Hep C Discussion Forum

ucbgal · Senior Member

RE: Iron

tonib · Senior Member

Cheers and Hip HIp Hooooray!!! So glad for you!!! biggrin Pea****-Grounds for 01247.jpg

nurschic · Senior Member

My iron Levels are back to normal!!! Im so happy and I havent even got the rest of my 8 week lab work back yet!! I have a feeling that the high iron levels had an effect on my first 4 weeks of treatment and the results. I read where iron interfers with the injection absorption!! HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!!!

Here are my iron results....

Week 2 Week 8

Ferritin	225 H	140
TIBC	344	379
UIBC	130	314
Iron Serum	214 H	65
Iron Sat.	62 H	17

Kellie · Senior Member

Oh Ranelle, that is great news. Good investigating lab work. Sometimes I can be a little...lol...opinionated and soap boxy - didn't mean to offend any one, if I did. Once again I just love the forum and all the new friends I'm making and all the new stuff I'm learning. It could be so the opposite. A lot of folks do this treatment without much support (like me last time). It's a lonely dark place to be.

It makes all the difference in my world. Just coming back from giving 9 week labs - I'll get the results tomorrow. I'm feeling creepy and tired today. I got out for a little while to give the blood. The sun was out and the sky was blue. It doesn't get much better than this at the moment, me thinks... even with the creepy undercurrent - biggrin Kel

nurschic · Senior Member

Well, once again I have to give everyone on here a HUGE..... THANK YOU!!! The Drs office just called me and told me to stop taking the iron since my levels are high. If it wasnt for reading posts on here and the doing internet reading on iron and HCV, I would have never known to ask my Dr for the labs! You all are real lifesavers in so so many ways! I just got my 2 week lab results back and I think they look ok.... my T4 thyroid level has really jumped along with my Bili level, I am worried about that!

Here are my starting labs and 2 week labs for those who are interested......

	Start	2 Weeks
	May 6, 2013	Jun 17, 2013
WBC	8.4	6.2
Plat	325	301
Neut	72	72
HGB	16.3 H	14.3
HCT	47.4 H	42.7

TSH	0.533	0.799
T4	1.39	10.0

Protein	7.4	7.2
Albumin	4.8	4.4
Bili Total	0.4	1.2
Bili Direct	0.13	0.29
AST	31	29
ALT	53 H	42 H

HCV Quant	1,436,530
HCV Log10	6.157

Ferritin		225 H
TIBC		344
UIBC		130
Iron Serum		214 H
Iron Sat.		62 H

nurschic · Senior Member

Kellie wrote:
PS: the Zantac is working pretty good - the itch is almost gone as well as the rash. thank you!!!!!!!

That is so AWESOME Kellie!! Im so glad to hear that! There is no real reason for the supplement and I know it wont help with the kind of anemia that I will get with the medications, it was just one that I was taking. I had my 2 week labs drawn yesterday and it had a iron profile in it, so in a few days I should know something.

So far so good for week 3! I get my VL drawn in 2 weeks :)

Kellie · Senior Member

One more thing: most docs aren't trained in supplementation nutrition and the old tired "make sure you get enough iron" idea is pretty antiquated in my opinion. A lot of the time the docs are just following suite and recommending that menstruating ladies should always take supplemental iron. This is my opinion though and I'm not a doc or rn (yet). It's always good to research what goes into your bod. K

Kellie · Senior Member

Hi Ranelle, I haven't taken iron for years and avoid it like the plague. I always buy the multi w/o iron. Is there a medical reason you are taking it?

I remember being so bummed when I had to get rid of my cast iron pans. It was a science keeping those babies seasoned right.

Genetically no issues with low iron. Mom is the same. Iron for men over a certain age is contraindicated also.

My 8 week HGB is 11.4; RBC is 3.54 and WBC is 2.0 ( a bit lower). I'll have labs drawn tomorrow for 9 week results.

I will be looking forward to seeing what your doc/labs say. Have you had any issues with anemia in the past? Iron is stored in the liver and doesn't really move through it quickly.

I hope you're doing ok. Going into week 3 right? K

PS: the Zantac is working pretty good - the itch is almost gone as well as the rash. thank you!!!!!!!

Tig · Admin

I was told that Iron supplements are contraindicated during treatment.

mallani · Guru

Hi Ranelle,

I hope you're getting a full Iron profile done. Iron supplements are usually contraindicated in HCV, particularly during Rx. The extra Iron won't help the Riba anaemia, and puts extra load on the liver. Let us know the results. Cheers.

Cinnamon Girl · Guru

Oh ok, well your GI knows your medical history so all you can do is wait for the results to come back and and follow his advice...it`s the usual Hep C waiting game! Let us know what the results are anyway.

nurschic · Senior Member

Cinnamon Girl- I do not have to worry about that because I had a hysterectomy back in 1999 and my GI doctor knows that. I guess I will just wait to get my labs drawn on Monday and then the week for the results to come in and base my choice of continuing taking my iron supplements on that.....once again, its the hurry up and wait game.

nurschic · Senior Member

Hey Zlikster.... Yes, I am seeing a GI Dr who deals with Hep C. I requested an iron level to be drawn with my 2week labs and he sent the order right over. My GI dr has been great and very attentive.

Zlikster · Guru

i wouldn't take iron supplements, before checking iron levels in blood and consulting with hepa doc.

example, i got normal iron levels, but adding extra iron won't help ribavirin caused anemia, whats worse processing iron is pretty tough on liver. But if your GI says it's ok, then you must obey...i hope it's GI dr not GP dr u meant?

best

Cinnamon Girl · Guru

I`ve also read that pre-menopausal women have a much lower risk of developing problems with iron overload because of the amount lost through menstruation each month, so as you`re a young woman that could be a factor in your GI`s thinking too, Ranelle.

-- Edited by Cinnamon Girl on Thursday 13th of June 2013 01:54:58 PM

DJ · Senior Member

I have read that same info about iron, but my GI is also having me take iron supplements (I tend to be low always). I have cut down because they had me start out twice a day with iron and now I am once a day. But she still has me taking it. So I do think for some it is beneficial, but I too have been a bit concerned, but am following my doctor's treatment plan and hoping for the best.

nurschic · Senior Member

I have been taking an iron supplement for the past few months and my GI Dr knows. I even told him that I have changed my dosing to every other day instead of everyday. He said that it was fine for me to take it everyday if I want, but everything I have read says to not take them at all. I emailed him and asked for an iron level and he sent the labs request over so that I can get them done on Monday with the rest of my two week labs. He says that as long as I am not taking high levels of iron I shouldnt worry......thoughts?????

Cinnamon Girl · Guru

Hi Ranelle, it`s true that taking extra iron in the form of supplements is is not generally recommended, and that`s because some people with Hep C develop an overload of iron in their body, and too much iron can be toxic to the liver. But that doesn`t apply to everyone, and if your GI is happy with you taking it you should be fine following his advice. Once he gets your lab results back he will know for sure what your iron levels are like.

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