What is iron infusion?

Iron is a mineral our body needs for many functions. It is part of a protein called haemoglobin, which carries oxygen from our lungs and delivers it throughout our body. It helps our muscles to use and store oxygen in order to be able to perform their functions. Iron is also a part of many other enzymes and proteins. Our body needs the right amount of iron to function properly. 

A lack of iron in the blood can lead to a number of serious health problems, including iron deficiency anaemia. Iron helps preserve many important functions in the body, including gastrointestinal processes, general energy and focus, immune system and regulation of body temperature. The benefits of iron often go unnoticed until a person is not getting enough. Iron deficiency can cause;

  • Fatigue, weakness
  • Depression, confusion 
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Pale skin, hair loss, brittle nails  
  • Increased irritability, lack of concentration 
  • Breathlessness, lightheadedness  

Several GPs working at the Medical and Fitness Centre can perform iron infusion in Penrith to treat low iron levels. Iron infusion is a way of increasing iron levels with intravenous iron, which is delivered into your vein through a needle. An iron infusion increases your body’s iron levels quickly. It’s a more immediate treatment than oral supplements or dietary changes. This can be immensely useful in situations where iron levels are severely low. Moreover, some people, who cannot take an oral iron supplement, such as those with inflammatory bowel disease, may also benefit from the iron infusion. 

Ideally, the symptoms you experience due to low iron levels will start to resolve as the amount of iron in your blood increases. This can take some time, depending upon how iron deficient you are, as the iron infusion, helps to build your iron stores back up.

Factors that can lower your body's iron levels include:

  • Your diet does not have enough iron in it.
  • Blood loss (due to ulcers, some cancers, gastrointestinal bleeding, or other conditions, and, during monthly periods in women)
  • Your body is not absorbing iron due to some disease, or you are taking medications that are interfering with your body's ability to absorb iron.
  • An increase in your body's need for iron (for instance, during pregnancy in women)

A single treatment is sufficient in some people to restore iron levels, whereas others may need additional sessions depending upon the reason for iron deficiency. Iron infusion dosing can also be increased according to your tolerance. Dedicated and compassionate iron infusion GP’s working at Medical and Fitness Centre make sure to provide you with a comfortable environment and safe and effective iron infusion in Penrith.

Procedure for iron infusion at Medical and Fitness Centre Penrith

If you have been referred from outside our clinic, you will need to bring the referral letter from your GP with your recent blood test reports. Select GPs practicing at our clinic trained to perform the infusion will have an initial consultation with you before your treatment and will explain the cost and the procedure to you. If all goes well, then you can go ahead with the infusion. Our clinic is among the few clinics that perform iron infusion in Penrith and Nepean region. You can purchase the iron medicine from your choice of pharmacy or conveniently from the pharmacy next door, and you’re ready for the treatment.  

A cannula is put into a vein in your arm. The cannula is attached to a long tube, which is connected to an IV bag of iron. The iron is diluted with a saline solution. This solution is either pumped into your vein or uses gravity to slowly drip down the tube and into your vein. The procedure can take up to 60 minutes, and you will have to stay for another 25mins after treatment for observation.

Providing iron by infusion allows for rapid restoration of your body’s healthy iron levels with relatively few iron infusion side effects. 

Iron infusion benefits

Iron infusions have many benefits. Most importantly, it helps replenish your iron levels back to normal, alleviating your symptoms due to low iron levels. Other iron infusion benefits may include; 

  • Easier breathing 
  • More energetic 
  • Less tired
  • Healthy pregnancy; iron infusion in pregnancy can be very helpful in increasing the levels of iron as the need for iron during pregnancy increases and is vital not only for the mother but the fetus as well.

Your iron levels should be regularly checked to ensure normal iron levels in your body, as restoring normal iron levels can take some time and varies in people depending upon the reason for iron deficiency. For instance, if you have iron deficiency due to gastrointestinal bleeding, then you won’t develop iron deficiency again once your bleeding has stopped.