Has anybody had an iron infusion?

[Serendipitious]

Hello all, I went to a very helpful and patient endocrinologist yesterday as recommended by the lovely ladies here. It was a private appointment. I am hypothyroid and I have antibodies around the 200 mark. One of the main issues I have is fatigue and I struggle to increase my ferritin levels as I cannot tolerate iron supplements. Even spatone makes me very hot and unable to sleep at night. I've also tried ferrous fumarate from the GP. My current levels are 19ug/l and the range is 11-336. My GP refused to give me an iron injection.

The consultant first said that my iron needs to be addressed and has quoted £900 for an iron infusion and says iron injections are not given anymore. I'm sure my Dad had one about a 18 months ago through his GP. Apparently, the infusion requires a doctor onsite as it can be dangerous and I may need 3 to get my levels up. My insurance won't cover this either. There's no way I can afford this amount.

Have iron injections really been replaced by infusions? Can anybody let me know where I can have this done for less? I'm in London.

Thanks

[humanbean]

I can't answer your question but I can link you to this page :

evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/b...

It is from the BNF - British National Formulary - and tells you about iron injections and/or infusions used by the NHS and how much they cost. The BNF isn't always up-to-date with price, but it will give you an idea. Read all the Sub-Sections and click on the product names to get all the information available.

[BrecklandRanger]

Hi there.

Have you tried: The Iron Clinic in London? I'm in the same boat, and may have to go this route (iron IV).

Never tried them, so due diligence is required!

[Serendipitious in reply to BrecklandRanger]

Yes I've heard of the iron clinic. Luckily my medical insurance which I had at the time eventually agreed to pay for it. My ferritin has now increased from 19 to 150. If your iron is low and you can't tolerate tablets then this will help as adequate ferritin levels are so important for the uptake of thyroid medication but it is expensive.

[BrecklandRanger in reply to Serendipitious]

Glad it's looking up!

I urge people to also inform themselves re the many types of anemia, the causes, and the pitfalls of supplementing with iron (ie if you have an underlying disease).

Some good books:

The Iron Disorders Institute Guide to Anemia

The Complete Guide on Anemia: Learn Anemia Symptoms, Anemia Causes, and Anemia Treatments.

[Serendipitious]

Thanks BrecklandRanger I'll take a look. Is there any particular reason for your shortage of iron? Mine is due to heavy periods.

[BrecklandRanger in reply to Serendipitious]

No, although being epileptic there are studies that show certain anticonvulsants (ie Epilim) have been known to bugger up iron production (in the marrow). There are studies out there, so if anyone is epileptic it's worth looking into.

Other than that, could be malabsorption, etc.