Iron Infusion: What to expect?

[ddf]

Hi:

I will be having my first iron infusion tomorrow morning.  My doctors feel that the souce of my anemia is no iron in my iron stores.  This has come as a complication of Gastric Bypass Surgery (weightloss) and recent loss of blood in my lower GI trac.  My gastric bypass is a malabsoption procedure rather than a limitation of food intake with a smaller stomach.  

I had to have a blood transfusion about four weeks ago when my hemoglobin dropped to 7.5.

For the last two years I have complained repeatedly that finding energy to meet the minimum expectations of my life was a constant BATTLE.  I work long hours and I have many responsibilities.  I noticed several things happening to me over the past two years and I wonder if they are related to anemia.  For example:

        1,  My mental state has detoriated rapidly over the past two years.  I am now 37 years old and enjoy a new body thanks to my bypass.  I recovered completely from severe diabetes, very high cholestrol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure.  However, I have been very frightened about my changes in my mental capacities.  I found that I could no longer handle mental tasks that I had previously no issues with completing.  I found myself no longer able to adequately perform my job as a Manager and consequently was included in one of the recent downsizings.  During subsequent interviews, I froze up and just could not perform well at all.  So, now I am wondering if this anemia and lack of RBC's could have played a role and I am hopeful that I might make a recovery after this procedures.

      2.  I have been holding steady now at the same weight for two years.  I have recognized that medicine has a unpredictable effect on me.  I thought at first it was the loss in body weight, but I do not think that is the answer.  Could it be that because my RBC's are low, that medicine is unpredictable?  Sometimes, a prescribed medication can be overly sedating and at other times uneffective at all.

    3.  I have went my entire adult life without a speeding ticket or any substantial car accidents.  I have hit my garage with my vehicle and scrapped the side of my van on a column in a parking deck.  Recently, I bumped into the backend of another driver and received my first speeding ticket.  Most notably. I feel asleep at the wheel twice but luckily nothing detrimental came from those issues.  Would severe anemia have this type of affect on my abilities to perform certain tasks?

   4.  I am having a terrible headache that I have had now for five days and the back of my neck is very painful.  I also started feeling VERY achy in many of my muscles.  I called the nurse on call to ask these questions, but she indicated that she did not think the two were related.

     5.  To me, I have been feeling like I am losing my mind mentally and this has really frightened me.  Growing up I was very obese but the one thing that I could depend on was my intellect.  I am worried about the permancy of this effect if it is related to my anemia.

Finally, I was told to expect that my Iron stores be brought back to normal state as a result of tomorrow's iron infusioin, but that I will not actually feel an increase in energy for a few weeks.  Are there every situations where your body does not respond to the iron infusion and RBC are not replenished?

Thank You for your help.

ddf

[Maratmc]

Omg...so many things you are all saying ring true.48...have been going thru siezures..many, many GI issues etc. Had my 1st transfussion today. Feel kinda punky. Wondering if ya'll had symptoms subside after the c iron. & what affects from the transfusion.

[Geminight]

Hello, I am a 48 year old female who has been diagnosed with anemia. I landed in the ER feeing like I was having renal failure. I tested okay for everything except I have low iorn. I started taking iron supplements, eating iorn rich foods ( even a tablespoon of organic molasses and OJ in the morning instead of coffee.
The follow up visit to Dr. was to find cause of bleeding. No menses, no signs outside my body. I get severe heartburn so I suspect upper gastric problems.my Dr. did more blood work, and my levels both iorn and stores of iorn still low. I was scheduled for IV infusion for iorn. Today I went.
It was as though I had been given my life back! In an hour, my headache was gone, my vision less blurry, heart stopped pounding, I worked all day today feeling great! This made me happy. I am a very active person. I was out of breath, having low back pain above tail bone, and it is gone. My hand still tingle a little. I still feel a little zapped for energy, and my mind is still a little confused. But all in all I am 95% better.
I was so nervous to go. I felt if I received too much iorn I could actually feel worse. It would be really hard to feel worse than I did before I had the infusion.
It saved my life, my job kids etc, I'm impressed that it worked so well.
If I hadn't gone, my mind and body would have shut down.
The Dr scheduled me for another IV infusion In a week.
My only concern is why? I felt it would be helpful to know where and why there is blood loss.  
I cannot tell you how grateful I  am to get some relief!
Although tonight I see my urine is the same color of the iron IV. Hopefully the results will continue and the iron will absorb and feeling ok will last.    
I am sending out thoughts of love and comfort  to those suffering. May you have good blood!
Be well.
Gnight  

Be well.

[kathy1970]

Hello

I too am having the same problem. I posted a comment earlier about this very thing.
I had my fourth treatment of iron therapy yesterday and I am not feeling any different yet.
I also had gastric bypass surgery nov 2007, I was 37 at the time. I have gone from a size 22 to a size 6. my hemoglobin was a 5 and is now up to a 7. My hematologist did not want to give me a blood transfusion for the risk of infection. Apparently I am bleeding somewhere but they are not willing to sedate me til i am up to a 10. I also have noticed my mental state is not as sharp as I used to be, I have trouble remembering, I fee so groggy when I am driving I almost fell asleep several times and once I thought I was passing out and I was veering off the road, so I pulled over. And called my husband. I have no energy.  My hematologist also told me that my iron stores are completley depleted. And my hemacratit is only 18.

My gynecologist referred me to the gastroenlogist because I had a postive fecal occult blood test. my gastric bypass surgeon swears that i am not suffering from malaborbstion of iron that it is my heavy menses. But my gyno says no.


Also I have this terrible pain in my bones, like towards my tail bone. I read up that this is also common with gastric bypass. get this, because of lack of cushion? It is sometimes so painful to stand up from a sitting position.  Anyways: Well  I still dont know where I am bleeding from, since I have to wait for my count goes up because it is risky putting me to sleep for a procedure. Anyways, I know how you feel. My mind feels foggy at times and I have fallen asleep at my desk a few times. I always prided my self on my OCD clean house and work habits. But even this is hard to keep up with no energy.
Let me know how it goes. Take  Care and feel better.