Iron Pills question

Hi Ladies

I am almost 5 months post op and my recovery has gone very well.
With the exception of occasional fatigue, I am doing good.

I have been taking iron pills since April and they made a huge difference in how I felt. Even after I got released, my DR wanted
me to continue taking them. Anyway, I usually take my pills at work after breakfast. But last week, I didn't take them even though they sit right in my face all day long. The kicker is that since I stopped taking them, I feel better.

Has this happened to anyone else? Was my body becoming toxic?
Oh well, off to the trash can they go.

I was reading your post with an iron pill in my hand, literally.. ready to take it. My Dr told me to continue mine to until at least my post op appt.

I do think too much iron can make us feel like crap. I know my blood levels are within normal range now but I will continue to take them until the Dr says its ok not to.

I lowered my own dose when I got my blood transfusion... well after the transfusion and stopped bleeding. The Dr agreed with me when I told him I was cutting it out. He wanted me to stay on one a day instead of 3.

I was wondering last week why I was feeling as though I was slightly nauseated and feeling very heavy chested ... I truly believe its the iron.

I take a multi vitamin as well...

Dont take MY word for it, but I think you are hitting the nail on the head when it comes to having too much iron in your system! Call your Dr and explain to him that you felt better WITHOUT the iron and see if he/she doesnt release you from iron therapy!

Good luck

Hello, I'm 2wks post op & feeling pretty good. My doctor has me taking iron pills also. After surgery does everyone have to take them, and if so why?

I think only the ladies that either lost a good amount of blood during surgery or was already anemic are the ones that need to take iron. If blood levels were normal before and normal after, there should be no need for them.

My dr told me (and I dont understand it) that my level was 42% before surgery and 36% after... 42% of WHAT? The nurse told me my level was a 13 .. cant remember if that is the hemocrite, or hemoglobin or hemowhatever... but that is well within normal range

Good luck

Hi ladies,

I am sure not all ladies have to take iron after surgery.

When I was having serious 'Aunt Flo' 10 days straight a few days off then back again. I would call it more like 'Aunt Flood' =(

I became very anemic and was put on mega doses of iron. I also was eating everything I could that contained iron with orange juice to help my body absorb the iron. (nutritionist's advice on how the body absorbs iron)

I had a unique problem where my levels were not coming up even with all the iron food and supplements. I am sure because I was loosing so much blood my body couldn't keep up with "flo'

What was amazing is the day of my surgery my hemoglobin was at 12!!!! I had got the levels up! =-) I think I had better luck with the eating iron food and the citrus to help absorb the iron.

Anyway, after my 2 week check up. I was told only to take a muti-vitamin and to continue to eat my high iron diet. My anima was directly related to blood loss. No more Aunt Flo and my levels have been doing great in that area.

I still have the Lupron hurdle that is making me not feel good still. I was given the 3 month shot Sept. 5 and had the surgery the 29th. That is something I still don't understand? ? I found out after I had the shot there was a one month one. I have my ovaries still but am in this chemical menopause so some things my body is going through are most likely related to that.

I am happy to report that I no longer feel like I am going to pass out, no dizziness related to my blood count being so scary!

I am so glad to not have to take iron in high doses anymore. Iron caused me to have very hard black stools for months. Then making that first BM after surgery real scary when I was so full of iron. lol =-X

As always since I am not a DR and we are all different, ask your GYN before stopping taking iron. Especially if your not sure where your levels are at. The worst I was before surgery was hemo at 6! and that is dangerous.

*HUGS*
Febie
IT's GONE! Kept ovaries.

Hey Febie...
Your saga and mine sound SO paralle... I had Auntie FLOOD too, and I was very anemic... I had a 2 unit blood transfusion on Sept 11th... My 3 month Lupron shot was givin to me on Sept 9th. I didnt stop bleeding until late Sept.

By surgery time my blood was up to 13! Dr said I had minimal blood loss yet he still has me on iron till he sees me for my post op.

Needless to say after having 2 week periods back to back for months it took its toll. I was on 1000mg of Iron a day plus my multi vitamin. When I had my blood transfusion they got my blood up to an 8.6 ... it made a HUGE difference... before the transfusion I couldnt breath and my heart was pounding out of my chest just by taking a few steps on level ground.

Im hoping these horrid hot flashes go away SOON. I have blamed the Lupron on them, but Ive had them non stop since my surgery and I still have both my ovaries.

I figure by todays date I have 7 more days to where there is any Lupron left in my system!

Just wanted to respond to you cuz your problem sounds exactly like mine.. and things happened around the same time too!!

Take care

Hey Stacey,

Wow, you and I do seem to have a lot in common. I had heavy bleeding/clots from 4 rapid growing fibriods.

I had a horrible time after I was given the Lupron shot! That would be another thread. I had side effects that I still am dealing with. Some things have improved. I still have vision problems and my memory is a mess. sweats and so on.

Let me know how you are doing in that area. I am trying to flush the Lupron out of my system.

Thank God for this sight, it has on so many occassions made me feel not alone. Freinds, family really don't understand.

((((HUGS)))))
Febie

It's GONE! Kept ovaries.

Hi all,
I was anemic at surgery date (9 hemoglobin) but iron is so constipating and my surgery was TVH and pelvic reconstruction so MD DID NOT order iron due to constipation. I am now 9 weeks post op and without iron pills my hemoglobin is 11 and hemocrit went from 29 to 35. I am not sure if taking iron really does all that much. I think the fact that I am no longer having 30 day periods will get that blood up there on its own.

Hi Febie...

I had those clots too. What I want to know is WHERE the heck did they come from?? LOL. I was having clots bigger than baseballs.. and several at a time. It was when I would pass those, then flood right after those came out where I felt like the life was being drained out of me. The most severe time being Sept 7th when I actually fainted on my bathroom floor. The worst part of that was that the clots were still coming out. It was absolutely insane.

I waited 2 days before I went to the Dr (my bad..) and I just told him I cannot live like this anymore. He did a uterine biopsy that day and the results came back no cancer but he suspected either fibroids or a polyp. I still dont know if I had either of those. Im very curious to know.

IM just so relieved that its over... no more "murder scenes" each month in my bathroom. My poor DH .. his stomach is not the strongest.. LOL... So he wont have to deal with those sights anymore.

I was always a heavy bleeder but this was well beyond ridiculas.

	Quote:
Originally posted by kiap44 Hi all, I was anemic at surgery date (9 hemoglobin) but iron is so constipating and my surgery was TVH and pelvic reconstruction so MD DID NOT order iron due to constipation. I am now 9 weeks post op and without iron pills my hemoglobin is 11 and hemocrit went from 29 to 35. I am not sure if taking iron really does all that much. I think the fact that I am no longer having 30 day periods will get that blood up there on its own.

Iron is terribly constipating. I took stool softeners with them. I felt much better after taking Iron but even better still now that I dont bleed anymore.

My last blood test before a hysterectomy was even considered, my regular MD suspected I was low.. maybe a 10 he said (11 being the LOW normal) .. I was a 6. Blood is a good thing to HAVE Never in my life did I realize how important it is to keep levels on the normal level if possible until I needed my transfusion. Well, after my transfusion was when I realized how bad it really had become.

Are you feeling more energetic now? I know I am