Cirrhosis Support Group

It depends on the cause of the cirrhosis and, also, the amount of iron present in the patient's blood stream.
That said, my doctor is against supplements as long the liver is still doing its job and you are not under any dietary restraints.

Hi, Firstly I would contact your doc to ask if there is any benefit in taking extra iron,

I personally would not take it just to see if it helps, as I understand it can have detrimental effects on some people.

Excess Iron can lead to Hemochromatosis.

I quote "The problem is that because of the chemical properties of iron, it cannot be broken down and eliminated from the body. Therefore this situation leads to iron overload in the body.
Many people believe that the body has a high requirement for dietary iron and think the more they eat the better their health will be. This is not so for everyone and is a very individual thing. Indeed the disease of iron overload is all too common and unfortunately remains grossly under diagnosed.

The abnormal regulation of iron absorption is believed to occur in the gut (duodenum). The excess iron accumulates over a long period of time. Early diagnosis is important as the iron excess is stored gradually over a lifetime, therefore the earlier detected the less chance of development of cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The condition tends to occur more commonly in men – this is likely to be due to the fact that women have monthly blood loss due to menstruation and lower intake of iron in the diet.

It is often a silent disorder that is commonly picked up in younger persons during routine blood work investigating other symptoms. However as iron slowly accumulates over the years other complaints may arise such as osteoarthritis and digestive complaints."

The full article can be found at:

http://livingwithliverdisease.ning...

As everyone else has said - consult a doctor

Hope this helps.

Craig

I would go with large doses of the Bs -- in particular B12. It is water soluable so no harm will be done according to Jim's docs.

I've always taken iron for my anemia and when I was diagnosed my doctors (both my primary, my specialist, and the ones in the hospitals I was admitted to at first) saw no reason for me to stop taking it. I take Vitamin K for my clotting and such but the iron is ok too. I guess it's like everything else, it depends on the person and what the doctors say.
Gool luck to you :)

I will copy a link to a study done by the hepatologist who tolerates my lifestyle - Kris Kowdley.

The bottom line of his instructions was

"NO IRON SUPPLEMENTATION."

He even said to use Iron free vitamin pills.

The comment was that I get plenty of Iron in my daily diet (so long as I stay out of MacDs.)

I am not a doc, but Iron Deficiency Anemia is treated with Iron. Fatigue is associated with cirrhosis and there doesn't seem to be much one can do for it. I get it seldom, and coffee and Red Bull seem to do the trick. But I'm not very sick yet.

Here's the site:

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com...

Be careful with iron. Steve has hemocromitosis (spelling?) and he has to stay away from iron supplements. Even after the transplant since it is an ongoing condition. That said, I am not a doctor so I can't say for sure - for you- one way or the other. Just make sure that it isn't just the cirrhous that is making him tired all the time rather then an iron deficiency. Blood test can confirm. Sorry about the spelling. Bad day lol

Firstly before your start anything- you should ask your doc to do a blood test and check the iron levels in the blood. Important step because you would know your starting level. Next there are more than one type of iron supplement so if your doc says your level is low.. ask which would be the right one. I would be cautious.. Some healthfood stores sell a liquid form that tastes awful but absorbs well.

His cirrhosis is due to alcohol. Blood tests 4 wks ago was diagnosed to be anemic. He's been having blood work at least 3x a month. I have stalled him on taking iron until he sees the hepatologist on the 19th for his initial consultation.