If you had an iron infusion did it make a positive difference?

[Butaboutt]

Just that really. I’m due to have one and quite anxious. Fertitin is 14

I haven’t, but my close friend did last week. She felt so much better afterwards.

Do you know what your haemoglobin is?
Someone with a low haemoglobin due to low iron should feel significantly better after an infusion.
Someone with a normal haemoglobin might not notice such a big difference ( although hopefully some difference).

I did. Felt so much better. Went from sleeping 10 hrs to 7 and feeling rested. My completion and hair also significantly improved. The infusion is easy and painless.

Oh yes, DH has had several of these. They've always made a massive difference. Definitely go for it, take something to read or listen to and it'll be over before you know it.

Yes they massively helped me after a gastric haemorrhage.

Absolutely helped me, I felt like I was going to drop dead. It also cured my yearlong rice cake addiction!

I had a blood transfusion after getting very anaemic after terribly heavy periods. Is that the same thing?

It cured my sesame seed addiction! I used to eat about 10 tablespoons of them a day. Haven’t touched them since the infusion! So yeah the infusion helped me.

A friend had one and it put me off as she had sickness and other symptoms after it. Are you going private? My ferritin is 16 and the NHS said no to an infusion.

DH had ferritin 13 and 8 weeks later (2x IV) it was 79. He had 0 side effects.

No. Iron and blood are different things.

Yes. Lots better after a week or two.

I've had a few and always felt a lot better a week or two after. A few years ago my ferritin was 4 and my haemoglobin was 80, had two iron infusions and ferritin was about 170 (dropped down to a reasonable level fairly quickly) and haemoglobin was in a healthy range and I felt absolutely wonderful.

Ferritin is 18 now and I want another one but haemoglobin is still reasonable so the doctor is making me try nano iron first.

Depends on why you’re having it. I had ferritin of 3 and haemoglobin of 65 so I was severely iron deficient anaemic. Had 2 units of blood and 2 iron transfusions. Felt better for the following month but my levels have now dropped again.

If your haemoglobin is ok, you might not feel benefits as much.

Forgot to say it only raised my ferritin to 14 anyway and it’s now dropped back to 6. Dr said it was because my body used it all to raise my haemoglobin (which has now also dropped again 🙄)

That’s not true as iron is not just used to make hemp globin.

You body will prioritise haemoglobin so you can have a perfectly normal CBC and still be utter shattered as there isn’t enough iron to optimally make ATP, various neurotransmitters, myoglobin (stored in muscles), DNA synthesis and repair. Decent oxygen delivery around the body is pretty useless when it cannot be used properly.

God yeah. My ferritin went from 7 to 130 after the infusion, I felt so much better. I could actually make it through the day without having to sleep.

Highly recommend. I don’t recall any side effects.

Highly recommend. I didn’t have any detectable ferritin, and infusions took it to 80+. I have had one experience where I was given too much iron accidentally. I felt far worse than before, but was recommended to give blood a couple of times, which helped a lot!

I was offered it on both the NHS and private.

I opted to get it on the NHS since my NHS Haemotologist appointment that was scheduled shortly after I got the appointment through for the private one.

ETA: And serious side effects are quite rare. I think in most cases any side effects are outweighed by the benefits.

Yes, had a fair few and felt great. Takes a few weeks for mine to kick in. I usually have nausea after taking iron tablets, but zero side effects after the infusions.

Yes actually that was part of the reason I was recommended to get iron infusions. The supplements gave me all sorts of side effects.

What's your ferritin and haemoglobin?

What I said is true.
Absolutely, being low in iron makes you feel unwell. Sometimes very unwell.

Being low in iron AND having a haemoglobin of say 80 makes you feel extremely unwell. This person is going to get an almost guaranteed improvement after iron.

I have seen people with a normal haemoglobin but a ferritin of say 8 get bumped to a ferritin of 150 without feeling all that much different. For them they were tolerating the low iron quite well. Their fatigue was due more to chronic pain or something else.

It worked very well for me, but just a heads up that side effects for a few days afterwards are pretty common so you need to plan on that basis.

From memory I was fine for the first 24 hours, then had about 2-3 days where I was basically bed bound, and couldn’t do anything. DH had to take emergency dependent leave for the kids.