QUESTION: Finding papers out there showing that pathogens in the gut are sucking up iron, zinc and manganese. Seeing a trend also with patients with pathogens, they are all low in this area despite oral supplementation with high dose, high quality nutrients. My solution is 1. Kill bugs and 2. IV.
How much iron can an adult receive per IV per treatment?
How many treatments per week?
How much zinc per IV per treatment?
How many treatments per week?
Manganese?
Do we taper up? If so, how?
ANSWER:
In my clinical experience with the chronically infected this is the norm. You see low or low normal RBC Zinc, often persistently low ferritin, and oral Tx only aggravates it all. :
IRON: We use the safest forms (Iron Sucrose or gluconate) and normally doses range from 62.5 to 200 mg depending on the form. We normally do them with IV support nutrients to give the marrow a chance to metabolize the Fe. You can do 2-3 X a week but we usually reserve that for prenatal Tx when the window is short. Otherwise I usually recommend 1X a week.
ZINC: Generally Zn and other trace minerals are in the support IV. Doses depend on need but I generally give between 5-50 mg per IV
MANGANESE: I never give this without a level first (as OD causes movement disorder, and I have seen that happen!) but when we do use it, typical mcg doses are well tolerated.
Always taper as people react to the oddest things. But usually we get to full Tx doses in 1-4 IV’s. The lab assessment during the IV series is tricky, but I do have written protocols.