Weight gain/acne after iron infusions?

[antiqua]

So I (female, 21) was convinced by a quack naturopath to receive two wildly expensive iron infusions a few months ago, based solely on low-ish ferritin. Since then I have gained around 10 pounds without dietary change, and started breaking out on my forehead and suffering dandruff. I have never experienced dandruff before in my life. Does anyone else have insight around iron infusions and how to recover? I’ve already donated blood once since receiving them and I will continue to do so as often as I’m allowed.

 

[redsun]

So I (female, 21) was convinced by a quack naturopath to receive two wildly expensive iron infusions a few months ago, based solely on low-ish ferritin. Since then I have gained around 10 pounds without dietary change, and started breaking out on my forehead and suffering dandruff. I have never experienced dandruff before in my life. Does anyone else have insight around iron infusions and how to recover? I’ve already donated blood once since receiving them and I will continue to do so as often as I’m allowed.

Did you improve in other aspects from the iron infusion?

 

[antiqua]

Did you improve in other aspects from the iron infusion?

Not at all. I went to this naturopath because I’m suffering hormonal imbalance after stopping spironolactone (basically the same as the birth control pill). I now realize that my hormones are messed up because I’m not ovulating or detoxing estrogen. I was never iron deficient to begin with.

 

[redsun]

Not at all. I went to this naturopath because I’m suffering hormonal imbalance after stopping spironolactone (basically the same as the birth control pill). I now realize that my hormones are messed up because I’m not ovulating or detoxing estrogen. I was never iron deficient to begin with.

What was your ferritin?

When iron is suddenly available, this can trigger a large increase in RBC formation. This can deplete other nutrients needed to make them (such as B vitamins, zinc, other minerals). This can suddenly increase your susceptibility to other issues that you never had before. You can try a B-complex and zinc to help the dandruff. Specifically low B2, B3, B6 and zinc are associated with development of dandruff. You should not need to donate blood and I highly caution against donating especially considering your ferritin was already low before. Its not going to help the dandruff. It will likely make you worse as blood loss will further use up nutrients to make more RBC to replace what you lost.

 

[antiqua]

What was your ferritin?

When iron is suddenly available, this can trigger a large increase in RBC formation. This can deplete other nutrients needed to make them (such as B vitamins, zinc, other minerals). This can suddenly increase your susceptibility to other issues that you never had before. You can try a B-complex and zinc to help the dandruff. Specifically low B2, B3, B6 and zinc are associated with development of dandruff. You should not need to donate blood and I highly caution against donating especially considering your ferritin was already low before. Its not going to help the dandruff. It will likely make you worse as blood loss will further use up nutrients to make more RBC to replace what you lost.

Thanks for the advice! My ferritin was 25 before the infusions, not sure what it is now. I think I have a lot of stored iron in my tissues from not having my period for a number of years, so I’m not super worried about low iron overall. Currently working on improving ceruloplasmin.

 

[redsun]

Thanks for the advice! My ferritin was 25 before the infusions, not sure what it is now. I think I have a lot of stored iron in my tissues from not having my period for a number of years, so I’m not super worried about low iron overall. Currently working on improving ceruloplasmin.

Well if you did your ferritin would be much higher after all those years. And that is considered low. How much ferritin could have gone up depends on how much iron was in those infusions. Also it depends how much iron was used for other functions.

Copper should be enough to raise ceruloplasmin but usually most people get enough from the diet. It depends though on what you eat.

 

[John mcclain]

Cant remember where I read about ferritin but maybe it on the stop the thyroid madness forum but high ferritin had nothing to do with iron levels in the body but was a good indicator of high inflammation so having high is bad in there eyes....unfortunately I have had levels as high as 900 but with thyroid I get down to 500 with 400 being max high on our range...low is what you want

 

[antiqua]

Cant remember where I read about ferritin but maybe it on the stop the thyroid madness forum but high ferritin had nothing to do with iron levels in the body but was a good indicator of high inflammation so having high is bad in there eyes....unfortunately I have had levels as high as 900 but with thyroid I get down to 500 with 400 being max high on our range...low is what you want

Indeed John, I have learned about this ferritin paradox in recent days studying Morley Robbins’ protocol. I can’t get diagnosed with hypo so no thyroid for me but I’m gonna try apolactoferrin. It keeps pathogenic microbes from feeding on excess iron.