possible iron issues with vsg coped from usa board.

Before I had my op both my surgeon and dietician flagged poor iron absorbtion as a potential side effect, so based on that I would say that this is a well known possibility. They have me on daily multi vitamins (probably like all of us) which are high in iron and B group for a very good reason. I am not convinced that diet would have all that much to do with iron levels if you are taking iron supplements as the amount of iron in the supplement, if absorbing properly, would easily supply your iron needs (assuming no other factors or anemia causing conditions exist).

When I questioned him about how bad it could get with the iron he suggested that the worse that could happen is that a patient could need six monthly or annual intravenous iron infusions but that this was, in his opinion, a small inconvienience compared to being morbidly obese with all the associated health effects of the weight. I totally agree with his sentiment!

I would suggest that it would be prudent to get iron levels tested regularly post VSG and a really good way to do this is to donate blood. You can do it every three months, it is free, they test your blood (iron I assume) levels and you are helping the wider community. If they refuse your donation on the basis of iron levels then you know you should be penciling in an appointment with your GP. What could be easier?

I had posted on another topic that I had low iron stores and just recently had an iron infusion. I was sleeved in Jan 2010. I didnt think I felt tired I felt great as I had lost all of this weight.......but after the iron infusion I realised I was fatigued as I feel great now. I also had regular blood tests and found my iron stores were falling.

I found it to be no drama, if that is what some of us have to do, so be it. My health is 100% on what it was this time last year. I had high blood pressure, pre diabeties, unfit, rashes, I was snoring, I dont have any of these issues anymore.

I have a great diet

Breakfast eggs or baked beans
Lunch corn beef, home made hamburgers, tuna or roast lamb and cheese
Tea slow cooker meat or hamburger patties or fish or spag bol not much pasta with it

Snacks are cheese and crackers, nuts, and small piece of fruit couple of bits of chocolate as a treat on the weekends, fruche and a glass of skim milk.

As you can see I eat well as I wanted the best results from the sleeve.

I take Centrum, B12 complex, and fish oil

I wish I had the sleeve years ago.

I love my sleeve

loser4eva

well the fact it has not happened to you is great, hope you never do, i haven't got that problem yet either, but im happy to know it exists so i can watch for it..
it was not posted to see if you agree with the medical findings, but to let people know to be aware it is happening to people.... the responses to this on the forum it was originally posted on show its definatly not isolated its happening to quite a few.

the male pf the species gives blood and has since he was 3 month out from his sleeve. perfect levels. my levels are checked every 6 months again perfect.

unless I can personally examin the diet of those claiming this I would tend to think the vast najority either have other factors involved or a shocking diet.

my sisiter doesnt have a sleeve has no known medical conditions and has shocking low levels, I can name at least 3 other people off the top of my head who only by chance found out they had very low levels again none with sleeves. you will also have a percentage of those not picked up before surgery because they simply where not tested now do.

applesauce

Thanks mini me, that was really interesting.

I wanted to share with you a post that came from a usa message board as it may help someone here.

"I have donated blood, every 60-90 days, since 1959. 8 Months ago, for the first time in my life, I was turned down as a donor, by the Red Cross, because I did not have a high enough Hemoglobin level (in shorthand, I was anemic).

I have NEVER been anemic in my life, not even remotely close to it. But, I began taking an iron supplement daily, in addition to my regular multi-vitamin with Iron.

Three weeks later, I was again turned down, because I was anemic. My hemoglobin was even lower than it had been the first time. I thought that I just hadn't been taking the Iron supplement long enough. I decided to wait 3 months, and then try again.

I was turned down again, 3 months later. My hemoglobin was now so low, that it was beneath the lowest that the Red Cross could measure with their screening system. They STRONGLY recommended that I see my PCP.

Instead, I went to the VA Medical Center in Nashville, TN. There, they did a complete blood workup. My hemoglobin was at 8.2 (normal range for a male is 13-15). They immediately gave me IV iron, and then they prescribed a prescription strength iron supplement every day.

I was told that the Nashville VA Medical Center currently hase 23 Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy patients in their system (from 4 different surgical programs). Of those 23, 9 (39%) of them have pronounced anemia. These 9 patients are from all four of the surgical programs involved with those VA patients.

Their hemoglobin, hematocrit and all related measures of iron in the body are well below the normal range. None of them have Hodgins Disease or Non-Hodgins Lymphoma, or any internal bleeding that could cause anemia. All of them (including me) slowly developed severe anemia, and all of us have had to have IV iron, and are on very potent prescription strength iron supplements.

The doctors at the VA told me that it appears that it is quite possible a significant proportion of VSG patients can not absorb adequate amounts of iron in their stomach's and duodenum. They have NOT excluded all other possible reasons for this, but they are very concerned that some patients may well have a permanent problem. They don't (so far) know WHY some of us develop this problem, and others appear not to.

They are in the process of studying this problem now. They have NOT completed their study, and nothing has been published about their findings.

If, months post-op, you begin to feel fatigued, need more sleep than usual, can not seem to have enough energy throughout the day and evening, find yourself fatigues more than you normally would be, it is recommended that you get your hemoglobin and hematocrit checked.

I am NOT trying to scare anyone. I am a VERY STRONG proponent of the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy I am convinced that having it done has extended my life significantly, and it has vastly improved my quality of life. Even if I have to remain on potent prescription iron supplements, and I have to periodically have IV iron, I will still be very glad that I had this surgery.

BUT, it IS something that people should be aware of. If you do develop anemia, it is generally easy to treat. But, you won't really know, until you are pretty far down the path of severe anemia.

It is not expensive to have the various iron related blood tests done. My physician at the VA Medical Center is recommending that all of their VSG patients have this routinely done every 3 months.

If you even have a suspicion that you may be developing anemia (or are scared that you just might), then ask your doctor to run the necessary blood tests.

It is much better to check this, and if needed to get treatment, than it is to wait till you have a very severe problem, which is much more difficult to deal with.

I sincerely hope that none of you have this. But, please do get it checked.

Medic Bill"