#1 ·
I’ve been dealing with ulcerative colitis—been in remission for about 15 months now—and my iron levels have been stuck in the 8.5 to 9 range for a long time. About a month ago, I finished up my corticosteroid treatment (we tapered off slowly, so nothing abrupt there). Ten days ago, my iron was at 8.9. But over the last week, I’ve been hit with these headaches—all over, though mostly concentrated at the back of my head. My blood work from two days ago—CRP, ESR, metabolic panel, sodium, potassium, enzymes—everything came back normal. Except for the iron. It jumped to 28. I had it retested today because that spike seemed suspicious, and it came back at 26. Is it actually possible for iron to jump from 9 to 26 in just ten days without an IV infusion or taking oral supplements? (I’ve never taken iron pills). Could this be linked to the headaches or perhaps stopping the steroids? I’m seeing a neurologist this Tuesday. My BP is 130/90. I'm 36 and carrying about 30 extra pounds. Anyone have any thoughts? I'm currently on Salvador, 1000mg three times a day, to maintain remission—and the label mentions it can cause headaches.