Does eating meat regularly correct iron deficiency?

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  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
    edited March 2015
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    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    There are lots of people I'm sure who can't tolerate iron supplements and get their iron back up through their diet. There has to be a way.

    I am mildly iron deficient. I eat more beef than you can believe, and lots of veg with it too. Not that many seeds and nuts or some of the other sources, but I eat beef daily, sometimes twice a day. Only rarely do I meet 100% of my DV through food. Trying to do it through that way will help, but if you are experiencing this kind of trouble, and you don't like half the foods that have the most iron, you're not going to get it from cereal. Especially if you are severely deficient.

    It sounds like you're really suffering. I really want to encourage you to find a new doctor, tomorrow. And the same day, to come up with a list of five psychologists proficient in exposure therapy for phobia. Not all of them are going to be awful.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
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    I'm sorry to be so bold, I don't know you. But I've seen you post about this a number of times. I think you have to address your pathological phobia. And, it's possible to treat.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    emily_stew wrote: »
    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    emily_stew wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    emily_stew wrote: »
    Have you spoken to your Dr about this, specifically your anxiety with this? Because that's where you need to start. Not with yet another message board topic about your iron deficiency. I know I'm being blunt but it's the truth.
    If you're truly iron deficient or anemic you and your Dr NEED to find a supplement that will work for you to take. Or a method of taking it that will work. Iron rich food will help but it won't be enough.
    I can't figure out what was abusive in that post that deemed it flag worthy.

    I just noticed that I had another flag. Seriously why do I bother attempting to help. This is a subject I have personal and professional experience in...ridiculous

    It is ridiculous that someone reported your post. And just so you know, I didn't do it.

    But anyway, the more we argue about posts being reported, the more likely this thread is to be closed. And I really need the help with my iron deficiency. So let's please concentrate on that everyone.

    Wow I come back to this thread and I see my post has been the topic of conversation..
    I was blunt and I make no apologies for it. I wasn't rude. At all.
    Once again, you NEED to be taking some sort of iron supplement. Eating iron rich food will help but not by a lot. There are a variety of supplements to take in various forms, from pills to liquids to injections. You and your Dr need to discuss which method will work for you. If your Dr doesn't take you seriously, yes you should talk to a different Dr.
    If you don't have a therapist, you need to be speaking to one for help with your anxiety and your aversion to supplements-and why you feel that way . There are ways of managing it.
    And yes, you've been told this in your other threads.

    Listen to this.

    You saw one therapist that didn't work out. You have the ability to go see another. Therapists are like shoes, they come in all types and you gotta find one that fits.
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Whether you can raise your iron levels through diet will probably depend on the individual. I can't, because my body cannot efficiently absorb iron from dietary sources alone, so even though my diet is very good I still become very anaemic unless I take an iron supplement daily. My system just needs to be absolutely bombarded with the bloody stuff in a form that promotes easy absorption for enough to seep in. You may be different, but I would think it would take weeks/months to make any real difference from just eating meat.

    I know at the moment you can't take supplements but you really need to find somebody who will help you work through this problem because it's affecting your health now. Even severe anxiety can be treated. It was horribly unhelpful of your last therapist to insist otherwise. I know it's expensive to sort and tricky, but it's really the best way to get on top of this low iron issue. I've been hospitalised for concussion caused by fainting from low anaemia before, and it was not an experience I'd want anyone to share!
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
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    I do second Spatone though. It does taste metallic but if you mix it in enough orange juice you can't taste it, although of course you will still know it's there which may still give you some anxiety issues, I recognise. Works though.
  • HaggisWhisperer
    HaggisWhisperer Posts: 125 Member
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    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    OP, I know this sounds gimmickey as well, but when i tried Spatone i had great results as well.

    It's water from a spring that is naturally high in iron. It's only like 30% of your DV but it's easily absorbed and i had absolutely ZERO negative effects taking it. I just added it to a half cup of OJ in the morning and was good to go. :)

    Thank you for the suggestion! I just really don't think I can handle any type of iron supplement. I'm just too anxious about it.

    I'd have to second the previous posters suggestion for Spatone - I can't tolerate any iron tablet supplements and after an operation a few years ago I was left anaemic and needing to increase my haemoglobin. My doctor suggested the Spatone as an alternative and I didn't get any of the side effects I get with the tablets (nausea and diarrhoea). If you put the liquid in orange juice you can't tase it either. Seriously - don't discount this one till you have tried it!

    You are going to need to address your iron levels somehow, be it increasing your red meat intake or finding some sort of supplement (like the Spatone) that will work for you.

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
    edited March 2015
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    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    There are lots of people I'm sure who can't tolerate iron supplements and get their iron back up through their diet. There has to be a way.

    I am mildly iron deficient. I eat more beef than you can believe, and lots of veg with it too. Not that many seeds and nuts or some of the other sources, but I eat beef daily, sometimes twice a day. Only rarely do I meet 100% of my DV through food. Trying to do it through that way will help, but if you are experiencing this kind of trouble, and you don't like half the foods that have the most iron, you're not going to get it from cereal. Especially if you are severely deficient.

    It sounds like you're really suffering. I really want to encourage you to find a new doctor, tomorrow. And the same day, to come up with a list of five psychologists proficient in exposure therapy for phobia. Not all of them are going to be awful.

    So if it will help with meat, I should still try it. Right now my ferritin just keeps going down so if it helps it go up even a little bit, I think it's a good thing to try. I always meet 100% of my DV of iron. I get a little bit over. But not all of it gets absorbed. Especially not the iron from the cereal since I have it with milk. And not only that but when your ferritin is this low you have to get way over 100% since 100% just maintains. But since I'm not gonna get it through cereal, should I not have a couple servings of Honey Nut Cheerios as a snack later in the day which would give me around 50% extra iron?

    I can find a therapist but even if I find one who's really good, therapy takes months to work. My iron will be too low by then and I'll be very anemic. I would need to get it up before then.

    I am not saying that whatever other anxiety issues you have can be treated as efficiently. But treatment for specific phobias (I'm not talking about generalized anxiety disorder or anything else) has the best support of all psychological treatments, when the behavioural method of exposure therapy is used. It does not typically take months. It can be effective in five sessions - even as little as one long session.

    http://bestpractice.bmj.com/best-practice/monograph/693/treatment/step-by-step.html

    It has to be a behavioural therapist, doing exposure therapy, though. They have to have experience in that.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
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    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    There are lots of people I'm sure who can't tolerate iron supplements and get their iron back up through their diet. There has to be a way.

    I am mildly iron deficient. I eat more beef than you can believe, and lots of veg with it too. Not that many seeds and nuts or some of the other sources, but I eat beef daily, sometimes twice a day. Only rarely do I meet 100% of my DV through food. Trying to do it through that way will help, but if you are experiencing this kind of trouble, and you don't like half the foods that have the most iron, you're not going to get it from cereal. Especially if you are severely deficient.

    It sounds like you're really suffering. I really want to encourage you to find a new doctor, tomorrow. And the same day, to come up with a list of five psychologists proficient in exposure therapy for phobia. Not all of them are going to be awful.

    So if it will help with meat, I should still try it. Right now my ferritin just keeps going down so if it helps it go up even a little bit, I think it's a good thing to try. I always meet 100% of my DV of iron. I get a little bit over. But not all of it gets absorbed. Especially not the iron from the cereal since I have it with milk. And not only that but when your ferritin is this low you have to get way over 100% since 100% just maintains. But since I'm not gonna get it through cereal, should I not have a couple servings of Honey Nut Cheerios as a snack later in the day which would give me around 50% extra iron?

    I wish I could offer more information, but you know more about ferritin than I do :)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
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    I understand your concern, and you're right, it is very concerning!

    And I hear you, therapy sounds like it takes ages. And sometimes it does. And a lot of people don't have great experiences with therapists for a lot of different reasons.

    But, specific phobias (like your fear of supplements) are unusual in that there is a ton of research that shows they can be treated very effectively, very quickly. However it is only some psychologists who know how to do this treatment.
  • ChicagOH
    ChicagOH Posts: 75 Member
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    Look into cereals. There are some that are extremely iron fortified. Cocoa Wheats hot cereal leaps to mind, and you can whip an egg in as it cooks for extra iron and protein. When I was pregnant, it was about all I could stomach. Also, Total, the cold cereal is high iron. I do recommend having a high quality hamburger a couple of times a week as well.
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
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    Can I ask why you don't eat read meat?

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