Iron depleted

 Just wondering if any1 out there has a good solution, beside taking iron tablets ( makes my stool too hard very painful ) for iron depletion. mine is very low it's at a 3 shld be between 10-30. Can't eat steaks too much red meat i can't digest i t properly end up with pancreatitis. any ideas?

It's good to eat those foods high in iron content but to put things in perspective, you would have to eat about 10 lbs. of chicken livers to equal the iron in one iron supplement.  If your iron deficiency is too severe, diet alone may not overcome the cause ( i.e. bleeding).  Talk to your GI about the constipation and perhaps he can help.  Anemia is a condition you must take care of quickly.  It is too stressful on the entire body.  Good luck.

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My husband is on the iron pills 3 times a day - it does not constipate him too badly - maybe the combination of foods he is eating is a good balance for the stool's consistency.

However - he is getting a B12 shot monthly. He just had his 2nd one last week and he is noticing he is not as fatigued and has a little more energy and stamina than he had prior to the shots. Maybe that might be something to discuss with the doctor???

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60 yr old male~Colitis 1st diagnosed Jan '05-cleared up within a few wks. Flared again in May '06 ... left sided UC now, fully involved and trying to get in remission. Acute inflammation-pancolitis-tenesmus rectal pain-granulation is showing some healing started. Osteopena of spine from prednisone DX 8/07  July 07 good days & bad days 75mg Imuran 40  mg prednisone (tapering 8/07) 12 Asacol, Lidocaine Hydrochloride Jelly 2%,multi vitamin, iron 3X day, DanActive, chewable calcium, Prilosec 20mg, enalapril 10mg, glipizide 5 mg, zocor 20 mg, baby aspirin, (Fentanyl pain patch 50mg 72 hrs  Morphine Sulf 15 mg twice daily)Colocourt enemas at night. Fosamax and mthly B12 shots folic acid 1mg

i have read studies that show that iron tablets actually exacerbate ulceration and inflammation of the colon. its kind of a darned if you do, darned if you dont situation.
my doctor had me have iron infusions at the hospital.
i was way way low and had like no iron in me at all. it is a 6 hour day at the hospital with an iv in your arm. but after that, your good to go for quite a while.
you should ask about that. its better on your body than the tablets anyway.
make sure you get them to do it for 6 hours. i have read stories of complications from 2, 3 and 4 hour sessions. they pump it in too fast and it screws with your system. have them do it nice and slow. it is definitely a boring and long day, but much better that than having some adverse reaction from rushing it.

One of my doctor's told me to eat liver to get my iron up... supposed to have alot of iron. 

What about fortified cereals or energy bars? Frosted mini-wheats have a lot of iron. Maybe a multivitamin with iron would help give you a little bit, too, without making you constipated. I know there are options besides eating meat, because I don't eat meat and I've never had low iron levels. Did your doctor suggest anything besides supplements? Are you losing a lot of blood?

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23 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007
Current inflamation in the rectum
Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day

you could also eat some spinach

one 4 ounce serving of beef liver has 38% of the daily value of iron and about 800% of the daily value of copper, not really a good idea unless you want copper overload. clams are about the highest food in iron, one 3 ounce serving of canned clams has 130% of the daily value of iron.

Kazygirl's right... oral iron is hard on a compromised digestion. The best way to go is iron infusions by I.V.

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Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis spring 1999

Thanks for the additional info and posts -- I will definitely ask this of the Mayo clinic for their opinion. He has so many dr's and they all know what is going on but they each have their own opinions obviously on how to treat what.

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60 yr old male~Colitis 1st diagnosed Jan '05-cleared up within a few wks. Flared again in May '06 ... left sided UC now, fully involved and trying to get in remission. Acute inflammation-pancolitis-tenesmus rectal pain-granulation is showing some healing started. Osteopena of spine from prednisone DX 8/07  July 07 good days & bad days 75mg Imuran 40  mg prednisone (tapering 8/07) 12 Asacol, Lidocaine Hydrochloride Jelly 2%,multi vitamin, iron 3X day, DanActive, chewable calcium, Prilosec 20mg, enalapril 10mg, glipizide 5 mg, zocor 20 mg, baby aspirin, (Fentanyl pain patch 50mg 72 hrs  Morphine Sulf 15 mg twice daily)Colocourt enemas at night. Fosamax and mthly B12 shots folic acid 1mg

Thank you for the information about liver, I guess I won't be eating too much liver, now.

Wooky,

I noticed that you get Pancreatitis from red meat- will you please elaborate for me.  I had Pancreatitis this spring (my pancreatitic duct was scarred shut but they do not know why), just wondering how they figured this out for you.

He does have regular bloodwork and it is closely monitored. Monthly now since he is on the B12.

My only concern is when you have a doctor for: primary care, endocrinologist, GI, urology, dermatology, VA Dr for military stuff, my feeling is they all specialize in their own areas and I am sure have a "working knowledge" of other areas. Of course they are treating him insofar as their areas of concern and I get nervous in the whole big picture something may not be totally right.

I know I keep referring to the Mayo Clinic and hope I am not putting way too much emphasis on our upcoming visit but I definitely have as one of my questions the typed listing of all his meds, the timeframes when he takes them and if they have any problems or concerns. Insofar as doses or even if something should be taken at a different time than he is doing now.

The Iron Infusion information I have as a separate area to discuss if that is a much better way to go. He's not thrilled at the prospect of a 6 hour ordeal if that is the case.

By the way how often is something like that needed usually? If it is every 4 or 6 months and eliminate the 3 iron pills a day and possibly the B12 shots then that wouldn't seem to bad.

The $64,000 question is why this has been such an ongoing problem for him for so many years. He has been tested from here to kingdom come and the iron always is low for him.

Fortunately he is NOT constipating from the iron - that is the last thing he needs.

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60 yr old male~Colitis 1st diagnosed Jan '05-cleared up within a few wks. Flared again in May '06 ... left sided UC now, fully involved and trying to get in remission. Acute inflammation-pancolitis-tenesmus rectal pain-granulation is showing some healing started. Osteopena of spine from prednisone DX 8/07  July 07 good days & bad days 75mg Imuran 40  mg prednisone (tapering 8/07) 12 Asacol, Lidocaine Hydrochloride Jelly 2%,multi vitamin, iron 3X day, DanActive, chewable calcium, Prilosec 20mg, enalapril 10mg, glipizide 5 mg, zocor 20 mg, baby aspirin, (Fentanyl pain patch 50mg 72 hrs  Morphine Sulf 15 mg twice daily)Colocourt enemas at night. Fosamax and mthly B12 shots folic acid 1mg

Wooky - Have you every tried Slow-FE? I am taking iron right now and that is what I am taking. I've been taking it for a few weeks and so far, no GI side effects.

I get ferritin infusions every 3 months and it only takes a couple of hours. It's no big deal. Ferritin is what your body needs to produce iron.

This is an easy problem to solve.

Laurie

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Thanx everyone
I havn't bn bak on in last couple of days cause cldn't get out of bed due to lack of iron (had menstrual cycle)
With which I've had the worst flu like symptoms a headache i can not get rid of swollen hot glands in groin, neck underarms, yet hav uncotrollable shaking from being cold. It's bn terrible. Anyway else get this (obviously just the ladies)

KL - I posted a new topic to ask who else has had pancreatitis, check it out. but I discovered I had pancreatitis 4 the 1st time in june of last yr, when I went to the emergency and they admitted me I had a constant pain in the upper abdomin, with a major uncomforable feeling like when ur constipated but it's just further up, 4 me when I was in hospital I remember lying on my stomach and it relieved the pain. I know it sounds crazy and thats what the dr's thought i was but it worked. the dr's tested my electrlytes and said they were through the roof. Now I just know what the pain feels like and hav figured that the only way to deal with it when it's serve is not eat stay very well hydrated, and as i get better don't eat things that I know will aggrivate it. In my case thats, sugar, dairy, red meat though lately I've bn handling well cooked meat it's the really red stuff that I just can't digest at all. I remember once i ate a medium rare peice of steak when I was out once(b4 I knew of the specific triggers) and I literally cldn't eat 4 2days had a major pain
Unfortunately I think once you get panc it is then very sensitive and things will always trigger it. you just hav to know what things. It wasn't caused by alcohol either I'd stopped drinking completely 8mhts prior to my first attack

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27yr old female