Iron Deficiency

Are you feeling flat, foggy and forgetful?

Signs your iron might need a boost include sleeping poorly or often finding yourself out of breath with little to no effort.

Iron deficiency is widespread after Bariatric Surgery. Studies have shown that 20 to 49% of Gastric Sleeve and Bypass patients develop iron deficiency/ anaemia within 12 months.

Iron deficiency after Bariatric Surgery can happen for a few reasons.

These include:

• Decreased stomach acid production affects iron absorption for life after Weight Loss Surgery.
• Changing tastes and restrictions on food intake can reduce the intake of iron-rich foods.
• Forgetting to take your Bariatric Multivitamins daily.

To maintain your current levels of iron:

• For menstruating women, the recommendation is 50 - 100mg/day.
• For post-menopausal women and men, 18 - 27mg/day.

If your ferritin is extremely low, your practitioner may suggest an iron infusion after Gastric Bypass and Sleeve to correct levels more efficiently. Infusing the iron directly into the bloodstream bypasses the digestive process, increasing the absorption.

Food alone will not be enough once you have iron deficiency after Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Surgery. So attending your regular post-op visits and taking your daily BN Multivitamins is key for prevention. Still, an additional supplement may be necessary to ensure appropriate intake.

Explore our iron supplementations after Bariatric Surgery!