Iron and low red cell count

[abmicro]

Please tell me whatever you know about supplements like Ferrous Sulfate 325 milligram tablets, or Iron 65mg tablets, and if it helps boost red cell counts. My oncologist says supplements wont help. If you disagree with him, post your opinion please.

[Tall_Allen]

It depends why your RBC is low. It sounds like the problem is NOT a lack of iron. What is the source of the problem?

[abmicro in reply to Tall_Allen]

Because 15 years of various treatments caused my bones to take a beating. Several radiations of various spots, Radium 233, chemo, ADT. Perhaps I should run an iron test to see if I lack iron.

[Tall_Allen in reply to abmicro]

Adding iron when serum iron levels are already adequate may increase toxicity. it sound like the problem is that your bone marrow has been compromised and can no longer manufacture enough red blood cells. Have you discussed erythropoietin?

[abmicro in reply to Tall_Allen]

no but I will.

[pjoshea13]

If RBC is low due to low testosterone, adding iron will not help & could cause other issues.

If due to other reasons, do not add iron unless a deficiency is diagnosed.

Men rarely need to supplement with iron. Sometimes, if on a vegan diet.

-Patrick

[Peterd110]

Ask for an anemia panel. It will check for iron levels and other indices that will give a better understanding of what is going on. May be anemia of chronic disease and not iron deficiency.

[JimVanHorn]

My oncologist checked my Ferrin levels and they were fine, so Iron supplements did not help my low hemoglobin. I used Vit B 12 2000 IU chewable tabs and that helped me with energy and higher hemoglobin. I was having a high creatinin level 2.6 (normal is 0.2) . This means my kidneys are in bad shape. It turns out that the kidneys give out a hormone called erythropoetin that tells your bone marrow to release RBC's. So they gave me shots of Procrit which is a synthetic of that hormone. Now my hemoglobin is 11.7 and I feel much better (more energy). I go to an anemia lab. My oncologist used blood tests to figure all of this out. So ask questions, look at your blood tests, and just keep truckin'.