Iron Defficiency

determinedgirl1

I have felt tired for years....so long that I can not remember not being tired. I have learned to deal with it. I began my journey to a healthy life in August of 2012 and I have lost 60 lbs. I eat healthy (at least 4 servings of vegetables a day)...no sugar, no sodas etc. When I gave up caffeine I didn't know how I would make it through the day. I am already tired...now I am giving up my caffeine, kicking my energy drink habit...how will I ever survive?

I was relieved after I kicked the caffeine and energy drink habit because I did not feel any more tired than I usually did (I did not feel less tired either...but at least I did not feel even more exhausted). I did not give it much thought, I just kept doing what I needed to do to reach my goal of a healthy life.

I joined a gym and even though I would yawn through the workouts and was exhausted before & after...I kept at it. I started doing zumba about a year ago and hoped that would help increase my energy levels...nope it didn't help...but I did fall in love with zumba so I do it twice a week....

....And today...after years of being exhausted....years of annual physicals....years of complaining of being exhausted all the time my new doctor said that I have Iron Deficiency Anemia and suggested iron supplements. I am so happy that this may relieve my exhaustion...but I am concerned about what it will do to my weight loss success.

If anyone has real experience, knowledge or professional information please let me know. How will iron supplements affect or benefit? Thanks in advance for any suggestions, experience & info it will be much appreciated.

techgal128

Iron supplements will not affect your weight. They might irritate your stomach so you have to be careful. I think the real concern here is WHY you are anemic. I had the same issue and it turned out I had gastritis in my stomach which was affecting my iron absorption. If you have very heavy periods, you might want to consider talking to a gynecologist. I'd also recommend taking Vitamin D since a lot of people (especially women) are low in it. This can also affect your energy levels.

determinedgirl1

Thank you!

TAMayorga

Several months ago I became a "kind of" vegetarian. I don't want to go into too much detail as to the hows and whys, but in reality, I was eating almost no red meat. While I was never diagnosed with Iron Deficiency Anemia, my hands were always cold and I was having a HARD time donating blood at my workplace's quarterly blood drives; I kept getting deferred due to low iron levels. I began popping iron supplements like crazy prior to the scheduled blood drives. I would then get deferred again. Then I'd try at another local blood drive. Deferred again. The last time I got deferred on Feb 11th with a level of 36 (apparently you have to be at a minimum of 38 to donate). So I found another drive on Feb. 23. On Feb 21st, I started eating red meat every meal. When I went to the blood drive, I was at 42.

TLDR? Supplements might not be as big a help as checking out your diet. Good luck to you.

ETA: I'm not a doctor. Just passing along my own experience.

huneycutt13

Iron supplements will extremely help your energy level. Also try to put iron rich foods into your diet (spinach, beef, eggs, beans, etc) as well as the supplements. I have iron deficiency anemia and can tell a huge difference between taking them and not taking them. My aunt's iron was so low (tired all the time, absolutely no energy, ashen skin, depressed) and she had an iron transfusion which made her feel 10 years younger. Honestly the iron supplements should help your weight loss because you won't be dependent on sodas, energy drinks, and you will be able to exercise more. Make sure to give your body time to adjust as well. Good luck!

determinedgirl1

Thanks, that gives me so much hope!

determinedgirl1

The iron rich food is what I don't understand because I totally eat healthy including iron rich foods. I have steak at least 2 times a week. My husband is a butcher...so he brings home the good stuff. I love spinach, eggs, beans, etc...I will try to incorporate more iron into my diet, but I have also started taking an iron supplement. Thanks for all of the great advice.

CassieR6

I have been considering getting mine checked for awhile now. I too feel tired all the time! Even if I get plenty of sleep. I dose off during my 15min break at work even! Plus the fact that I love to chew on ice people have also told me that can be a sign. Glad you got the answers you needed! Hopefully I can too when I go to the doctor. I hope I don't just hear its all because I am overweight for my height. :happy:

paddlefeet

Last year my mum suffered greatly with severe anaemia, her doctor had never seen levels so low (she had a benign tumour in her uterus wreaking all sorts of havoc), and one thing I took from it all is that restoring iron levels isn't a fast process - even when you get an infusion (mum got 5 little vials at once) you still need time. She was told you pretty much need to wait for new red blood cells to be created for you to be all back to normal. They have a lifespan of about 3 months I think.

Now I'm not sure about the mechanics of it all and how it might differ with severity, or your reasons for the anaemia. Mum was on the verge of passing out just from the exertion it took to stand in the shower for 5 minutes. Hopefully just digesting more iron through food or supplements will work quickly for you! But one thing I remember re: supplements is swallowing handfuls of pills is NOT going to work. It's not a case of taking more = more iron in the blood (same goes for high-dose pills) because it is difficult to digest and your body only digests and absorbs so much at a time. And the pills can make some people feel sick. I took them when I was younger and if I didn't have a full stomach I vomited them back almost immediately. Some people get constipation or diarrhoea as well.

A friend of mine actually put my mum onto this iron supplement that comes as a solution you drink, just tastes like metallic water but you can add it to things to make it easier to drink. She said she got no side effects compared to when she took pills, and apparently it is a lot easier for the body to digest. I can't for the life of me think of what it was called! But you should be able to find it in pharmacies, or places you buy health food and supplements. If you're interested. Or maybe increasing iron-rich foods is easier, lol.

Good luck!

LaLa_Ventura

I've tried Black Strap Molasses but the I started to develop heartburn. Now I use my Chlorella and Spirulina to provide me with enough iron. I no longer have anemic symptoms, I'm actully quite warm throughout the day now.

hockeyangie

Not a doctor but I've been there, to the point of blood transfusions in the ICU and large bags of iron via IV, and it's no fun at all.

Get the supplements that say Ferrous Iron because that absorbs best (not ferric iron). You might even find some that say non-irritating but check the mg dosage. You need about 45mg a day regularly, but be careful as too much iron is dangerous too. Iron supplements may bother your stomach but there are other options to increase your iron intake and how much of the iron you take in is absorbed by your body.

Cooking with cast iron is a savor for me now as that, at wacky as it sounds, does help. Also, not all iron is created equal. For food, there are two types of iron in food. In meat, your body will absorb about 30% of the iron in the food because it's heme iron, which is way better than veggie/cereal iron. In a three ounce steak, there's about 3mg. In veggies (spinach is good, broccoli, fortified cereals, beans), that is non-heme iron meaning only like 2-10% will be absorbed. Taking or eating iron with dairy products will decrease how much is absorbed however taking iron with vitamin C will help with the absorption.

To get to your actual question, there should be no effect on your weight loss, unless you count how much more Zumba you can now enjoy with your increased energy levels.

MonaLisaLianne

Be very careful with iron supplements. Yes - the correct amount will definitely make you feel much better, with more energy. Taking too much is very dangerous, though. Stomach pain, constipation, and even damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys can occur with excess iron intake. NEVER take more than your doctor suggests. You need to find out why you have iron deficient anemia, as well. It could be from heavy periods, or from internal bleeding of some sort. It's not something to be taken lightly - nor are iron supplements.

tavenne323

I have been anemic pretty much my whole life. I was taking an OTC iron supplement, but it didn't make a difference in my iron level. Now I am on a prescription supplement. I have never felt tired or any of the classic anemic symptoms. The only way I could tell is that I bruise very easily. My new doctor (for the last three years) has been checking my iron every year now.

I don't take mine with food, but I do try to eat within the hour. I still get a little constipated sometimes. No other symptoms. I've found that eating an orange with it helps a lot. Plus, I read that citrus helps your body absorb the iron better. Not sure if that's true.

It hasn't affected me losing weight at all. If anything it should help because your muscles will have better access to oxygen in the blood, aka more energy. But as I said, my energy level has been the same with or without the iron.

keem88

i'm anemic and was taking sundown iron pills, it says to take 2 which are over 200% of your daily iron needs. they were giving me really bad stomach cramps/constipation. the dr suggested for me to take a childrens multi vitamin as there is less iron in it. i succesfully donated blood for the first time in years bc my iron was actually high enough! just at their minimum but had been turned down many times for low iron

enchantedgardener

I had low levels of iron for a long time. Partly due to heavy periods and years of eating little or no red meat. I've never taken iron supplements, but I did make significant changes to my lifestyle in order to increase my iron levels. I went on birth control pills both for their intended purpose and to make my periods lighter (and they are much lighter now!). I started eating red meat on a regular basis, as well as iron-fortified oatmeal or cereal every day.

One of the BEST food sources of iron (which is rarely even mentioned) is shellfish, especially mussels and clams. They have more iron per ounce than beef! The best vegetarian source of iron is pumpkin seeds. I used to grind pumpkin seeds in the food processor and use it instead of peanut butter. YUM! Or just eat them as is.

Taking iron supplements can be hard on your stomach. I do believe you need to take them with a large meal. But they will gradually increase your energy levels and consequently will help you in your weight loss efforts!

disneygirl626

I took heavy doses of iron supplements in high school due to severe anemia. It didn't affect my weight but I did get extremely painful stomachaches if I didn't eat before I took it. Also it can have a binding affect and I wasn't allowed take laxatives or eat any foods that might help (like prune juice or oranges).