Iron Infusion Services

Now Offering Iron Infusions

Clinic and mobile iron infusion options in San Diego, Northern California and Arizona, plus mobile visits in Boise

Have you been diagnosed with iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia? If so, your doctor may have recommended an IV iron infusion to help you improve your blood iron levels in the quickest way possible!

If so, ASAP is here to help!

ASAP IVs offers 2 convenient options for IV iron infusions:

• Clinic appointments are available through our current La Jolla, Encinitas, Pleasanton, San Jose and Arizona clinic-selection routes. Availability is confirmed after clinical review.

• In your home via our mobile IV therapy service

In Boise, a registered nurse comes to your home or office: no clinic visit, no travel fee. Most visits are booked within a few days, 7 days a week. Boise iron infusions start at $250 for 100 mg.

Where we offer iron infusions

San Diego

• La Jolla clinic: 909 Prospect St Ste 100-D, La Jolla, CA 92037

• Encinitas clinic: 90 N Coast Hwy 101 Ste 211, Encinitas, CA 92024

• La Mesa clinic: 8697 La Mesa Blvd Ste D, La Mesa, CA 91942 (opens November 2)

• Mobile visits at your home or office across our San Diego service area

Phoenix and Scottsdale

• Old Town Scottsdale clinic: 7172 E Main St, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

• Paradise Valley clinic: 12611 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85032

• Mobile visits at your home or office across Phoenix and Scottsdale

San Francisco Bay Area

• Pleasanton clinic: 220 Division St Ste B, Pleasanton, CA 94566

• San Jose clinic: 1157 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129

• Mobile visits at your home or office across the Bay Area

Boise, Idaho

• Mobile only: a registered nurse comes to your home or office in the Boise area

We offer individualized therapies based on your specific needs. Most clients need between 600-1000mg of IV Iron over 3-5 IV treatments to reach their therapeutic goals. To help with pricing, we offer in-clinic packages for an IV Iron cycle to help bring down the price! (Iron overload is possible, and it is important for our Physician team to assess your iron levels individually with treatment.)

Our goal is to help modernize healthcare by allowing our clients to have a say in their healthcare decision. With ASAP, our IV iron infusion process is efficient, affordable, and convenient.

Want to learn more about Iron IVs and Iron Deficiency?

Why is Iron Important for the Body?

The purpose of all life is to generate energy (more specifically, ATP). To generate ATP, cells need a supply of several different substances, including oxygen. The heart and lungs function to breathe oxygen in (the lungs) and attach it to red blood cells (through hemoglobin in the blood stream) and then pump it to organs which need the oxygen for cellular respiration (the heart pump).

Iron is critical to the formation of hemoglobin, which is a major protein in red blood cells which enables the red blood cell to efficiently carry oxygen. Without sufficient levels of red blood cells (a hemoglobin less than 7 g/dL is critically low requiring transfusion) the body cannot deliver oxygen to cells, and life stops.

What is Iron Deficiency Anemia?

Iron deficiency can occur with or without anemia. Anemia is a medical condition where the body has a deficient amount of red blood cells for critical functions, and the body does not have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen.

When you cannot get enough oxygen to organs, they can become ischemic and do not function as well as they are designed to. When levels get critically low, critical functions of thinking, moving, or even having the heart pump, can stop.

What are Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia

• Weakness

• Headaches

• Fatigue

• Decreased Exercise Tolerance or Capacity

• Mental Status Changes including Irritability, Short Temperament, Anxiety, or Depression

• Restless Leg Syndrome

• Pica (compulsion to eat non-food item)

• Pagophagia (compulsion to eat ice)

• Beeturia (reddish urine after eating beets)

Can an Iron Infusion Help Me?

An intravenous infusion is the insertion of a small needle into a vein to deliver fluids or medications directly into the blood stream and ensure 100% bioavailability. When oral supplementation has been deemed ineffective or too slow, an Iron IV infusion is very effective in quickly and efficiently restoring total body stores of iron, leading to symptomatic improvement.

An infusion of IV iron is a reliable option for clients who have tried oral versions of iron (these can cause GI irritability and adverse symptoms in 20-66% of patients who start them) and dietary changes without robust improvement in their iron levels.

IV iron infusions are formulated to be readily absorbed by the body and can quickly boost iron levels. Most treatments are 600-1000mg over 3-5 treatment cycles, with additional blood work at the end of treatment to confirm results.

Do I need an IV Iron Infusion?

The most common reason that our clients need to receive IV therapy for Iron are:

• Difficult time taking iron pills by mouth

• Unable to tolerate the GI side effects of oral iron therapy

• Malabsorption syndromes where iron supplements cannot be properly absorbed

• They have chronic low grade blood loss and oral iron cannot keep pace with the losses.

• They need to boost iron levels more quickly to prepare for a surgical procedure or to avoid complications of iron deficiency anemia.

How Many Iron IV Infusions Do I Need?

At ASAP IVs, rather than a one size fits all approach, we individualize the treatment for IV Iron needs. Your total body deficit of iron prior to starting treatment will dictate how much iron you need.

• For more mild anemia, maintenance or during pregnancy one infusion may be enough. Typically the effects last 6-12 months, but if the reasons for anemia are short term, a maintenance dose is likely not indicated.

• For moderate anemia that doesn't respond to oral supplements or dietary changes, 3 infusions is typical. An occasional maintenance dose may be needed every 6-12 months or longer, indicated by labs.

• For severe anemia we typically recommend 5 infusions, with a potential maintenance dose every 3-6 months as indicated by labwork.

The impact of iron on energy levels isn't typically same-day, although you may feel energy from the extra hydration! The iron has to build new, healthy blood cells to oxygenate your tissues, so give the iron a week or two to work after your protocol before you assess your maintenance needs.

What are the Benefits of IV Iron Infusions?

• Decreased fatigue and improved energy

• Improved muscle strength (even in athletes)

• Decreased mental fatigue, improved clarity and concentration

• Better sleep

What are the side effects of IV iron?

Most of our iron infusions use iron sucrose (generic or Venofer), given at 200 mg per infusion. It is generally well tolerated: in clinical trials of adults not on dialysis, about 2% to 5% of patients had any reaction, and most reactions were mild, brief and went away on their own. The figures below are for iron sucrose.

For some patients we use iron dextran (INFeD) instead. It has a different side-effect profile, including a higher risk of allergic reactions, and our medical team will go over it with you if it is recommended for you. Iron dextran requires a small test dose and a 1-hour waiting period at your first infusion.

More common (about 2% to 10% of patients)

• Nausea or an upset stomach during or shortly after the infusion (5% to 9%), sometimes with vomiting or mild diarrhea

• Headache, dizziness or feeling lightheaded (3% to 7%)

• Mild swelling or puffiness, usually in the hands or feet (5% to 7%)

• Burning, stinging, swelling or mild pain at the IV site (2% to 6%)

• Muscle aches, back pain or joint aches (3% to 5%)

• A temporary metallic taste during the infusion (1% to 8%)

Less common (about 0.5% to 3%)

• A brief, non-allergic reaction to the iron (about 1% to 2%) (Fishbane reaction): facial flushing, chest tightness, back pain or a small dip in blood pressure. It usually settles within minutes and is not an allergy.

• A short drop in blood pressure (about 2%)

• Mild itching or a localized rash (about 2% to 4%)

• A short, mild rise in blood pressure (about 2% to 6%)

Rare

• A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) is very rare with iron sucrose: about 21 per 100,000 infusions. Iron sucrose has one of the lowest rates of severe reactions of any IV iron.

• Serious drops in blood pressure or collapse are extremely rare, and are usually linked to giving the iron too quickly or to an existing heart condition.

A nurse is always with you for the whole infusion. If you notice any symptoms during or after your visit, tell your nurse or call us.

Ok, I am interested.

How Does the Process of Receiving an Iron IV with ASAP work?

1: Prior to Scheduling Your Infusion

There are many reasons for the symptoms associated with iron deficiency anemia, and prior to starting treatment, our medical team will check on your blood work to ensure that an IV Iron infusion is right for you.

We look at a complete blood count (CBC) and Serum Ferritin Level to determine the extent of iron deficiency and/or iron deficiency anemia.

If you already have these labs completed, we will have you email us the results prior to starting your treatment.

If you have not completed these baseline serum blood studies, but believe you have symptoms of iron deficiency anemia, you can have the labs ordered by your primary care physician.

The reason for the heightened level of concern, is that while IV Iron treatments are very safe, it is possible to supplement with too much iron, and lead to iron toxicity. Since this is something we would all like to avoid, examining your labs is the easiest option.

If you are feeling low energy or fatigue, and you don’t believe Iron Deficiency is the problem, we would be happy to help you schedule one of many other IV Vitamin Therapy treatments to get you the help you need, ASAP!

2: Is There Anything I Need to Do Prior to My IV?

• You can eat and drink normally. There is no reason to fast or be “NPO” after midnight prior to an Iron IV. In fact, you can eat and drink during the IV. Having food in your system can help prevent nausea or discomfort during the IV.

• Let our team know if you have previously had any significant allergic reactions, specifically to medications or previous iron infusions.

• Take any medications normally as scheduled. There is no reason to hold any medication or supplement prior to getting an IV with us.

• The infusion can take 30-60 minutes, so be prepared to relax and enjoy your time with us while you receive the IV. Feel free to bring a book or an iPad, so you can read or watch some Netflix during the IV.

3: What Happens During the IV Iron Treatment?

• A member of our medical staff (a physician or nurse) will be with you for the entirety of the treatment, to insert and maintain the IV, as well as make sure you are comfortable during the treatment.

• Before the Iron IV is started, our nurse will insert an IV catheter using a small (we only use 20 and 22 gauge IVs at ASAP, which are small enough for pediatric cases!) needle. Our team members are experts in comfortably inserting an IV!

• We want you to be comfortable during your infusion. Our service is efficient, but you can still expect to spend 30-60 minutes in our clinic to receive the IV.

4: Anything I Need to Worry About After the IV?

There is minimal downtime after receiving an IV. Our medical team will carefully remove the IV, apply a bandage to hold compression over the site to minimize bruising, and make sure you are fully taken care of prior to leaving your appointment. The IV bandage can be safely removed after 30 minutes.