Dealing with anemia in the short term...

[Diana in OR]

I am extremely anemic due to some female problems I've been having that I have posted about previously. I know it's gotten worse, and I don't even want to know what my numbers are at the moment.

 

I am scheduled for a D&C in 11 days (and counting!), we'll see what happens after that. In the meantime, I am exhausted all the time. I can't even walk around our short block without feeling the need to stop and take a nap.

 

I am taking an iron tablet prescribed by my dr. I am eating high iron foods to the point of I'm tired (no pun intended) of choosing what to eat based on the iron content. Is there anything else I can do to increase my energy in the short term? I know I will be down a couple days from the D&C, and facing the possibility of a hysterectomy which will have me down for a few weeks at least. It's hard to be down so much right now.

 

Any ideas?

[Jean in Newcastle]

No answers for you, Diana. But I do have a :grouphug:. I hope that your d & c helps you tremendously.

[Laurie]

When I was anemic my doctor told me to take 250mg of vitamin C along with my Slow FE iron pill because it helps the body absorb iron.

 

I went through this last summer. I'm not sure what more you can do that you're not already doing! Just don't try to push yourself...you need to rest and take it easy. Put your feet up and read, listen to music, or whatever you find relaxing! Take good care of yourself so if you do end up having surgery you aren't going in exhausted.

 

I hope you're feeling better soon!

[Diana in OR]

No answers for you, Diana. But I do have a :grouphug:. I hope that your d & c helps you tremendously.

Thanks, Jean. :) I'd rep you , but it won't let me. :confused:

[Peela]

I 2nd the Vitamin C- it is important to absorb iron.

I am anaemic, fairly chronically, I know how you feel. I have zero energy for exercise at the moment.

I am making myself an orange juice in the mornings, and adding my iron drops to it. I take iron drops one day and a tablet the next.The tablet is a pharmacy iron tablet that has vitamin C in it. I eat red meat, though I would prefer to be vegetarian.

I say- rest. Pushing against low energy only makes you more exhausted. Trust that it will pass, you are dealing with it, not much else you can do.

Both the tannin in tea, and mineral blocking elements in soy products, can block iron absorption- to be honest I am not sure if this is a big factor or a minimal one. I still drink my tea but try not to drink it around meals. I think soy milk is the worst offender for blocking iron absorption, so I don't drink that any more- not sure it has made a difference, but I am willing to give it up.

hth, hope you are feeling better soon.

[Anne]

I second Peela's comments about things that block iron absorption.

 

I googled "things that block iron absorption" and found quite a bit of information on drhoffman.com:

 

"Meat, fish and poultry contain not only the highly bioavailable heme iron, but also a factor called MFP factor that promotes the absorption of nonheme iron from other foods eaten with them. Vitamin C, which also enhances nonheme iron absorption from foods eaten in the same meal, is the most potent promoter of nonheme iron absorption. Vitamin C captures iron and keeps it in the ferrous form, ready for absorption. Other factors that enhance nonheme iron absorption include citric acid and lactic acid from foods, as well as HCl from the stomach.

 

Some dietary factors bind with nonheme iron, inhibiting absorption. These include the phytates and fibers in whole grain cereals and nuts, the calcium and phosphorus in milk and supplements, the EDTA in food additives, and tannic acid. Tannic acid is present in tea, coffee, nuts and some fruits and vegetables. Recent studies reveal that soy may inhibit iron absorption."

 

I don't know anything about this dr. hoffman - but it sounds as if you couldn't go wrong taking your iron with orange juice, and without cereal, milk/calcium, soy or tannic acids.

 

I hope this all gets resolved quickly - please give yourself permission to rest!!!

 

Anne

[Jeanine in TX]

I eat liver once a month to treat my anemia. I feel well enough to not take iron pills. When my anemia flares up, I feel very fatigued and I have shortness of breath.

 

I found a great recipe that disguises the liver taste.

 

Cut liver into bite-size pieces.

Marinate liver in balsamic vinegar for at least 1 hour. (I use ziplock bags.)

Dice 1 small onion or half of large one.

Dice 1-2 large cloves of garlic.

Slice 4-5 mushrooms.

 

I like frying the liver in an aluminum pan because it gets very hot quickly.

 

Heat the frying pan.

Add olive oil to frying pan.

Put liver and marinade in the frying pan. Cook until done.

Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms to pan. Cook until tender.

Serve by itself, or over rice or noodles.

[Faithseed]

Over the past 2 years, I've had 2 horrible miscarriages with lots of "issues" that went with them.

 

In addition to what's been said above, I also took

 

Yellow Dock

Chlorophyll

 

I did one bottle each. After the bottle was over, I evaluated how I was feeling, and in one case did another Chlorophyll. This was the course of action that myself, my midwife, and an herbalist all agreed on.

 

Oh, and you can now find liver in a capsule. Much easier for me than the real thing :ack2:

 

Take care of yourself!!!

[Amie]

I 2nd the Yellow Dock--this can be quite helpful in absorbing iron.

Get as much rest as possible and try not to do too much--it will improve in time!

[Harriet Vane]

I took 125mg a day for eight months before dropping down to 50mg per day. That was not enough to maintain, so I am presently trying 75mg a day to see if I can maintain equilibrium on that. Are you taking enough? With the issues you describe, the "usual" amounts (18 or 26 or 50mg) will not do the trick.

 

You can also take molasses on top of your pill supplement. When I need a boost I take 3T diluted in a little lukewarm water to help it go down easier. It tastes nasty but does help.