Anyone take an iron supplement for low red blood cell count?

With hairy cell leukemia.

Before taking iron supplements, please talk to you doctor about it.

I don't know if this applies to your situation, but I will share a comment from my doctor from a few years ago. After a Bone Marrow Transplant I, on my own initiative, started eating iron-rich foods because my red blood cells were low. Big mistake!

Fortunately I told my doctor what I had been doing, and he told me to stop seeking out iron-rich foods. Because of the red blood cell transfusions I had, the iron level in my blood was already 10 times too high. The low red blood cells were not caused by an iron deficiency.

It is possible to have too much iron, especially for men. There is an iron overload disease called hemachromatosis. That is something you don't want.

The best thing to do is to check with your doctor before making a change.

I have a appointment this coming week so I’ll ask him then. They haven’t started me on any treatment yet and are checking blood monthly.
Thank You for your reply.

I have low iron but not anemic. Iron supplements are helping my low RBC. I take prescription Ferrate 240. It's gentle on the tummy since I have IBS. I also take a baby aspirin each day and hydroxyurea, 500 mg, 2x week for ET (Essential Thrombocythemia).

I have MDS and am anemic. I recently had an iron infusion as my doc thinks it is an absorption problem. Not quite a week yet so too soon to see results. I will let you know how it goes. Interestingly, the treatment seems to help my leg muscle pain. Go figure.

Hemachromatosis is genetic, more tied to how your body stores iron. People with the gene tend to have elevated ferritin levels (iron stored in organs such as liver, which can cause organ damage if to high). Good to have a serum iron test before taking iron supplements; transferrin results indicate how your body uses (transports) iron, as does an iron binding capacity test. I've had low rbc and wbc for years without problems. Consider checking your meds to see how they use iron; some are metabolized in the liver which can impact liver function and iron binding tests.
I do have leg muscle pain (cramps), but control those with exercise and stretching afterwards. Old and flexible is better than just old.

I have MDS with low WBC. I like many also take iron supplement. If I take it on an empty stomach it will bring on extreme nausea, and then I will chew a ginger drop to subside the reaction quickly. Not sure if this happens to everyone?
😊 Brenda

I take iron every other day. I'm anemic and have blood drawn every week for my CBC, If Hemoglobin is under 10 I get an injection of Procrit. The iron is 65- 325 .

Are you seeing a MDS specialist? Anemia with MDS is not caused by an iron deficiency.

I'm seeing an oncologist. He is the same one that attends my breast cancer and he lined me up with the bone marrow biopsy in the first place. The iron infusion was after I received the subQ shot of the drug that helps RBCs mature faster and I was still anemic. He seems to know his stuff.