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[u/dragonlovercolorado]

[u/Alisha_Nat]

Yes. What type of iron infusion did you have & when? Have you discussed progestin-only birth control pills like Slynd? Those can eliminate your period if taken continuously (skipping the placebo pills) and they don’t tend to carry the risk of combination bcp that have estrogen & progestin.
If iron infusions aren’t working to increase your ferritin it’s important to figure out why. It could be due to inflammation which can cause the liver to release a hormone called hepcidin that blocks iron absorption. The best way to evaluate that is to ask for a full cbc, iron panel including ferritin and a high-sensitivity CRP test. If the CRP test is high that could point to inflammation being a factor instead of strictly an absorption or blood loss issue. Have your doctors suggested an endoscopy or colonoscopy to check for possible internal bleeding?

[u/Adorable_Visit5110 → u/Alisha_Nat]

Hepcidin doesn’t have the same influence on IV iron infusions, as oral iron supplements because it’s already in the blood stream. When hepcidin is high it shuts down the ability of the gut to absorb iron, ie why you see too take it every other day.

Though, hepcedin does affect how quickly it uses iron. Not sure when OPs next lab draw was but it could explain why it lowered. 1)heavy periods and 2) delayed response to IV iron. There is a lag time and labs shouldn’t be checked for 4-6weeks. Plus your body will prioritize rebuilding hemoglobin and once that normalizes, then your body will put it in your bank, ferritin.

OP, You can also check into Prostagladin Protocols for heavy menstruation, if you are opposed to getting an IUD placed.

https://premom.com/what-helps-with-period-cramps/

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-high-doses-of-ibuprofen-delay-or-halt-your-period

[u/peonyparis]

Yes, I got an IUD to eliminate bleeding. And started taking iron pills every other night. Mine went from 13 to 54 in a few months.

[u/Life_Tree_6568]

I had 13 iron infusions in a few years in my 30s due to heavy periods. It's unusual to need that many but you might need a series of infusions.

Has your doctor mentioned tranexamic acid to you? It's a medication you take on your heavy bleeding days to reduce bleeding. It's the reason I was able to get my ferritin to stay up and stop needing iron infusions every few months.

[u/Future_Literature_70]

I wonder if you can take progesterone or get an IUD to stop/minimise bleeding? Daily micronised progesterone worked wonders for me. I also took some over-the-counter strong iron liquid for a few months (much stronger than iron tablets) - it's called FerroEss in the UK and I tolerated it well stomach-wise. Good luck!

[u/EROM4LIFE → u/[deleted]]

It's true. Iron is absorbed in the duodenum so digestive issues absolutely impact it.