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Iron supplementation is often important for vegans & vegetarians, especially if you also donate blood. Your doctor should measure your blood ferritin, not just hemoglobin. Both are important.
Iron gluconate pills work fine for my wife, but they make me nauseous. Iron glycinate pills work better for me.
Ferrous sulphate is also common but a bit nauseating and poorly absorbed in any case. Ferrous bisglycinate is also found branded as “gentle iron”.
For those very deficient in iron, an iron infusion will give you ~two years’ worth of iron in one go - and skips all the issues with oral bioavailability of iron. You will need to test your iron levels first to avoid iron overload.
One's view of infusion may depend on what formulations are available and at what cost. IIRC, the older, cheaper ones are more likely to cause serious reactions although the risk is relatively low. E.g., https://www.rutgers.edu/news/risk-severe-allergic-reaction-higher-two-intravenous-iron-boosting-products
Iron supplementation is often important for vegans & vegetarians, especially if you also donate blood. Your doctor should measure your blood ferritin, not just hemoglobin. Both are important.
Iron gluconate pills work fine for my wife, but they make me nauseous. Iron glycinate pills work better for me.
Ferrous sulphate is also common but a bit nauseating and poorly absorbed in any case. Ferrous bisglycinate is also found branded as “gentle iron”.
For those very deficient in iron, an iron infusion will give you ~two years’ worth of iron in one go - and skips all the issues with oral bioavailability of iron. You will need to test your iron levels first to avoid iron overload.
I write a bit about iron supplementation in my guide to treating restless leg syndrome (RLS) for which iron deficiency is a common cause: https://henryaj.substack.com/p/how-to-treat-restless-legs-syndrome
One's view of infusion may depend on what formulations are available and at what cost. IIRC, the older, cheaper ones are more likely to cause serious reactions although the risk is relatively low. E.g., https://www.rutgers.edu/news/risk-severe-allergic-reaction-higher-two-intravenous-iron-boosting-products