Iron depleted

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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