Iron Infusions in Sacramento | Lux Wellness CA

Low iron is often blamed on heavy periods. And while menstrual blood loss is a very common cause of iron deficiency, it isn’t the only possible explanation.

If your ferritin remains low despite taking iron supplements—or keeps dropping again after treatment—it may be worth asking a different question:

Why am I losing iron, or why am I not absorbing it?

At Lux Wellness CA in Sacramento, we believe iron replacement should be accompanied by a thoughtful evaluation of potential causes of iron deficiency. For some patients, improving nutrition and oral iron absorption may be enough. For others, persistent deficiency may warrant further medical evaluation and, when clinically appropriate, IV iron infusions.

What Does Low Ferritin Mean?

Ferritin is a protein that reflects the body’s stored iron. A person can develop depleted iron stores before becoming significantly anemic, which is why looking only at hemoglobin may not tell the entire story.

Iron deficiency can be associated with symptoms such as fatigue, decreased exercise tolerance, weakness, headaches, difficulty concentrating, restless legs, shortness of breath, brittle nails and hair shedding.

However, these symptoms are not specific to iron deficiency, so appropriate laboratory testing and clinical evaluation are important.

A typical evaluation may include a CBC, ferritin, serum iron, TIBC/transferrin and transferrin saturation, interpreted within the patient’s overall clinical picture.

7 Ways to Help Your Body Absorb Iron

1. Pair iron with vitamin C

Vitamin C improves the absorption of non-heme iron, the form found primarily in plant foods and many supplements. Office of Dietary Supplements

Try pairing iron-containing foods or your oral iron supplement with vitamin-C-rich foods such as citrus, strawberries, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli or tomatoes.

The American Gastroenterological Association also recommends adding vitamin C to oral iron supplementation to improve absorption. Gastro.org

2. Pay attention to coffee and tea

Coffee and tea contain polyphenols that can decrease absorption of non-heme iron when consumed with an iron-containing meal. National Academies Publications

That doesn’t mean you need to give up your morning coffee. Instead, consider separating coffee and tea from your iron supplement or iron-rich meal rather than taking them together.

3. Separate calcium and iron supplements

Calcium may interfere with iron absorption when the two are consumed together, although the long-term clinical impact is more complicated than social media posts sometimes suggest. NIH notes that experts commonly recommend taking individual calcium and iron supplements at different times. Office of Dietary Supplements

If you take a calcium supplement, discuss with your healthcare provider whether it makes sense to separate it from your oral iron.

4. Include heme iron when appropriate

There are two major dietary forms of iron: heme and non-heme iron.

Heme iron is found in foods such as meat and seafood and is generally more bioavailable. Non-heme iron is found in beans, lentils, vegetables, nuts and fortified grains and is more affected by other components of the meal. Office of Dietary Supplements

People following vegetarian or vegan diets can absolutely obtain iron from food, but meal composition becomes particularly important.

5. More oral iron isn’t necessarily better

This is an important update that many patients don’t know.

Taking iron several times per day isn’t necessarily the best strategy. Oral iron temporarily raises hepcidin, a hormone that regulates intestinal iron absorption.

Current AGA guidance recommends oral iron no more than once daily, and every-other-day dosing may be better tolerated for some people while maintaining similar absorption. Gastro.org

Your specific dose should still be determined with your healthcare professional.

6. If oral iron isn’t working, ask why

If you’ve faithfully taken oral iron but your ferritin remains low, simply continuing to increase the dose may not address the underlying problem.

Poor response can point toward ongoing blood loss, poor tolerance/adherence, impaired absorption or a medical condition affecting iron absorption. Elsevier Health

This is where investigating the cause becomes particularly important.

7. Know when IV iron may be appropriate

For many people, oral iron is an appropriate first treatment.

However, the AGA recommends considering intravenous iron when oral iron isn’t tolerated, iron stores fail to improve after an appropriate oral trial, or a patient has a condition in which oral iron is unlikely to be adequately absorbed. Gastro.org

That can include certain patients with active inflammatory bowel disease or a history of bariatric surgery. CGH Journal

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Why Is My Iron Low? Look Beyond Menstruation

Heavy menstrual bleeding absolutely deserves consideration, especially in premenopausal women.

But repeatedly replacing iron without considering why iron stores became depleted can miss an important part of the picture.

Depending on the individual’s history, clinicians may consider:

• Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, including fibroids or other gynecologic causes
• Gastrointestinal blood loss, including ulcers and other GI conditions
• Celiac disease, which can impair nutrient absorption
• H. pylori infection, which has been associated with iron deficiency
• Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Previous bariatric or gastric surgery, which can substantially reduce iron absorption
• Frequent blood donation
• Pregnancy or postpartum iron depletion
• Low dietary iron intake, particularly when combined with increased iron requirements
• Medications or conditions that reduce gastric acidity, which may affect absorption in some patients
• Other sources of chronic blood loss or malabsorption

GI conditions are particularly important when iron deficiency is persistent, recurrent or otherwise unexplained. AGA guidance specifically addresses iron-deficiency anemia in conditions including celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, bariatric surgery and gastrointestinal bleeding disorders. Gastro.org

What About H. pylori and Low Iron?

This is an area worth highlighting because many patients have never heard of the connection.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that infects the stomach. In some patients, infection can contribute to iron deficiency through several mechanisms involving gastric inflammation and iron availability.

Persistent or unexplained iron deficiency may therefore warrant discussion with a primary-care or GI provider about whether testing for H. pylori, celiac disease or another gastrointestinal cause is appropriate.

That is very different from assuming every low ferritin level in a menstruating woman is simply due to her period.

Replacing Iron vs. Finding the Cause

Think of iron treatment as having two separate goals:

Goal #1: Replace the missing iron.
This may involve dietary changes, oral supplementation or, when medically appropriate, IV iron.

Goal #2: Determine why the iron became depleted.

If someone receives iron and their levels improve but then fall again, the second question becomes increasingly important.

At Lux Wellness CA, we encourage patients with significant or recurrent iron deficiency to work with their PCP, OB/GYN, gastroenterologist, hematologist or other appropriate specialist to investigate potential sources of blood loss or impaired absorption rather than assuming menstruation is always the explanation.

When Should You Consider an Iron Infusion?

An iron infusion delivers iron intravenously, bypassing gastrointestinal absorption.

IV iron may be considered when someone cannot tolerate oral iron, does not adequately respond to oral iron, has impaired gastrointestinal absorption, or has circumstances in which oral replacement is unlikely to keep up with iron losses. Gastro.org

IV iron isn’t a replacement for investigating unexplained iron deficiency. The two can occur together: replenish the deficiency while working with the appropriate medical provider to determine its cause.

Iron Infusions in Sacramento

Lux Wellness CA offers IV iron infusion services in Sacramento for appropriately screened patients.

If you’ve been told that your ferritin or iron levels are low, have difficulty tolerating oral iron, or haven’t seen adequate improvement with oral supplementation, we can review your recent laboratory results and determine whether IV iron may be an appropriate option.

Our goal isn’t simply to “raise a ferritin number.” We want patients to understand their iron status, optimize the factors that can affect iron absorption, and seek appropriate evaluation when the cause of iron deficiency isn’t clear.

Serving Sacramento, Midtown Sacramento, Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Roseville, Rocklin and surrounding Northern California communities.

Looking for an Iron Infusion in Sacramento?

If you have recent iron studies or have been diagnosed with iron deficiency, contact Lux Wellness CA to learn more about our screening process and iron infusion options in Sacramento.

Iron infusions require appropriate clinical evaluation. Symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss and brain fog can have many causes and are not diagnostic of iron deficiency. Persistent or unexplained iron deficiency may require evaluation by a primary-care clinician, gastroenterologist, gynecologist, hematologist or another appropriate specialist.