anaemia

mygrl4meee

As a result of fainting I have been diagnosed with anemia. I am on iron pills and have to see a specialist. I heard that it's common in women especially those that are active. Anyone else have it? What are you doing to treat it? I been looking at iron enriched foods and trying to up it. I quit logging food since I am in maintenance but been working on logging again.

upgradeddiddy

I was recently diagnosed with anemia too (not as severe as yours is). I have actually started iron supplementing and eating lean beef (packed full of iron). Dried fruit, beans/legumes/lentils and dark green veggies and the God awful bran cereals (haha) are good too if you don't prefer more meat. I'm relatively new to the anemic game so sorry I don't have more help but I definitely would suggest tracking foods and put iron as a priority just to gauge how much you need in a day to stay functional

mygrl4meee

Thanks for your suggestions. They have me on iron 3 times a day.

earlnabby

mygrl4meee wrote: »

Thanks for your suggestions. They have me on iron 3 times a day.

Make sure you don't take your iron with calcium or any dairy (a 2 hour window on both sides is what my doctor told me). Calcium doesn't allow iron to be absorbed as well.

I had severe anemia. My hemoglobin was 5.2 so I ended up in the hospital for transfusions totaling 4 units. When I was released, I was up to 9.4. After that, I ate high iron foods like red meat, dark green veggies, legumes, etc. I also took 325 mg of iron once a day. My hemoglobin slowly climbed until it was in the normal range (over 12) after about 4 months and it has stayed up there ever since. I stopped taking the iron after a year and my numbers are holding steady in the 6 months since I stopped.

RodaRose

Eat foods with vitamin C at the same time you take the iron to help with iron absorption: bell peppers, kale, broccoli, cauliflower.

SignpostPsycho

RodaRose wrote: »

Eat foods with vitamin C at the same time you take the iron to help with iron absorption: bell peppers, kale, broccoli, cauliflower.

upgradeddiddy wrote: »

I was recently diagnosed with anemia too (not as severe as yours is). I have actually started iron supplementing and eating lean beef (packed full of iron). Dried fruit, beans/legumes/lentils and dark green veggies and the God awful bran cereals (haha) are good too if you don't prefer more meat. I'm relatively new to the anemic game so sorry I don't have more help but I definitely would suggest tracking foods and put iron as a priority just to gauge how much you need in a day to stay functional

THESE. Also they can cause a constipation, nausea, and make your stool look weird (tarry-green). I was so badly anemic that before they drew my blood, they thought I had allergies because I was so tired and couldn't ever seem to catch my breath (I was 4. Normal is at least 12 for women. Though I never got a transfusion like earlnabby). Getting your iron from foods is the best way to absorb it properly, but until you get your numbers up pills will have to do, as long as you can stand them (I certainly couldn't after I started getting so sick I couldn't eat).
Since I won't take the pills anymore, I keep pretty normal by upping my veggies, lean meats, and supplementing with a child multivitamin every once in a while. I donate blood a few times a year and it helps keep me on top of it because you can't donate if you are anemic.
I know how much it sucks to have anemia. It's exhausting. I really hope you are able to get your numbers back up!

callmejessica

I'm forever anemic and it's not treatable for me, but I've learned a lot about it over the years. It's a really great idea to try to treat it by adjusting your diet. You could always try making spinach or kale juices to help increase your intake. Also try cooking your spinach because that's supposed to help you absorb the iron a little better than eating it raw. Otherwise you can find iron in chicken, seafood, and beans besides your leafy greens. Hope you start feeling better!

earlnabby

SignpostPsycho wrote: »

RodaRose wrote: »

Eat foods with vitamin C at the same time you take the iron to help with iron absorption: bell peppers, kale, broccoli, cauliflower.

upgradeddiddy wrote: »

I was recently diagnosed with anemia too (not as severe as yours is). I have actually started iron supplementing and eating lean beef (packed full of iron). Dried fruit, beans/legumes/lentils and dark green veggies and the God awful bran cereals (haha) are good too if you don't prefer more meat. I'm relatively new to the anemic game so sorry I don't have more help but I definitely would suggest tracking foods and put iron as a priority just to gauge how much you need in a day to stay functional

THESE. Also they can cause a constipation, nausea, and make your stool look weird (tarry-green). I was so badly anemic that before they drew my blood, they thought I had allergies because I was so tired and couldn't ever seem to catch my breath (I was 4. Normal is at least 12 for women. Though I never got a transfusion like earlnabby).

I found that taking my iron with (non-calcium) food prevented the nausea. When my numbers stabilized a bit, I took it 5 days a week with two off days in order to ease up the constipation a bit. I didn't have it bad because I did make sure I ate plenty of fiber and fat, which helps move things along.

They originally thought I was going through congestive heart failure because of the breathing problems and the edema that built up in my legs. I had cankles. I NEVER have cankles, even at my highest weight.

mygrl4meee

Thanks everyone! Glad I am not alone.