Your ferritin is currently at 18 after giving birth at Mount Sinai Hospital half a year ago. You’re advised to take oral iron, which absorption issues can prove ineffective. At the same time, you’re juggling Upper East Side preschool drop-offs, squeezing onto the 4 train or idling in Midtown traffic every morning, and seeing clumps of hair in your shower drain.
Female patients seeking IV iron are mostly postpartum or dealing with heavy menstruation. They often find themselves in the so-called “ferritin gray zone" wherein iron stores are between 15 and 30 ng/mL, yet blood work appears normal while exhaustion and hair shedding remain as symptoms along with brain fog. Many women experience deficiency-related symptoms after an NYU Langone or NewYork-Presbyterian delivery that oral iron might not be able to resolve.
OBs across the Upper East Side, Tribeca, and the West Village also tend to flag low ferritin during visits but do not provide iron infusions to promptly address the issue.
An infusion suite visit at NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, or NewYork-Presbyterian means losing half your day to clinical waiting rooms, Midtown traffic or subways, and even garage parking. With a baby to take care of, it is nearly impossible to manage. Meanwhile oral iron not only takes months to take effect but also comes with uncomfortable side effects like constipation and stomach cramps.