Low ferritin?

[Honolu]

I’ve been on tirz for two years and am a new woman—except I can’t get my low ferritin to budge despite following the protocols for oral iron supplementation. My doctor is now suggesting iv iron. Co-pay is astronomical.. has anyone bought this in grey? Son is a paramedic and can set up the drip…

 

[Calm Logic]

I found this, from an Indian pharmacy I use:

DM Pharma Bridge Export, Nagpur - Trader - Wholesaler / Distributor of Steroids Tablets And Injections

Trader - Wholesaler / Distributor of Steroids Tablets And Injections, Erectile Dysfunction Medicines - 2 & Anti Depression, Anti Anxiety And Other CNS Meds offered by DM Pharma Bridge Export from Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

www.dmonlinemeds.com

They have both ampules and vials of iron. (Personally, I prefer vials for my subq injections, but I have never used iron.)

This vial is for infusion too, but vials are more expensive ($45 in this case):

Encicarb 500mg Injection is an iron replacement product. It is used to treat a type of anemia in which the number of red blood cells is less due to a low level of iron in your body (iron-deficiency anemia). Iron is needed to produce the red blood cells that carry oxygen around your body.

This ampule for IV infusion is much cheaper ($4):

DM Pharma Bridge Export, Nagpur - Trader - Wholesaler / Distributor of Steroids Tablets And Injections

Trader - Wholesaler / Distributor of Steroids Tablets And Injections, Erectile Dysfunction Medicines - 2 & Anti Depression, Anti Anxiety And Other CNS Meds offered by DM Pharma Bridge Export from Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

www.dmonlinemeds.com

 

[AndyPanda]

I found this, from an Indian pharmacy I use:

DM Pharma Bridge Export, Nagpur - Trader - Wholesaler / Distributor of Steroids Tablets And Injections

Trader - Wholesaler / Distributor of Steroids Tablets And Injections, Erectile Dysfunction Medicines - 2 & Anti Depression, Anti Anxiety And Other CNS Meds offered by DM Pharma Bridge Export from Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

www.dmonlinemeds.com

They have both ampules and vials of iron. (Personally, I prefer vials for my subq injections, but I have never used iron.)

This vial is for infusion too, but vials are more expensive ($45 in this case):




This ampule for IV infusion is much cheaper ($4):

DM Pharma Bridge Export, Nagpur - Trader - Wholesaler / Distributor of Steroids Tablets And Injections

Trader - Wholesaler / Distributor of Steroids Tablets And Injections, Erectile Dysfunction Medicines - 2 & Anti Depression, Anti Anxiety And Other CNS Meds offered by DM Pharma Bridge Export from Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

www.dmonlinemeds.com

Also “Orofer S100 Iron Sucrose Injection” from the same vendor.

 

[CrabbyD]

Do some research. IV iron can cause reactions and usually require trial doses. I use Venofer at work and it's known to be fairly safe. I don't know of any sub q iron. I have always given it IV. Any time it would infiltrate my patients would complain of severe burning.

 

[Calm Logic]

I did just read on Reddit that people are sometimes given a corticosteroid before or after their iron IV.

I am more anxious than most, so I would not be doing any IVs outside of a medical facility (with anaphylactic medications, a crash cart, multiple personnel, monitoring equipment, etc). Like I would never go to a med spa for an IV, though some do offer iron IVs. A protocol for iron infusion reactions, including dealing with the relatively mild "sensation of heat":



Granted, something really bad happening is very rare and your son is extremely qualified to deal with emergencies, and he could get a vial of a corticosteroid from India (one is called Meth-Q of all things but they also have hydrocortisone). They even have adrenaline.

The gold-standard approach:

Hypersensitivity reactions to intravenous iron: guidance for risk minimization and management - PMC

Intravenous iron is widely used for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia when oral iron is inappropriate, ineffective or poorly tolerated. Acute hypersensitivity reactions during iron infusions are very rare but can be life-threatening. This ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Iron infusions should be given only on appropriately staffed sites equipped with resuscitation facilities. If IV iron is to be given outside hospital, there should be arrangements in place for immediate treat-and-transfer to an intensive care facility in the event of a severe reaction. The EMA states that iron should not be infused in the home.

If I absolutely had no choice, maybe Kevorkian-style in a van...or RV...but in the parking lot of the ER 🙂

So...regarding affordability:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Anemia/comments/v7bwjd/comment/ibjzmsk

AR Assist | Patient Assistance

www.ar-assist.com

https://www.injectafercopay.com/hcp/faqs

How to save on iron infusion cost​

Many iron infusion manufacturers offer patient financial assistance programs that can help cover some or all of the cost. For example, you can pay as little as $50 for a dose of Injectafer using the manufacturer’s savings program.

Other options include setting up a payment plan directly with the facility or healthcare professional, or using a medical credit card such as CareCredit. If you’re considering loan options, it’s important to compare the interest rates and finance terms of the different offers to keep the amount you pay over the life of the loan as low as possible.

 

[desinr-gal]

I have been technically pescatarian, but mostly vegan for 35 years. I keep my ferritin high by eating certain foods all the time; like Lentils, Cocoa powder, and black strap molasses. A morning latte with cocoa and molasses tastes good, add citrus like lemon juice to your meals to make iron more bio-available. You can also use iron cookware, or iron fish.
If you track your meals with an app like cronometer, you can see how much you are consuming and what foods are high.

 

[BioDad]

I’ve been on tirz for two years and am a new woman—except I can’t get my low ferritin to budge despite following the protocols for oral iron supplementation. My doctor is now suggesting iv iron. Co-pay is astronomical.. has anyone bought this in grey? Son is a paramedic and can set up the drip…

Not for nothing, but there are other causes for low iron and ferritin that won't budge. I'm assuming the doctor has ruled out a bunch of things, but low zinc, copper, or even vitamin a have been associated with low iron stores for a variety of reasons. There's also a marker - soluble transferrin receptor - that, along with ferritin (their ratio) kind of let's you know if your body "wants" more iron or not. In other words, if ferritin is low and wants more iron, or if ferritin is low because it is being intentionally suppressed by the body.

Bottom line, there's a lot more to the story that I hope your doctor has investigated first.

 

[Rejuvenateme000!]

I’ve been on tirz for two years and am a new woman—except I can’t get my low ferritin to budge despite following the protocols for oral iron supplementation. My doctor is now suggesting iv iron. Co-pay is astronomical.. has anyone bought this in grey? Son is a paramedic and can set up the drip…

I have low ferritin and iron. I have done 2 iron infusions. My coworker/friend always infusion the rate slower than what the provider says because of the burning. I have also bought iron (b-complex) from India. My b12 levels were sky high, my iron came up to normal after the infusions but after a few months my ferritin gets back very low- which means I have none stored. I have been searching for something for energy; I am interested to see if there is something for ferritin storage. for now, I'm going to do the 3rd iron infusion, then see a hematologist.
I plan on reading into the second one @Calm Logic posted.

 

[miss-sanne]

So, do you know why it's low ? I would explore that because it can be very simple or very dangerous. Did you have endoscopies ?

 

[Vish1979]

Low ferritin indicate low Iron reserves . ferritin below 15 indicate absent Iron reserves.
Though ferritin can be falsely normal as its a response to inflammation. Its a delayed inflammatory response marker.

Iron can not be given subcutaneously or intramuscularly
It has to be given IV by trained person as risk of anaphylaxis or reactions.
dose of Iron infusion will need to be calculated based on HB and ferritin levels

Iron sucrose is hardly used nowdays

Iron carboxy Maltose is a preferred one now days.

keep in mind Iron infusions can be painful

I Hope this helps

.