So my iron (ferritin) levels are below range, and I'm looking to get them back up quickly via iron injections as I'm using vit c + iron without much luck (I suspect I'm not absorbing it too well).
I've looked at iron infusions in the UK, and they cost too much (£700 per infusion).
There was a member on here who sourced their own injections abroad, thread here:
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Does anyone know where I can source these?
Thanks.
Hi there I don’t know where you an source your own injections but I have had an iron infusion which took half a day in hospital but my daughter doctor did by infusion 4 vines at once said it’s a waste of time once a week ?.
How much iron is in these VitC tablets?
Have you tried Ferrous Sulphate tabs? They come in 200mg.
Surely your GP would prescribe those.
You definitely shouldn’t dive into giving yourself Iron injections! Unlike say B12, Iron is toxic in high doses.
Ferrinject is what i believe your looking to source. Personally its a potentially dangerous idea, because of the risk of anaphylaxis it should only be administered by a medical proffessional in a safe enviroment. If you have low ferritin but your heamoglobin is in range i think you don't have much hope of getting this on the nhs.
Yeah, may just go private route as they are trained for any issues. Thanks.
Hi BrecklandRanger, I have the same problem. I don't seem to get any benefit from iron tablets. I am sorry I can't advise on injections or infusions. I will be getting iron infusions in Russia when I go there in April.
As advised above, you can try ferrous sulphate tablets (you can get them on Amazon without prescription these days). They seem to be stronger than the staff you get from Holland & Barrett and online. Although they still didn't help me much/...
Ferrous fumarate is often better absorbed than Ferrous suphate, and less likely to irritate the stomach. You can take 3 x 210mg a day if you are desperate to raise your levels quickly (my daughter had to do this for a while). Another well-tolerated version of iron is ferrous glyconate. You can get ferrous fumarate over the counter in Superdrug or buy it from Amazon.
Thanks, will look into that. I take it with vit c to aid absorption and avoid certain foods/drinks 2 hours before/after.
Hi Breckland Ranger, I had very low ferritin and got an iron injection last Dec, it turned my health around. I got mine in Hong Kong because there was a British Airways sale and it was much less than £700. The nurse there told me everyone goes to a top hospital in Bangkok. Much cheaper than HK....okay... gives me ideas for my next holiday/ iron/ thyroid/ dentistry needs 😊.
(As an aside I was researching the best place to get dentistry done and discerning folks from California and Britain go to a specialist in Bangkok )
So the modern version of the iron injection is called an iron infusion.
In the past, iron injections were dangerous. Now they use a different type of iron and it doesn’t cause the same problems. This is why it is now offered by a private clinic in London to anyone who wants a top up.
I remember my mother telling me about getting iron injections many years ago. She was injected in the buttock and felt like she had been kicked by a horse for the next week or two.
I've often wondered how iron infusions are carried out - into muscle? into a vein? - and how people feel afterwards. Is it painful?
Hello HumanBean, the Iron Infusion is a drip mixed with saline, needle goes into vein on back of hand, lie down on couch for about 30mins as the iron and saline slowly goes into vein. Very easy, no pain, no fear. Doctor and nurse on hand to see everything is going to order. It’s 500ml of an iron compound I can’t locate the name of right now, but before I booked the HK hospital I looked up what the private doctor in the London clinic was using and asked for exactly that compound and the same amount as they give in London. It’s the single best health decision I ever made, years of iron tablets, eating liver, lamb, fish had little effect. And yes, zero pain during or at any time after. It’s just not an issue. However, as with anything intense, it is 500ml of iron after all, PLEASE do your own research eg the tissue damage caused by a huge sudden avalanche of iron bathing the body. It was worth the risk for me, but everyone needs to be aware of their own tolerance level. My iron levels are falling again. They shot up to over 170 but falling quite rapidly. So I will need to do it again at some point as I can’t live without it. It took away the incessant restless leg syndrome at night as well as giving me the energy to continue working full time, regain my brain health, etc.
Thanks for the info. 
I improved my iron with tablets but it took nearly two years. And I got there in the end only by going gluten-free. I don't have coeliac disease. Going g-f has improved my iron absorption enormously.
Great to hear that it helped, and the tip re travelling.
I'll try to push for a infusion on the NHS (not much chance), but will likely go private in the UK if all else fails.
Hope you find a path in the NHS, Breckland Ranger. It’s not exactly ideal having to go off country when NHS pay for other very expensive meds.
### Update ###
So I could'nt afford to have iron infusions privately (£700!), so the doc has put me on Ferrous Gluconate (300mg per tablet). It seems to do the trick, but slowly. You can buy these cheaply online without a script.
I take it with 1000mg of vit c to aid absorbtion, and I avoid any foods/drinks 2 hrs either side of dosing.
nice to hear how things are going for you
Iron infusion?
Iron Deficiency (Infusions)
adverse reaction to iron infusion
