Hi all
Has anyone had a private iron transfusion? I have low ferritin and can’t get it to increase, wondering about going privately to have a transfusion. Not sure how I’d go about it and what the criteria needs to be. My ferritin is 24 or was but have had another very heavy bleed since that test so sure it will be lower now.
If you haven't already, it's worth trying heme iron first - quite a few on here have had success with it, myself included. I use Three Arrows Simply Heme. It's like getting a lot of liver without having to eat liver, and it brought my ferritin up from 20s to 80s in a few months. Very well tolerated (I have a terrible gut and poor absorption usually). Iron infusions are notoriously difficult to get on NHS and even privately I think - they don't like to do them unless you're severely anaemic (very low iron and haemoglobin, not just ferritin) and not responding to oral iron, because there are risks involved.
Thank you that’s really interesting. I am at my wits end with trying to sort this out and feeling worse daily hence thinking of a transfusion. My haemoglobin isn’t low now, so unlikely they would do it and as you say it carries substantial risks.
Thanks for the links, I will look at that. How does the dosing work with the heme iron?
You just take it like anything else - a capsule a day. I take mine before lunch with some vitamin C just to help it along.
helvella - Iron Document
This is a summary of what I have read up and found out about iron supplements over the past few years. I am not in any way medically trained. You are strongly encouraged to check every detail before making any decisions for yourself.
Depending on where you are in the country, I’ve heard good things about this clinic in Cambridge.
My ferritin has traditionally been similar to yours and I’ve been supplementing with Three Arrows but need to check my levels. I don’t feel any better on them, but, that could be due to a range of other factors. I can vouch for their lack of side effects.
Good luck.
three arrows did it for me, mine is super stubborn too. Non heme supplements don’t absorb too well of you drink tea coffe herbal decaff eat chocolate etc. heme doesn’t seem to be affected by this. Note three arrows takes weeks to arrive eat liver twice a week and take iron biglycinate while you wait. My ferritin was 140 2 months after starting three arrows. I then tapered off to a vegan biglycinate but fear my levels are dropping again which is impacting my thyroid hormone uptake. I’ve just ordered more and a blood test to find out. I have fibroids and heavy blood loss .. I hear you 🙏🤗🌱
thanks all for your replies. I think I’ll give the Heme iron a go and see if it helps. There isn’t any worry about too much iron with these is there?
Hi, my Ferritin went down to 8 a few years back. I took iron tablets & then thankfully went through the menopause. Despite eating a lot of beef meals with a glass of orange juice to aid iron absorption, my level now is only 48. I really see no way of helping my ferritin rise. I am going to try the product suggested by seveneleven which might be a good idea for you to try also. Good luck x
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