I cannot get my Iron levels up , if I try this happens...?

[Bansaw]

My mineral lab tests show low iron so I've been trying to supplement. I tried Ionic Iron but all that did was push way up my Potassium levels so my doctor told me to stop. My iron level remained static.
Why, despite taking iron supplements, is my iron still low, and how can I effectively improve my iron?

(Most of my minerals are low to be honest so there's something absorption-wise going on, but I wonder if I have bad bacteria in my gut that is hanging onto and using useful minerals?)

 

[heapsreal]

Hormones are important in iron levels especially testosterone as its know to increase red blood cells etc.

The other thing u may have tried is vitamin C as it helps absorption of iron and iron supps.

 

[jason30]

I second vitamin c, also red meat and brocolli is adviced to raise iron.

 

[heapsreal]

Also if very low and meet a certain criteria EPO, the drugs some athletes use to improve endurance , mightbe able to be prescribed. It increases red blood cells by stimulating bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.

Also need good b12 and folate which help in red blood cell production .

Cheers

 

[Mij]

I had low ferritin problems for 20yrs. As of last year I no longer have any problems since taking Pepzin GI twice a day. My ferritin went way up to 98 on it's own!

 

[Bansaw]

I had low ferritin problems for 20yrs. As of last year I no longer have any problems since taking Pepzin GI twice a day. My ferritin went way up to 98 on it's own!

Mij, - you mean that you took Pepzin GI plus an iron supplement. Or do you mean you took Pepzin Gi by itself and that just helped overall absorption from iron in the food you were eating?
(and what brand of PepzinGI are you using?)

 

[Mij]

@Bansaw no, I only took Pepzin GI to make sure it was raising my iron on its own. I take Doctor's Best brand.

I was treated for h.pylori many years ago and I believe it damaged the lining of my gut and interfered with my ability to absorb minerals.

 

[Bansaw]

@Bansaw no, I only took Pepzin GI to make sure it was raising my iron on its own. I take Doctor's Best brand.

I was treated for h.pylori many years ago and I believe it damaged the lining of my gut and interfered with my ability to absorb minerals.

Thanks, I might give that a go. I was taking Zypan which I think helped me but its expensive. I think I also tried Pepsin HCL at one point but didn't note any difference.
How did you test you iron by the way? (I use hair tests)

 

[Mij]

@Bansaw I think it's worth a try. Pepsin HCL, gluten free diet etc didn't help me.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I also take digestive enzymes

My ferritin was tested by blood.

 

[caledonia]

My doc says if you have trouble raising iron, you might be low in molybdenum. Molybdenum helps with the assimilation of iron. Therefore you can try supplementing with molybdenum and see if that helps.

Based on the experiences of people on here and reading on other sites regarding molybdenum, I suggest keeping the amount on the low side, like 25-75mcg. If you take too much moly for too long you can make your sulfur go too low which can cause a bunch of other problems. 500mcg would definitely be too much long term. 100mcg might be too much for some people.

 

[ahmo]

Also, some bacteria eat iron. The more you feed them, the more they'll use.

 

[Bansaw]

Also, some bacteria eat iron. The more you feed them, the more they'll use.

This is my worry. Is my gut dysbiosis responsible for some vital minerals not getting to where they should. If so, how do you test for pathogenic bacteria which are waylaying iron, zinc, etc?

 

[ahmo]

This is my worry. Is my gut dysbiosis responsible for some vital minerals not getting to where they should. If so, how do you test for pathogenic bacteria which are waylaying iron, zinc, etc?

Sorry, I don't know. I know that before I started GAPS diet, I'd been pouring in iron, and still coming up deficient.

 

[Bansaw]

Sorry, I don't know. I know that before I started GAPS diet, I'd been pouring in iron, and still coming up deficient.

Did the GAPS diet fix it, or was it something else you did?

 

[Little Bluestem]

B2 is needed to get iron out of the liver and into the red blood cells. B1, manganese, B12, and folate are also needed.

 

[alex3619]

Be careful with presuming that low ferritin means low iron. They are not the same thing. For example, some people have very low ferritin and low serum iron, but super high liver iron (though this is a rare genetic disorder). Ferritin and iron do not always match. I have super high ferritin and lowish iron - technically "normal" but if my iron drops even one point it wont be. Ferritin is just a clue something might be going on with iron, but then you need further iron tests to be sure.

 

[Gondwanaland]

B2 is needed to get iron out of the liver and into the red blood cells.

I think vit A is in charge of iron transport, under the command of B2 (?)

 

[Seven7]

My sister had same issue, she went to a hematologyst and funny enough she was put on Methylb12 shots w folic acid then her iron came up. She had iron shots and foods and everything under the sun.

After the mb12 shots she is ok now, levels are ok. But she is on shots for live.

 

[ahmo]

Did the GAPS diet fix it, or was it something else you did?

Maybe. The diet got me eating meat, so an ongoing source of iron. I haven't had my iron levels tested for many years. But the diet was the beginning of my healing. Later I made my way through protocols for bacteria.

 

[Mij]

Inester7 brings up a good point. I also had low B12 levels and it is possible that taking active b complex with extra b12 brought up my iron levels. I can't say for sure, but I took all this including the pepzin gi supplement during the same time period.