dotMD.com
Join Community
♥ 24/7 Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 ( 988lifeline.org ) for free, confidential support.
100% Free • Pseudonymous @Handles • Zero Data Sold to Pharma

Gut Health, Acid Reflux, Micronutrient Labs & Longevity — 3 Discussions & 99 Outcome Logs

Every-other-day Iron Bisglycinate for ferritin > 50 ng/mL, tapering off Omeprazole without acid rebound, Vitamin D3 + K2 + Magnesium meal timing, and Psyllium fiber.

Reset
Filter by Topic: All (3) Vitamin D3 Iron Bisglycinate Omeprazole Psyllium Husk ★ “What Worked For Me”
+ + Ask a Question / Log Outcome (@Handle) in Gut, Labs & Supplements...
Start Post ▾
Post in Gut, Labs & Supplements (Pseudonymous @Handle • Zero-PHI)
No login or email required
★ Top-Rated in Gut, Labs & Supplements: Iron Bisglycinate (Ferrochel 28 mg) (4.8 / 5 • 95% Worth It) • Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) + K2 MK-7 (4.9 / 5 • 97% Worth It) ▾
Iron Bisglycinate (Ferrochel 28 mg) 95% Worth It (4.8 / 5)

Winning Protocol: 28 mg elemental every OTHER morning (M/W/F/Su) with 250 mg Vitamin C, 90m before coffee.

$11/mo (Chelated Bisglycinate) Full Dosing & Price Guide →
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) + K2 MK-7 97% Worth It (4.9 / 5)

Winning Protocol: 2,000–4,000 IU (50–100 mcg) oil softgel taken with largest fat-containing meal + Magnesium.

$12/mo (USP Oil Softgel) Full Dosing & Price Guide →
★ What Worked For Me @FerritinClimb_PA • 30–44F • Iron Bisglycinate 28 mg QOD • Week 16
3 Replies

Ferritin stuck under 20 ng/mL with hair shedding and exhaustion: did switching to every-other-day Iron Bisglycinate + Vitamin C work better than daily iron?

My hemoglobin was normal (12.8 g/dL), so for years I was told I wasn't anemic—until a dermatologist ordered a Serum Ferritin test for my diffuse hair shedding and cold hands, and it came back at 12 ng/mL! When I tried taking standard ferrous sulfate 65 mg every single day, it tore up my stomach and caused awful constipation. After reading about the ETH Zurich hepcidin studies showing that an oral iron dose spikes liver hepcidin for 24 hours (blocking the next day's dose and leaving unabsorbed iron to irritate the gut), I switched to 28 mg elemental Ferrochel Iron Bisglycinate taken every OTHER morning (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun) on an empty stomach with 250 mg Vitamin C, waiting 90 minutes before coffee or calcium. Zero stomach cramps, and my ferritin climbed from 12 → 31 ng/mL at week 6 → 58 ng/mL at week 14! What ferritin number finally stopped your hair shedding and fatigue?

⚙ Pinned AI Clinical & Label Audit: dotMD-StoichBot (NIH DSLD v9 & PubMed PK Agent)

Randomized metabolic absorption trials in Lancet Haematology (Stoffel et al., PMID 29032957) proved that alternate-day oral iron dosing results in 34%–50% higher fractional iron absorption and significantly lower GI side effects than consecutive daily dosing because serum hepcidin returns to baseline after 48 hours. AGA guidelines use a ferritin cutoff of 45 ng/mL for iron deficiency.

•
Peer Replies (3 @Handle Responses) Full Thread →
@ThyroidMorning_CA • 30–44F • Iron Bisglycinate QOD • Week 24

Alternate-day Iron Bisglycinate is the only iron I've ever been able to tolerate! Just remember if you take morning Levothyroxine, you MUST separate iron by at least 4 hours (I take thyroid at 6 AM and iron at 11 AM before lunch on M/W/F).

•
@CascadeRowing_WA • 30–44F • Ferritin 14 → 64 ng/mL • Week 20

My hair shedding didn't slow down until my ferritin crossed 50 ng/mL, and my running endurance came back right around 45 ng/mL. Keep coffee and black tea at least an hour away from your iron pill—tannins cut absorption by more than half!

•
@BlueRidgeMom3 • 30–44F • Iron Bisglycinate 28 mg + Vit C • Week 16

Also rescued my restless legs at night! Once my ferritin went from 15 to 52 ng/mL, the evening leg twitching stopped completely.

•
Add your reply or share what worked for you (no login required)... Reply
Pseudonymous @Handle • Zero-PHI Protected
Anemia Hair Loss & Ferritin Rx: Levothyroxine Iron Bisglycinate Vitamin C
Open Thread Permalink →
★ What Worked For Me @CascadeRowing_WA • 30-44F • 28 mg elemental iron bisglyc • Week 12
2 Replies

Iron bisglycinate every other day (12 wks update): My ferritin was 12 ng/mL, with hair shedding and afternoon fatigue — what worked for others here?

My ferritin was 12 ng/mL, with hair shedding and afternoon fatigue. After my clinician ruled out blood loss, I took 28 mg elemental iron as bisglycinate every other day around 3 pm, with 250 mg vitamin C and not with coffee or tea. I take levothyroxine at 6:30 am, so there was a gap of more than 4 hours. At week 6 ferritin was 29, and at week 12 it was 52. Fatigue improved by week 4, and shedding slowed around week 10. I checked TSH at week 8 and it was unchanged. Takeaway: spacing doses and separating iron from thyroid medication mattered more than raising the dose.

⚙ Pinned AI Clinical & Label Audit: dotMD-StoichBot (NIH DSLD v9 & PubMed PK Agent)

A 2017 Lancet Haematology trial (Stoffel et al.) found alternate-day iron dosing improved fractional absorption versus consecutive daily dosing in iron-depleted women. The AGA 2020 guideline suggests a ferritin cutoff of 45 ng/mL for diagnosing iron deficiency.

•
Peer Replies (2 @Handle Responses) Full Thread →
@SonoranSunrise_AZ • Verified Cohort Member • Week 10

Alternate-day dosing is supported by absorption data and often causes fewer stomach side effects. Take it away from coffee, tea, calcium and levothyroxine, and recheck ferritin and CBC at 8-12 weeks. Persistently low ferritin needs a clinician workup.

•
@MidwestCardioDad • Age 45-59 • Week 9

Same experience here. Taking iron every other day cut my nausea. My ferritin went from 16 to 38 in 9 weeks, and my energy improved before the hair changes.

•
Add your reply or share what worked for you (no login required)... Reply
Pseudonymous @Handle • Zero-PHI Protected
Vitamin D Deficiency Osteopenia Rx: Ergocalciferol Rx: Levothyroxine Vitamin D3 Vitamin K2 Mk7
Open Thread Permalink →
Open Question @HomeCuffTracker_OH • 30-44F • 25 mg elemental iron bisglyc • Week 12
2 Replies

What ferritin level should I aim for with hair shedding and fatigue, and is iron bisglycinate enough?

Ferritin is the standard blood test for iron stores. Many labs flag below 15 ng/mL as low, but the AGA 2020 guideline suggests below 45 ng/mL is a more sensitive cutoff for iron deficiency. Some dermatology sources suggest keeping ferritin above 40 ng/mL for hair shedding, but the evidence is mixed. Ferritin also rises with inflammation, so a value of 60 ng/mL with high CRP can still hide low stores. Check hemoglobin, transferrin saturation (below 20% suggests deficiency) and CRP alongside it. Iron bisglycinate at 25-30 mg elemental iron once daily or every other day is often better tolerated than 65 mg ferrous sulfate. Expect hemoglobin to rise in 2-4 weeks and ferritin to rebuild over 8-12 weeks. Unexplained iron deficiency, especially in men or postmenopausal women, needs a clinician workup for blood loss.

⚙ Pinned AI Clinical & Label Audit: dotMD-StoichBot (NIH DSLD v9 & PubMed PK Agent)

The AGA 2020 iron deficiency anemia guideline supports a ferritin cutoff of 45 ng/mL for diagnosing deficiency. The levothyroxine DailyMed label advises separating it from iron and calcium products by at least 4 hours.

•
Peer Replies (2 @Handle Responses) Full Thread →
@MaintenanceMode_WA • Verified Cohort Member • Week 12

If you take levothyroxine, keep it 4 hours apart from iron. A practical schedule is levothyroxine on waking and iron mid-afternoon with a little vitamin C. Recheck TSH 6-8 weeks after any change in timing, because iron can reduce levothyroxine absorption.

•
@SpineRecovery_PA • Age 45-59 • Week 10

My ferritin was 14 and my hemoglobin was borderline. On 28 mg iron bisglycinate every other day, ferritin reached 41 by week 10. I had less constipation than with the sulfate form.

•
Add your reply or share what worked for you (no login required)... Reply
Pseudonymous @Handle • Zero-PHI Protected
Vitamin D Deficiency Osteopenia Rx: Ergocalciferol Rx: Levothyroxine Vitamin D3 Vitamin K2 Mk7
Open Thread Permalink →