I was encouraged to get iron infusions by my hematologist/oncologist but declined them although I had met other people who had found the infusions worked perfectly for them. I was wary of infusions after doing my own goggling and learned that one can have a troublesome reaction to them.
I was told I was close to needing a transfusion because my blood levels had gotten so low and I absolutely terrible. After 3 weeks of sticking to the oral supplements (Ferrex) prescribed by the hematologist/oncologist, I was out of trouble and my levels gradually improved. Fortunately, my hematologist saw that I was given blood tests (ferritin and an iron study) every 2 weeks during that initial month to ensure the prescription was working. I felt remarkably better starting after around one month on Ferrex; however, my intestinal problems escalated. The hematologist/oncologist offered no alternative supplements and said he could not comment about complementary medicine .
On my own, I started seeking alternatives to the Ferrex prescription and after much experimentation and consultation with non-traditional medical experts, I found the NovaFerrum company on my own https://www.novaferrum.com/ that makes a liquid iron supplement that worked far better for my intestines although it was inconvenient to take when away from home and stained everything. (I have no affiliations with this company.) I stayed on the liquid form for a couple of years and my intestinal problems were more tolerable.
Finally, NovaFerrum came out with a tiny little iron supplement pill that I have been taking daily for the past 5 years or so and they still work absolutely perfectly for me. They are "NovaFerrum Iron Dietary Supplement 90 Vegetable capsules" and they contain "Elemental Iron 50 mg from a Polysaccaride Iron Complex". Recently, the company ran out of their stock but fortunately, I always keep an extra bottle on hand which is a good idea nowadays. I take them on an empty stomach with water and sometimes, with an orange. My drug plan does not reimburse me for them and I buy them directly from NovaFerrum.
It was tough going for a long time until I found these little pills.