iron defeciency?

Question

has anyone had an iron defeciency and had treatment and you got normal again without having to receive further treatment? what treatment was received; also, how abnormal was it (what number)...if anyone could help me out, i would appreciate it. thanks....oh yeah, im 44 yrs old.

Answer 1

I was diagnosed with vitamin B12 and iron deficiency about a year ago.

The B12 was easy to fix. My mom gave me a B12 shot once a week for three months and now my B12 is normal. It was very low before. I now get a B12 shot whenever I get tired or start having sleep disturbances, which is about every ten days. Hopefully things will get better. Otherwise, I'm fine with getting B12 shots for the rest of my life. When I have a spouse, I would appreciate it if she could give me shots, but I will have to see about that....

Iron has been harder for me to deal with. I am mildly iron deficient (I don't know the number exactly). I take an over the counter iron pill once a day for about a month. There does seem to be improvement, but the pills give me a head ache and slow down my GI tract significantly. Although I haven't tried it yet, I would recommend a time release iron pill. I will be starting on those when I find a store that sells them. That's supposed to reduce the GI side effects.

For iron pills, there are sever kinds. There is the kind in the health food store for people who like to take pills they may or may not actually need, which is likely not strong enough to correct a real deficiency. There is the $2.99/100 pills kind from K-mart like I am using now. They hit me pretty hard after I take one and I don't really like them. Then there is time release iron pills that should have fewer side effects. They should be found in the health food store in two strengths. The higher strength would likely do more for someone with a diagnosed iron deficiency.

As a last resort, you could get an iron needle called a Z-track. I am hoping that I never have to get one. That involves getting an iron shot in your buttocks where the nurse or doctor has to draw blood out of your buttocks with each injection to mix the iron with blood, pulling out and pushing the needle into different spots through one needle site on your buttocks. Although I am a medical professional and know that procedures are normally the least invasive that is necessary, I will be iron deficient forever before I do that!

Anemia is a disease that requires maintenance. I will be getting B12 shots and taking iron pills for the rest of my life. The only difference is that the frequency of treatment will become less often. For example, I take an iron pill once a day now. When my iron deficiency is corrected, I will take an iron pill like every three days or once a week to keep my iron normal. There is also a possibility that improving my diet may reduce or eliminate the need for iron pills once the deficiency has been corrected.

Answer 2

In general, anemia is very treatable. Diet is the most important thing. I have been anemic since I was 5 years old and it comes and goes. Red meat and dark leafy veggies are very helpful. If this doesn't resolve the anemia and you don't feel better, you may want to do some research on WebMD. I am a bit older than you and now and have B12 anemia, which is not detectable with normal testing. I had gone thru about a year of being listless and slept most of the time. My Doctor even suggested that I go to Psychiatrist for depression. I stated that I was not depressed but needed help. I took the information to her and she finally ordered the B12 test. I had a series of 5 B12 shots and now go monthly for a shot. I do feel good most of the time.