if someone is getting a transfusion for an acute loss of blood, since the iron in the transfused blood balances out iron lost in the first place. It's more for people that need blood transfusions chronically, like in Sickle Cell Anemia, of Hemophilia.

Gotcha! Yeah I was thinking he meant to say "decreases". Boy this video of his, is health altering isn't it? RP always talks about the dangers of iron, but this guy is really spelling it out on a simpler level.

 

[Atonewithme]

Add b12 and methyl folate. Food allergies that harm the small intestine can cause malabsorption, ie gluten. That was my experience.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Lack of B Vitamins would be my guess. There are several anemias that can happen even in the face of high ferritin, like pernicious anemia and pyridoxine deficiency anemia. These ones are pretty well established.

I know from personal experience when getting De-Ironed that B vitamins have a big influence over hemoglobin. Ferritin started off at 444, and my goal was near deficiency. Over the months, ferritin declined with regular blood donation, but hemoglobin did, too. As it was getting near the donation cutoff for hemoglobin, I started using a B Complex (or Life Extension's iron free "2 per day" multi), and Hemoglobin went up by 2 points by my next donation. It stayed in the 14s as I continued donating, even as Ferritin got towards near deficiency (I've even tested as low as 28 and 18 and still had good hemoglobin levels)

I have read other's reports of people with low ferritin having little success with iron supplements (often, making things worse), but B Vitamins/Complex working really well, even without any additional iron. Of course, eating liver would probably be a good thing for B vitamins, too.

Iron infusions can be very dangerous. Even though Iron is a needed metal, but it's not a safe one, and if it's not getting bound to things like ferritin or transferrin, it's likely making health worse. Meat and liver is probably the safest way to get iron, probably followed by something like a lactoferrin supplement with iron (they even sell ferritin supplements). I've heard Iron Bis Glycinate is a more gentle form.

What do you think of liver capsules for iron?

 

[HealthisWealth]

I need to help a 70year old woman. I will create a new thread.