Just Diagnosed Iron Deficient

[GreenMachineX]

I know there's another thread already about a plan, but this is more about symptoms. I'm experiencing chest pain/tightness, dizziness, lightheadedness, mild fatigue (oddly only mild...?), rapid heartbeat, getting out of breath too easily, and I'm not sure if it's related, but been fighting sinus issues and bronchitis type productive coughing for 5 weeks. Anyone else become iron deficient from donating too much?

Last night the tachycardia and chest tightness was so bad I went to the ER and my EKG and heart enzymes were all fine. What wasn't fine was my chest lymph nodes on the contrast x-ray which were swollen. Being referred to a pulmonologist for that.

 

[B5150]

Been preaching about the ills of frequent donations and iron deficiency for a while. Everything you discribed is accurate.
kenpoengineer is also experienced.

I use double and triple doses slow-e (45mg elemental iron) but the challenge is getting enough to rapidly get it back up but the constipation can be a bitch. I try to use every other day to try to keep regular. Fortunately you will experience improvement in symptoms relatively quickly once to supplement.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Been preaching about the ills of frequent donations and iron deficiency for a while. Everything you discribed is accurate.
kenpoengineer is also experienced.

I use double and triple doses slow-e (45mg elemental iron) but the challenge is getting enough to rapidly get it back up but the constipation can be a bitch. I try to use every other day to try to keep regular.

Gotcha. Wait, the swollen chest lymph nodes could be related???? The ER doc is concerned I have sarcoidosis or lymphoma....

 

[B5150]

Gotcha. Wait, the swollen chest lymph nodes could be related???? The ER doc is concerned I have sarcoidosis or lymphoma....

i don't believe so.

 

[GreenMachineX]

i don't believe so.

Oh ok.

 

[The Matrix]

If your ferritin ,CBC are off and iron panel low then you have true deficiency. Remember there are over 27 different type of anemia other then iron. Low testosterone is also one of the them. If ferritin is low and CBC and panel are normal then you probably have an infection such as Lyme or coinfections. As mentioned prior you need to find underlying pathology even look at an ulcer or other bleeding in the body.

 

[mccollums]

I was reading a pre-workout supplement thread yesterday and saw that some of the products contained the ingredient Inositol. I wonder if this is the same inositol that people with hemaechromatosis take to lower their iron? Do any of your supplements contain this? I believe IP6 binds with serum iron...

I had iron overload from chronic inflammation and I donated blood and took IP6 (inositol hexaphosphate) to lower my iron/ferritin along with the other supporting blood markers (tranferrin saturation, TIBC, UIBC etc..)

 

[GreenMachineX]

If your ferritin ,CBC are off and iron panel low then you have true deficiency. Remember there are over 27 different type of anemia other then iron. Low testosterone is also one of the them. If ferritin is low and CBC and panel are normal then you probably have an infection such as Lyme or coinfections. As mentioned prior you need to find underlying pathology even look at an ulcer or other bleeding in the body.

The infection idea is better than what the ER doctor said regarding enlarged lymph nodes too. Hopefully that's all it is and not lymphoma or sarcoidosis. The only things wrong with my bloodwork were very low ferritin and very low iron saturation. Serum iron was at the bottom of the range. Red blood cells were above normal but hematocrit and hemoglobin were normal. Monocytes was barely above normal but that's it for CBC. Otherwise BUN and Bun/creatine ratio was 10 points above the range but I've read dehydration could do that too.

I was reading a pre-workout supplement thread yesterday and saw that some of the products contained the ingredient Inositol. I wonder if this is the same inositol that people with hemaechromatosis take to lower their iron? Do any of your supplements contain this? I believe IP6 binds with serum iron...

I had iron overload from chronic inflammation and I donated blood and took IP6 (inositol hexaphosphate) to lower my iron/ferritin along with the other supporting blood markers (tranferrin saturation, TIBC, UIBC etc..)

Nah, nothing with IP6. I was donating every month though. So I'm sure that's how I ended up iron deficient.

 

[B5150]

I know there's another thread already about a plan, but this is more about symptoms. I'm experiencing chest pain/tightness, dizziness, lightheadedness, mild fatigue (oddly only mild...?), rapid heartbeat, getting out of breath too easily, and I'm not sure if it's related, but been fighting sinus issues and bronchitis type productive coughing for 5 weeks. Anyone else become iron deficient from donating too much?

Last night the tachycardia and chest tightness was so bad I went to the ER and my EKG and heart enzymes were all fine. What wasn't fine was my chest lymph nodes on the contrast x-ray which were swollen. Being referred to a pulmonologist for that.

If your ferritin ,CBC are off and iron panel low then you have true deficiency. Remember there are over 27 different type of anemia other then iron. Low testosterone is also one of the them. If ferritin is low and CBC and panel are normal then you probably have an infection such as Lyme or coinfections. As mentioned prior you need to find underlying pathology even look at an ulcer or other bleeding in the body.

Try not to become alarmed. All reasonable evidence supports your donations caused your deficiency.

http://m.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/iron-and-blood-donation/iron-info-frequent-donors

Follow up with your referral and see what's going on with lumps.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Try not to become alarmed. All reasonable evidence supports your donations caused your deficiency.

http://m.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/iron-and-blood-donation/iron-info-frequent-donors

Follow up with your referral and see what's going on with lumps.

Right on.

Did y'all reduce exercise intensity or just try to take life a bit easier while in this state? It seems even a big meal makes my heart beat harder/faster and get lightheaded. I have a bit of a laborious job where I burn quite a bit of calories moving boxes and running all day. Even taking a load of laundry up the steps makes me winded. Just wondering if trying to take it easier would be wise.

 

[B5150]

Of course it's a good idea. Not that it's detrimental but getting lightheaded and falling down and breaking your heads is not very becoming.

Get that iron in you. Symptoms subside pretty quickly.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Of course it's a good idea. Not that it's detrimental but getting lightheaded and falling down and breaking your heads is not very becoming.

Get that iron in you. Symptoms subside pretty quickly.

lol yeah, true. I wasn't thinking about it from that angle. Just doing things to make me lightheaded, dizzy, etc could be damaging in some way. But I gotcha. Thanks.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Been preaching about the ills of frequent donations and iron deficiency for a while. Everything you discribed is accurate.
kenpoengineer is also experienced.

I use double and triple doses slow-e (45mg elemental iron) but the challenge is getting enough to rapidly get it back up but the constipation can be a bitch. I try to use every other day to try to keep regular. Fortunately you will experience improvement in symptoms relatively quickly once to supplement.

Did you mean Slow-Fe? Or just slow-e? Have you tried stuff like Blood Builder or any of the other kinds to minimize sides?

 

[B5150]

Did you mean Slow-Fe? Or just slow-e? Have you tried stuff like Blood Builder or any of the other kinds to minimize sides?

yup. Sorry. Slow Fe. It's what my wife had laying around. I went to Walmart for some (spring valley) 65mg. Very inexpensive. I've not tried blood builder. I'll look into it.

 

[GreenMachineX]

yup. Sorry. Slow Fe. It's what my wife had laying around. I went to Walmart for some (spring valley) 65mg. Very inexpensive. I've not tried blood builder. I'll look into it.

Started slow-fe today. I wanted to wait until after the biopsy with anesthesia to start anything new. So far, I've taken only 1 tablet but my doctor wants me to take 325mg iron twice a day. That sounds like a lot compared to what's in slow-fe???
Do you take 1 tablet 3 times a day or all of it once a day when loading?
Also now prescribed doxycycline for a lung infection (maybe causing the enlarged lung lymph nodes but maybe not) so I have to separate the iron dose from the doxycycline at least 2 hours.

 

[B5150]

Here is the slow fe:

The 45 mg of elemental iron in each tablet is equivalent to 142 mg of ferrous sulfate

So the net elemental iron is 45mg. He's likely referring to the total ferrous sulfate.

What he prescribed you is correct. You need to get your stores back up. He knows what he's doing.

Lots of water and fiber. The constipation can be a bitch.

 

[trn450]

When Iron Deficiency is diagnosed, the etiology needs to be determined. It can range from "benign" (e.g. diet related), to varying degrees of pathologic such as pernicious anemia (easy enough fix) or some other pretty bad things I won't mention.

The combination of swollen lymph nodes and iron deficiency can absolutely be related. It's all the more reason that the cause needs to be determined.

Having said that, if you're donating blood then the test is much more simple. Don't donate blood or do any of the other things you have been doing and see if the iron goes up. The really bad stuff should just keep tanking your iron stores despite your efforts.

 

[GreenMachineX]

When Iron Deficiency is diagnosed, the etiology needs to be determined. It can range from "benign" (e.g. diet related), to varying degrees of pathologic such as pernicious anemia (easy enough fix) or some other pretty bad things I won't mention.

The combination of swollen lymph nodes and iron deficiency can absolutely be related. It's all the more reason that the cause needs to be determined.

Having said that, if you're donating blood then the test is much more simple. Don't donate blood or do any of the other things you have been doing and see if the iron goes up. The really bad stuff should just keep tanking your iron stores despite your efforts.

From what I've read so far, sarcoidosis shouldn't reduce iron stores but can cause anemia which I definitely don't have.
I'm pretty sure a month into supplemental iron my hemoglobin and hematocrit are going to be sky high and ferritin moving up not quite as rapidly. Not sure what I'll do then.

 

[trn450]

Sarcoidosis causes an "anemia of chronic disease", not an iron deficiency anemia, to the best of my recollection.

The reality is you need to have a healthcare provider help you through this as something like this requires some continuity.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Sarcoidosis causes an "anemia of chronic disease", not an iron deficiency anemia, to the best of my recollection.

The reality is you need to have a healthcare provider help you through this as something like this requires some continuity.

Yeah, I will be.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Since beginning the slow-fe, I've had low dull headaches. Has this happened to anyone else???

 

[The Matrix]

If this was from phleb that the pathology
As mentioned before your body sequester ferritin to protect the body from pathogens.
Iron feeds pathogens namely Lyme and coinfections. I have mentioned to doctors when I had clinical evidence supporting a person having bartonella. They did not listen to their patient gave them iron and month later the bartonella was full expressing resulting in the client having to lose 2 semesters of college because they did not listen. Doctor almost ended up getting sued for negligence. Again I do not know your history and I do not want to assume anything. Just sharing one of the many times this happened. One needs to see the total clinical picture along with all the blood work. With out running.a full iron panel as well as other parameters you will not get a picture. Actually i prefer to have doctor to use prophin testing as definitely marker for iron deficiency.

 

[GreenMachineX]

If this was from phleb that the pathology
As mentioned before your body sequester ferritin to protect the body from pathogens.
Iron feeds pathogens namely Lyme and coinfections. I have mentioned to doctors when I had clinical evidence supporting a person having bartonella. They did not listen to their patient gave them iron and month later the bartonella was full expressing resulting in the client having to lose 2 semesters of college because they did not listen. Doctor almost ended up getting sued for negligence. Again I do not know your history and I do not want to assume anything. Just sharing one of the many times this happened. One needs to see the total clinical picture along with all the blood work. With out running.a full iron panel as well as other parameters you will not get a picture. Actually i prefer to have doctor to use prophin testing as definitely marker for iron deficiency.

I was tested for a range of infections that I didn't understand except I think I recall Lyme being mentioned. Otherwise only tested positive on the CMV IGG AB test.

 

[The Matrix]

If you IGG are 4/5 time higher end then it's a reactive infection. I see number of cases where IGG are 10x higher end on IGG and doctors are telling patient "don't worry about it's a pass reaction" that's such a crock �� .

So you telling me a person with HSV6 of x10 higher end. That's an past infection? Finally got a doctor to listen after going through "your not a doctor"BS
Doctor almost messed them selves to find out their patient had autoimmune encephalitis with NDMA antibodies via spinal tap from Duke University. I already suspected and had the doctors test for final diagnosis.

Really Lyme was mentioned and never followed up on? Seriously?! If you are going to test for Lyme use MDL western blot IGG/IGm because labcorp and quest suck monkey balls. They come up false negative 90% of the time. I use igenix for babesia and bartonella fish test for coinfections. There is also i spot from neuroscience as well

I suggest about 15 different viral screen to client's for doctors to run.


When it comes to Lyme/co infections and mold It easily to spot it in blood work very quickly once you get right parameters

 

[GreenMachineX]

I meant Lyme was tested and came back negative. I think I was tested for between 5-10 viral infections. I'll get the list.

The CMV IGG AB was as follows:

Component Your Value Standard Range
CMV IGG AB 1.39 SEE COMMENT
(NOTE)
Value Interpretation
----- --------------
< or = 0.90 Negative
0.91-1.09 Equivocal
> or = 1.10 Positive
A positive result indicates that the patient has
antibody to CMV. It does not differentiate between
an active or past infection.

 

[The Matrix]

CMV is not that high and often is not clinically significant
Lyme test is crap ran by lab corp or quest
Why I suggest MDL or igenix and still then they get misinterpreted majority of the time :crying:

 

[GreenMachineX]

Haven’t updated this thread for in a while. I supplemented iron off and on the past 8 months (more off than on actually), and my current labs are as follows:

My ferritin levels have come up dramatically (lowest documented was a 8) and iron saturation has come up a little (lowest was a 11 or 12 I believe?). The dizziness after every meal is gone, but if I eat a larger meal, my heart rate still climbs to 70-80, and pounds pretty hard. Also feel winded still on occasion but not often. Basically anything that increases my body’s demand for blood increases the symptoms. But the weird one is I’ve stayed up too late, got tired and then get up and move around, my heart rate will climb and pound for hours. Maybe just getting relaxed lowers blood pressure and that’s the body’s way of compensating? Maybe my iron levels still just aren’t optimal for me even though everything is in range?

My ferritin is quite a bit higher, but about 4 months ago I was switched to NatureThroid and have seen several articles showing corrected thyroid treatment brings ferritin up and elevated ferritin in hyperthyroidism.

I thought all this was related to e2 but my last e2 sensitive was a 27, and I’ve tried several different of testosterone doses ranging from 80mg per week to 140mg per week (total).

Anyone have any thoughts?
I did wear a Holter Monitor for a week about 5 months ago and found nothing.

 

[kenpoengineer]

What is your current hematocrit? BP? Are you taking a PPI like Nexium? Statin?

Read from the beginning and it looks like you did the same thing I did-over donated blood. This over-donation caused my ferritin and iron levels to crash. Is this correct?

 

[GreenMachineX]

What is your current hematocrit? BP? Are you taking a PPI like Nexium? Statin?

Read from the beginning and it looks like you did the same thing I did-over donated blood. This over-donation caused my ferritin and iron levels to crash. Is this correct?

Last hematocrit is holding at 48, consistent for 3 months, brought down from 54 due to losartan and haven’t donated in almost a year. I haven’t had a good blood pressure recently (I.e. when I’ve been relaxed without anxiety) and BP is around 140/80. Every time I was trying to take it, pulse would elevate and flutters would start and therefore, useless BP measurement so I stopped checking. I’ll check again in a few days as symptoms do seem to be improving since starting to take iron again (it’s been 6 days or so, started right after that iron lab draw).

I don’t take any prescriptions except losartan, testosterone cyp and NatureThroid. I’m 99.9% sure the iron deficiency I induced was from donating monthly for a year or so. I’m just trying to figure out if the symptoms I’m still having are just from iron not being optimal (even though normal) yet or something entirely different.

What symptoms did you have? Those heart flutters and increased heart rate are scary.

Other symptoms that may be related: longitudinal lines in nails, dry/grey hair (gained a ton of grey hair this past year, to the extent people think I’m 45 but I’m 34), dry/brittle toenails, dry skin, and tired-looking eyes. Not sure if any of it is related, but none of this was here about 18 months ago.

 

[kenpoengineer]

Low iron/ferritin makes my energy levels drop to the point an hour workout crashes me for the rest of the day. No issues with BP, toenails, gray hair or anything else.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Low iron/ferritin makes my energy levels drop to the point an hour workout crashes me for the rest of the day. No issues with BP, toenails, gray hair or anything else.

Well, I wonder if those other symptoms are from low iron decreasing thyroid hormones ability to work correctly.

How low did your ferritin and all get?

 

[GreenMachineX]

I’ve also wondered if some of my symptoms I’m having are from blood pressure dropping too low from different NO supplements I use and adrenaline increasing to bring BP back up. I started using l-Citrulline pretty heavy around the same time because my e2 dropped and increased my BP (my blood pressure reacts to everything lol). I had already been using Theanine, norvaline (in Slintensity), forskolin, and Agmatine. But probably not. Either way I’ve stopped Citrulline and forskolin and reduced Theanine and Agmatine dosage to see if it matters.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Other symptoms I forgot to mention:
Cold hands and feet (never been someone to get cold ever), and tinnitus.

 

[kenpoengineer]

Well, I wonder if those other symptoms are from low iron decreasing thyroid hormones ability to work correctly.

How low did your ferritin and all get?

Be aware that low iodine levels will cause thyroid malfunction.

My ferritin was 10 after just 4 blood donations;

 

[kenpoengineer]

Other symptoms I forgot to mention:
Cold hands and feet (never been someone to get cold ever), and tinnitus.

This tells me you have thyroid issues. Again, have your iodine levels checked.

 

[GreenMachineX]

This tells me you have thyroid issues. Again, have your iodine levels checked.

Gotcha. My appt is Wednesday so I’ll ask for that then.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Be aware that low iodine levels will cause thyroid malfunction.

My ferritin was 10 after just 4 blood donations;

when did you start iron and how long did it take to get back to a sufficient ferritin and what was that number?

I’ve read a few things that says that infection and inflammation can increase ferritin while having low iron, and in these cases it would be bad to supplement iron before treating the infection. Not sure what to do.
Either dropping the extra blood pressure supplements or taking the iron is working though. Heart symptoms are improving.

 

[kenpoengineer]

I started iron supplements the same day I received the blood test of 10 for ferritin. A year and a half later taking iron supplements and I’m still in the red or low ferritin.

 

[kenpoengineer]

 

[GreenMachineX]

I started iron supplements the same day I received the blood test of 10 for ferritin. A year and a half later taking iron supplements and I’m still in the red or low ferritin.

Whoa! Are you still donating????

 

[GreenMachineX]

Yeah, it’s confusing to me because my ferritin is so high but everything else points to mild iron deficiency.

 

[The Matrix]

This is often seen in acute inflammation.
Pmgamer also found supplementing when ferritin has higher was found to be beneficial. If you want true iron status I have doctor's run zinc porphyrin. Very few if any doctors even run this test to cross check iron deficiency

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/zinc-protoporphyrin

 

[CaptainSpuddy]

Make sure to take vit c with iron to aid absorption, and avoid any dairy, calcuim, tea, coffee (tannins), red wine, that tend to block absorption of iron (avoid these foods for 2 hours before/after taking iron).

As well as donating blood, other things that can cause iron to tank: internal parasites (ie hookworm), ulcers (made worse by aspirin), low stomach acid (when you cannot get iron from foods), etc.