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Suggest Treatment For Persistent Fatigue Diagnosed As Anemia Followed By Bloating, Constipation And Diarrhea After Taking Iron Pills
Question: Hi there,
I was feeling very fatigued about five weeks ago and my doctor tested my blood and found I was low in iron: my MCH was Lo at 26.7, and my RDW was hi at 14.8.
Since then, I feel all better. I have been taking iron pills feramax 150 every night. Yesterday I had my blood retested early, since I have also been eating meat, and the iron tablets have been giving me lots of bloating, constipation, then diarrhea and I was hoping to get off the pills early.
My new blood work shows that my MCH is now normal at 27.6, but my RDW is still a bit hi at 15.3 (slightly higher than the first time.
My doctor said this means i still have low iron (this was just in an email from him - can't reach him in person yet) and should still take the tablets, but if I am eating meat regularly and feel better and since the MCH is normal now, can I stop the iron? I have to travel to Europe soon and don't want to have stomach problems...
oh and my ferritin is at only 13.
Thanks
I was feeling very fatigued about five weeks ago and my doctor tested my blood and found I was low in iron: my MCH was Lo at 26.7, and my RDW was hi at 14.8.
Since then, I feel all better. I have been taking iron pills feramax 150 every night. Yesterday I had my blood retested early, since I have also been eating meat, and the iron tablets have been giving me lots of bloating, constipation, then diarrhea and I was hoping to get off the pills early.
My new blood work shows that my MCH is now normal at 27.6, but my RDW is still a bit hi at 15.3 (slightly higher than the first time.
My doctor said this means i still have low iron (this was just in an email from him - can't reach him in person yet) and should still take the tablets, but if I am eating meat regularly and feel better and since the MCH is normal now, can I stop the iron? I have to travel to Europe soon and don't want to have stomach problems...
oh and my ferritin is at only 13.
Thanks
Brief Answer:
keep taking the iron
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The MCH is on the low normal side so it would be good for you to keep taking the iron for a few more months. You could try taking it with a meal, taking it at bedtime or taking it every other day and see if that helps. If not then you could consider stopping while you travel and taking it again once you return home.
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
keep taking the iron
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The MCH is on the low normal side so it would be good for you to keep taking the iron for a few more months. You could try taking it with a meal, taking it at bedtime or taking it every other day and see if that helps. If not then you could consider stopping while you travel and taking it again once you return home.
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Okay thanks so much. My ferritin was 8 a month ago and now 13 - is that still way too low? Will I feel tired again if I stop the tablets while traveling?
Brief Answer:
wide range of normal ferritin
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
The ferritin is, like the MCV, on the low end of normal. Normal in women is from 12-300, so 13 is normal but on the low end.
It depends upon how long you will be traveling. If for a week to 10 days you would probably not notice a difference. If it is for longer you may want to try taking at least a few tablets a week.
Another option is trying other forms of iron. Feramax has both sucralose and maltodextrin added to it and both of those can cause stomach upset.
You could try a plain ferrous gluconate or ferrous fumarate and see if one of those causes less stomach upset.
Let me know if you have further questions.
Dr. Robinson
wide range of normal ferritin
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
The ferritin is, like the MCV, on the low end of normal. Normal in women is from 12-300, so 13 is normal but on the low end.
It depends upon how long you will be traveling. If for a week to 10 days you would probably not notice a difference. If it is for longer you may want to try taking at least a few tablets a week.
Another option is trying other forms of iron. Feramax has both sucralose and maltodextrin added to it and both of those can cause stomach upset.
You could try a plain ferrous gluconate or ferrous fumarate and see if one of those causes less stomach upset.
Let me know if you have further questions.
Dr. Robinson
Note: Do you have more questions on diagnosis or treatment of blood disorders? Ask An Expert/ Specialist Now
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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