~Talk to me about Anemia~

[mommybee]

Had some blood work done last week, went to the dr today to discuss it and found out I'm severely anemic. He seemed pretty concerned about it.

 

I've never been anemic, anything I should know? He started me on iron and had me take blood again just to see exactly how low I am.

[mafi39]

I've had severe anemia from extremely long menstrual cycles (think 60 days) I basically lost half my blood. I waited too long to see a doctor and by the time I did I needed 2 pints of blood with an overnight hospital stay. The next time it happened I needed 6 pints over a month period plus 2 nights in the hospital. I also had to take iron for 6 months. That is nasty stuff! It is very serious, if your blood count gets too low you can have a heart attack. I know that I was so weak I couldn't walk up 4 steps without being winded. I was very pale, almost gray some people said. It was scary. I will never get in that situation again. Take care of yourself!

I also ate lots of red meat, green veggies. Research foods high in iron, your body really needs it.

[mommybee]

I've had severe anemia from extremely long menstrual cycles (think 60 days) I basically lost half my blood. I waited too long to see a doctor and by the time I did I needed 2 pints of blood with an overnight hospital stay. The next time it happened I needed 6 pints over a month period plus 2 nights in the hospital. I also had to take iron for 6 months. That is nasty stuff! It is very serious, if your blood count gets too low you can have a heart attack. I know that I was so weak I couldn't walk up 4 steps without being winded. I was very pale, almost gray some people said. It was scary. I will never get in that situation again. Take care of yourself!

I also ate lots of red meat, green veggies. Research foods high in iron, your body really needs it.

 

Thanks for sharing with me.

 

I have been so low on energy and unable to exercise at all, but I just thought I was out of shape. I'm happy to know what it is, it just scared me a little.

[GraceinMD]

There are lots and lots and LOTS of causes of anemia (not just iron deficiency), so you just need to find out from your doc exactly what TYPE of anemia he thinks you have. There are anemias due to blood loss (e.g., monthly blood loss via menses), anemias due to vitamin deficiencies, anemias due to chronic disease, anemias due to your body not producing enough blood cells, and on and on and on. Make sure you find out exactly what kind he thinks you have (he'll know, because the blood cells (microscopically) look different, and other blood tests will help narrow down the causes), not just what he wants to treat you with. (That is, just because he put you on iron while he's investigating doesn't necessarily mean you have iron-deficiency anemia - although that is probably one of the more common anemias in women of child-bearing age.)

 

HTH!

[Harriet Vane]

As you walk this road, make sure that when they run those routine blood tests they should test BOTH your hemoglobin AND your ferritin. It is possible for hemoglobin numbers to be within an acceptable range but your ferritin to be very very low (and thus feel miserable).

 

Take your iron religiously. If you are severely anemic you shouldn't be taking less than 125mg a day--I wouldn't be surprised if you have to have more for starters. Do as your doctor says--don't change your dosage based on my advice--but do question your doctor closely to make sure you are taking an adequate amount.

 

It takes a long, loooooonng time to get your iron up to acceptable levels. It took me eight months of 125mg per day before my iron was within "normal" range. I still take a dose of 70mg a day to maintain that.

 

As long as you are taking iron supplements you need to have labs run every six months.

 

3T of molasses per day contains the right amount of iron for a non-anemic person.

 

You can google for lists of iron-rich foods. Some biggies are red meat, dark leafy greens (especially spinach), beans, and molasses. Make such foods a routine part of your life.

 

You can enhance iron absorption by taking with vitamin C. Many people take their iron pills with a glass of orange juice.

[mommybee]

There are lots and lots and LOTS of causes of anemia (not just iron deficiency), so you just need to find out from your doc exactly what TYPE of anemia he thinks you have. There are anemias due to blood loss (e.g., monthly blood loss via menses), anemias due to vitamin deficiencies, anemias due to chronic disease, anemias due to your body not producing enough blood cells, and on and on and on. Make sure you find out exactly what kind he thinks you have (he'll know, because the blood cells (microscopically) look different, and other blood tests will help narrow down the causes), not just what he wants to treat you with. (That is, just because he put you on iron while he's investigating doesn't necessarily mean you have iron-deficiency anemia - although that is probably one of the more common anemias in women of child-bearing age.)

 

HTH!

 

Yeah, that's what made me so nervous. But he did have me get another blood test so I'm sure he's just starting me on iron until he knows what's wrong with me. Thanks for the help.

[mommybee]

As you walk this road, make sure that when they run those routine blood tests they should test BOTH your hemoglobin AND your ferritin. It is possible for hemoglobin numbers to be within an acceptable range but your ferritin to be very very low (and thus feel miserable).

 

Take your iron religiously. If you are severely anemic you shouldn't be taking less than 125mg a day--I wouldn't be surprised if you have to have more for starters. Do as your doctor says--don't change your dosage based on my advice--but do question your doctor closely to make sure you are taking an adequate amount.

 

It takes a long, loooooonng time to get your iron up to acceptable levels. It took me eight months of 125mg per day before my iron was within "normal" range. I still take a dose of 70mg a day to maintain that.

 

As long as you are taking iron supplements you need to have labs run every six months.

 

3T of molasses per day contains the right amount of iron for a non-anemic person.

 

You can google for lists of iron-rich foods. Some biggies are red meat, dark leafy greens (especially spinach), beans, and molasses. Make such foods a routine part of your life.

 

You can enhance iron absorption by taking with vitamin C. Many people take their iron pills with a glass of orange juice.

 

Yowza! sounds so scary to me. He did mention eating foods high in iron (although I hate molasses so I'll have to find some other things) and I already started the supplements. I'll keep in mind when I see him what you said about the tests. He did give me another blood slip for two months from now and I plan on having blood taken every six months from now on because I have cholesterol and thyroid issues so better safe than sorry.

 

I can't have any citrus fruits or any veggies with high Vit C. For some reason the acidity of it messes with my eczema.....really bums me out because I so love all of those things.

 

Thanks Strider:) Oh and it looks like he's got me taking 325 mg 2x a day.

Edited July 8, 2009 by mommybee

[farmwife]

 

Floradix, works like a charm and tastes pretty good.

Edited July 8, 2009 by farmwife
wrong link

[muffinmom]

My cousin had anemia so severe (she was 20ish) that she had to have infusions like the chemo patients.

 

But she went to an integrative medicine doctor, and she told me he "cured" her of anemia. She went from severe anemia to none at all. She was thrilled with the results. I don't know what all he had her take, but I think at least one of the substances was herbal in nature. You might check around for such a doctor (they are M.D.s who practice alternative treatments and sometimes even traditional treatments, if called for). The doctor she saw was in Nashville.

 

Hope you feel better soon...I have heard that is miserable!

[Peela]

I am generally borderline anaemic and am used to trying to find different ways to boost my iron intake. I like Floradix at the moment. Spirulina is another thing I take regularly.

Be aware that iron tablets can make you constipated, and upset some peoples' stomachs. Some people just cant take them. I dont like to take them for too long at a time so I use herbal/alternative types a lot of the time. I also pre-empt the constipation when I do take iron tablets with some sort of non habit forming, gentle laxative.

[lgm]

Having BTDT, remember to be careful when you adjust your diet; you don't want to give yourself high cholesterol by adding in too much red meat nor do you want extra calories that you can't exercise off.

[Harriet Vane]

Yowza! sounds so scary to me. He did mention eating foods high in iron (although I hate molasses so I'll have to find some other things) and I already started the supplements. I'll keep in mind when I see him what you said about the tests. He did give me another blood slip for two months from now and I plan on having blood taken every six months from now on because I have cholesterol and thyroid issues so better safe than sorry.

 

I can't have any citrus fruits or any veggies with high Vit C. For some reason the acidity of it messes with my eczema.....really bums me out because I so love all of those things.

 

Thanks Strider:) Oh and it looks like he's got me taking 325 mg 2x a day.

 

It sounds like your doctor is managing this well. He probably wants more blood work in two months to see how you respond to supplementation.

 

Once I started taking iron I could not believe how much better I felt. I had been operating at such a low level for so many years that I had no idea what it meant to feel well. Each month on iron supplementation brought tangible differences in my every day reality. Be encouraged--you WILL feel better and more energetic soon.

[Jennifer in MI]

Floradix, works like a charm and tastes pretty good.

 

I agree!!! Worked great for me after hemmoraging after childbirth. If I'm remembering right, it's plant based and more easily absorbed than the synthetic supplements.

[Urban Girl]

Yellow Dock.

 

I needed to have surgery but it was put off until my iron count was higher. My doctor prescribed so much iron, the thought of it was nauseating. I used a bit of the iron my doc prescribed along with yellow dock, and it was up to normal in 2 month's time. And, yellow dock does not have the dreaded constipation side effect. When I did go for the surgery, the nurse at the hospital who looked over my records wanted to know if I had a blood transfusion because my count had gone up so fast. You can do a search for "yellow dock anemia" and do some research. This is just one site: http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/15/58.cfm

 

Hope this helps.

 

Yolanda

[Hen]

I'm anemic, when my new dr. finally helped me see how serious it was- the others just mentioned it in passing and told me to take some iron...he did more tests and figured out that I also had really low blood volume due to the anemia, which explained why medications would wipe me out.

 

Constipation from the iron pills gets me, I've finally found a natural child's stool softener that helps.

 

it will take a few months to feel good, it takes that long to make new blood cells.

 

side effects I was experiencing; headaches, bad ones. I was taking advil daily but had gotten so used to it I didn't really notice. I thought they were sinus headaches. Cold all the time. Dizzy in the dark. Tired all the time, an overwhelming need to just lie down all the time.

 

hope you feel better soon!

[AuntieM]

My mom deals with this and I have a tendency to be on the low borderline, so I have to pay attention to when I start feeling run down.

 

Mom's first clue that her iron is too low is crunching ice and craving crushed ice. If it progresses she experiences shortness of breath and once, when she missed those first clues and didn't take her supplements, she had symptoms of a heart attack (but not a heart attack). She was 4 pints low that time and needed a transfusion.

 

For me, I just start feeling really sluggish, and it usually revolves around my menstrual cycles. I try to take my iron then, but it nauseates me, so I try to take it at night (and too often forget). I will have to look into this Floridex...

 

You will also want to consider your caffeine intake. When I went through a nutrition class, the instructor told those of us an iron supplements that caffeine inhibits the body's ability to adsorb iron. So, no washing down that steak dinner with a glass of iced tea or you're somewhat canceling out the iron benefits of the red meat.

 

Hope you get it under control soon, it makes a huge difference in my energy levels when my iron is on track and I am sure you will also feel the difference!

[Cricket]

I recommend cooking in cast iron pans. I had heard before that when you cook with cast iron, the food absorbs some of the iron. I wasn't sure if I believed that but my 4th child nursed for 8 months exclusively and then went straight to table food that I cooked in cast iron pans. She was the only baby I didn't have to supplement with vitamin drops with iron. Her iron levels were very good at 9 months old.

[Zebra]

I struggled with really serious anemia(with no obvious explanation) in high school. The doctor told me, "When you get up and drink you OJ in the morning, take an iron pill." Which I took to mean....when I eat breakfast take an iron pill. The anemia didn't get better, and they kept making me take more and more pills, and it was awful(TMI, I know!). Years later, I figured out you need vitamin C to absorb the iron. You can take a million pills a day, but you need to take something with it to make sure it's being absorbed!!! I read in your post that you can't tolerate vitamin C, but I would make sure to research this and find something that will help your body absorb the pill. It seems like I read somewhere broccoli may do the trick, but don't quote me on that!!!

 

BTW, my anemia is FINE now and I'm a vegetarian. Now, all I do is take an iron pill (with a glass of OJ :D) the first couple days of my period, when I remember.

 

HTH, and I hope you can figure it all out!

[wagnfun]

As you walk this road, make sure that when they run those routine blood tests they should test BOTH your hemoglobin AND your ferritin. It is possible for hemoglobin numbers to be within an acceptable range but your ferritin to be very very low (and thus feel miserable).

 

Take your iron religiously. If you are severely anemic you shouldn't be taking less than 125mg a day--I wouldn't be surprised if you have to have more for starters. Do as your doctor says--don't change your dosage based on my advice--but do question your doctor closely to make sure you are taking an adequate amount.

 

It takes a long, loooooonng time to get your iron up to acceptable levels. It took me eight months of 125mg per day before my iron was within "normal" range. I still take a dose of 70mg a day to maintain that.

 

As long as you are taking iron supplements you need to have labs run every six months.

 

3T of molasses per day contains the right amount of iron for a non-anemic person.

 

You can google for lists of iron-rich foods. Some biggies are red meat, dark leafy greens (especially spinach), beans, and molasses. Make such foods a routine part of your life.

 

You can enhance iron absorption by taking with vitamin C. Many people take their iron pills with a glass of orange juice.

 

I am anemic as are all the women in my family- along with everything posted here.. I'll add a few things.

 

Google for more info but I tried to control it with diet and learned there are foods you can combine to help the body absorb, there are also foods that deplete the bodys iron. Tea is one of them, and although calcuim doesn't deplete the body, it does slow down the adsorption of iron so I no longer drink milk with my meals. I love iced tea but try not to drink any within 4 hrs of eatting.. so basically I rarely drink tea.

 

On top of all that, I recently learned something very interesting. For women of mediterranean descent (I am greek) it is very common to be anemic and no amounts of iron pills or spinage really gets rid of this problem. I am able to raise my levels so I can function (more energy & non fuzzy brain) but even after years of trying, I still do not qualify to give blood.

[Urban Girl]

Eliana,

 

This serves as a good reminder to thoroughly do your homework. And your right, "It is frustrating sometimes trying to find solid data on possible side effects, contraindications, and interactions with medications for herbs and herbal remedies, and most MDs have little to no information."

 

Yolanda

[Supertechmom]

IF you aren't suspecting blood loss issues, a Celiac blood panel could shed some light. Celiac disease causes malabsorption issues with Vit B12 being one that your body stops absorbing. This in turn causes pernicious (sp?) anemia (anemia caused by B-12 deficiency). It's a autoimmune disease triggered by wheat, rye, barley and the damage to the small intestine can be reversed when on a gluten free diet.

 

Here's a link from pub med explaining some of it http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1276329

 

Just another thought if they can't pinpoint a reason in the normal testing. The celiac panel along with vit b-12 levels and vit k levels can help pinpoint an unknown gi issue causing the anemia. Ours all went up the longer we were gluten free.