Iron deficiency?

That chewing stuff is revolting. Can I just swallow it whole without chewing, or does that kill the effect? Is there anything else out there with the same impact that doesn't taste like absolute garbage?

I used to take Hēferol back when I was dealing with anemia.
Does iron actually mess up your teeth? I heard some girl talking about how she took an iron supplement and ended up with these gray spots all over her teeth—she was basically counting down the days until her baby teeth finally fell out.

Laura Gonzalez44 said:Ugh, honestly, having to chew those things is just gross... I was wondering if you can even swallow them whole without chewing? Does that totally kill the effect, or is there something else out there that works just as well but isn't so nasty to deal with?

I’ve actually been taking Fersan Forte lately because I couldn't stand chewing those other tablets either... I used to take my folic acid separately, but this stuff basically has everything packed into one little pill, which makes life way easier... 👍

For me, iron is way beyond the limit😕

Jessica Wright said:For me, it's just completely out of the question.😕

Well, then you're clearly living in a fantasy world.
At this rate, I might as well start sucking on a radiator just to feel something.

coastaldriver4 said:Then you're all set.
At this rate, I might as well start sucking on the radiator for warmth.

Last time I had my blood work done, my levels were at an 8 (with a normal range of 8 to 30), but now they've jumped to 35.

Jessica Wright said:The last time I had my blood drawn, my levels were at 8 (where anything from 8 to 30 is considered normal), but now they're at 35.

😕
Honestly, I think you need to get retested. It strikes me as incredibly odd that your numbers jumped from the very bottom of the range straight past the normal limit.

coastaldriver4 said:😕
I honestly think you should go back and get retested. It seems a bit off that your numbers jumped so far above the lower limit.

It wasn't even that short of a gap between tests; we're talking about a two-year window here. 😁 At least a year, actually. I really ought to dig through my medical records to be certain...

crimsonsailor7 said:I've been taking Fersan Forte lately because swallowing other pills was such a pain. I used to take folic acid separately, but this one has everything in a single pill 👍

I'm curious about your experience... how long have you been dealing with anemia, how long have you been on these supplements, and have you actually seen any real improvement in your blood work?

Jessica Wright said:It wasn't just a short break between tests; we're talking about a full two years here.😁 At least a year, I really should double-check my files somewhere...

Well, damn then.😁
What can I even say? You're getting old. 🙂 🙂

Honestly, having iron levels that are way too high isn't exactly a stroke of luck. If anything, it’s actually much more dangerous and a total headache to deal with compared to anemia.

Casey Palmer5 said:Having iron levels that are way too high isn't actually a stroke of luck. In fact, it’s much more dangerous and a lot harder to manage than dealing with anemia.

So, what should my next move be? My doctor is basically telling me it isn't even an issue. 🙄

I'm leaning towards thinking this spike was just a fluke caused by something I drank or something similar, since my levels are usually on the low side. I'll just wait a while and then head back for another blood test to see where things stand...

Look, I’m definitely not a doctor, but you should probably start checking your iron levels a bit more frequently. Honestly, this isn't a massive deviation from the norm, so try not to panic... it's nothing too scary.

I have a close friend who had incredibly high iron levels, and it made her feel absolutely terrible—constant headaches and just a million different issues. Basically, she had to cut out almost everything high in iron, like red meat and even leafy greens. Having iron levels that are too high can be really tough on your organs, especially your blood vessels.

I'll keep an eye on it, thanks 🙂 It just won't stay centered. It’s constantly shifting between being way too low or way too high 😁

Jessica Wright said:I'll keep an eye on it, thanks 🙂 It’s just impossible to get it centered... it's always either too high or way too low 😁

Aside from iron, did you check any other metabolic markers like UIBC, TIBC, iron saturation, or ferritin?

crimsonorca12 said:Besides just checking your iron levels, did you look at any other metabolic markers like your UIBC, TIBC, iron saturation, or ferritin?

She notes: UIBC 34 (26-59), TIBC 69 (49-75)

Jessica Wright said:Results: UIBC 34 (26-59), TIBC 69 (49-75)

Could you also let me know if you had a standard CBC done? Specifically looking at red blood cell count and hemoglobin...

If those numbers fall within the normal range alongside the parameters you listed above, it’s probably nothing to worry about. It might just be an uptick from eating iron-rich foods right before the lab work...

That said, if your hemoglobin is low while iron levels are high, it could point toward issues with how red cells are being produced or perhaps how they're breaking down...

Low transferrin—which, in your case, appears normal—combined with high iron can sometimes suggest iron is being stored excessively, often in the liver, because there isn't enough transferrin available to transport it through the system...

I'm sure none of that applies to you specifically, but I figured it might be useful info for someone else reading this...

Red blood cell count: 10 (Normal range: 4-24)
Hemoglobin: 4.47 (Normal range: 3.86-5.08)
Hematocrit: 139 (Normal range: 119-157)

Everything looks perfectly normal.