IV Iron Treatment Information

As per the delegation from our Medical Director, we are pleased to offer IV Iron therapy.

However, before a patient can be considered for an iron IV, it is important to conduct a thorough evaluation to determine the root cause of iron deficiency anemia. Understanding the underlying cause is crucial, as treatment must target the root cause to effectively address the condition

Understanding the Causes of Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, occurring when the body lacks sufficient iron to produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. While poor dietary intake is a common cause, a variety of underlying conditions can also contribute to iron deficiency anemia. Below, we explore the diverse causes, including bacterial infections, chronic diseases, lifestyle factors, and more.

1. Blood Loss

Iron is primarily lost from the body through blood loss. Chronic or heavy bleeding can rapidly deplete iron stores.

  • Heavy Menstruation (Menorrhagia): Excessive menstrual bleeding is a leading cause of iron deficiency in women of reproductive age.

  • Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Conditions such as peptic ulcers, colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, or esophageal varices can cause blood loss, often unnoticed until anemia develops.

  • Surgical Procedures or Trauma: Blood loss during surgery or from an injury can lead to iron deficiency.

2. Nutritional Deficiency

Inadequate dietary intake or poor absorption of iron can result in iron deficiency anemia.

  • Poor Diet: Diets lacking in iron-rich foods, such as red meat, beans and lentils

  • Vegetarian or Vegan Diets: Plant-based diets may lack sufficient bioavailable iron, as non-heme iron from plants is less easily absorbed than heme iron from animal sources.

  • Malabsorption Disorders: Conditions such as celiac disease or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)can impair iron absorption in the gut.

3. Bacterial Infections

Certain bacterial infections can directly or indirectly cause iron deficiency anemia by disrupting iron absorption or inducing blood loss.

  • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori):

    • This bacterium, associated with peptic ulcers and chronic gastritis, interferes with iron absorption in the stomach lining.

    • H. pylori infections are often linked to unexplained iron deficiency anemia, even in the absence of overt gastrointestinal bleeding.

  • Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO):

    • SIBO can damage the intestinal lining and reduce the absorption of nutrients, including iron.

    • Chronic inflammation caused by bacterial imbalance can further worsen anemia.

4. Chronic Diseases

Many chronic conditions interfere with iron absorption, utilization, or red blood cell production.

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis can cause chronic blood loss and inflammation, impairing iron absorption.

  • Kidney Disease: Chronic kidney disease leads to reduced production of erythropoietin, a hormone necessary for red blood cell production.

  • Cancer: Many cancers, particularly gastrointestinal cancers, can cause internal bleeding or disrupt iron metabolism.

5. Parasites and Infections

  • Intestinal Parasites:

    • Hookworms, whipworms, and other parasitic infections cause chronic blood loss in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to significant iron loss.

  • Malaria:

    • Malaria destroys red blood cells and can deplete iron stores over time, especially in areas with frequent reinfection.

6. Heavy Metal Toxicity

  • Lead Poisoning: Lead interferes with heme synthesis, causing anemia that mimics iron deficiency and may coexist with it. It also impairs iron absorption.

  • Cadmium and Other Metals: Chronic exposure to heavy metals like cadmium can disrupt iron metabolism and cause anemia-like symptoms.

7. Physiological Demands

Certain life stages or activities increase the body’s need for iron.

  • Pregnancy: Increased blood volume, combined with the iron needs of the developing fetus, often leads to iron deficiency anemia without supplementation.

  • Growth Spurts: Rapid growth during adolescence raises iron requirements, making teens more susceptible to deficiency.

8. Autoimmune and Genetic Conditions

  • Autoimmune Gastritis: This condition damages the stomach lining, reducing intrinsic factor and impairing nutrient absorption, including iron.

  • Genetic Anemias: Conditions such as thalassemia or sickle cell disease may coexist with iron deficiency anemia.

9. Lifestyle Factors

  • Frequent Blood Donation: Regular blood donations can deplete iron stores if dietary intake is insufficient to replenish them.

  • Intense Exercise: High levels of physical activity can increase iron requirements and result in iron loss through sweat or minor gastrointestinal bleeding.

Iron IV

 

. Our protocol for this IV includes the following prior to administering IV to ensure safety:

  1. Bloodwork including: Iron panel, ferritin, kidney function tests, liver function tests, hs-CRP, electrolytes and CBC. Your medical doctor has the authority to requisition this for you and therefore should be covered under OHIP. If your medical doctor refuses to requisition these blood tests for you, we can requisition them for you at a cost. These tests need to be completed within 3 weeks prior to tyhe beginning of treatment.

  2. Live Blood Cell Analysis: Performed to ensure parasites, bacteria, heavy metals, liver toxins and leaky gut levels are within normal limits because they can affect your iron levels.

  3. Referral from your ND or you are an existing patient of the clinic.

  4. After review of your live blood cell analysis and bloodwork, if you are verified as a candidate we will perform the IV. If there are abnormalities in your Live blood cell analysis we will treat those abnormalities as they can affect the outcome of the iron IV.

Below is the insert for the iron medication utilized in this treatment. Please read through thoroughly so that you are aware of the risks and any potential complications. 

We will retest the iron panel after administration of the IV to determine if another treatment is necessary as overdosing on iron can be dangerous.

As naturopathic doctors, we want to treat the underlying root cause of disease. The underlying root casue of disease for iron deficiency can be some or all of the following:*

  • Crohn’s Disease

  • Heavy Metal Toxicity

  • Ulcerative Collitis

  • Fibroids

  • Heavy menstration

  • Malabsorption of nutrients

  • Parasites

  • Bacteria

  • Imbalance with Copper, Vitamin A & Cerulosplasmin

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  • Inflammtory Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

To effectively treat the underlying root casue. We need to:

A) Identify the root cause

B) Provide appropriate care and treatment to address the root cause

The Iron IV is treating a symptom of the root cause and is therefore providing symptomatic relief, however, not solely eliminating the issue.

Conditions that are contraindicated for iron infusion:

  • Alpha and beta thalassemia

*This list is not exhaustive.

 
 

Our Iron IV is administered by a nurse practitioner.