injectable iron. These injections are very painful to endure.

So if possible exhaust any other solutions before accepting that.

There is a movement now to use Procrit for the elderly who have simple anemia.
This is still controversial...and very expensive, but it works.
If it works too well, then there is risk of thickening the blood and stroke.

Here is an explanation:
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/n...ed-to-declines

However, just recently it was suggested to only use low doses, in the elderly.
Another product is Aranesp (very similar and longer acting). Very expensive also.

This is the drug typically used in "doping" in the Olympics, and the Tour de France BTW.