|
Anemia
Jul 31, 2011 20:49:28 GMT -5
Post by brussie on Jul 31, 2011 20:49:28 GMT -5
Hi, I'm seeing a new doc on Tuesday to discuss my possible endo and my other possibly endo-related health issues. One of these issues is anemia. I was first diagnosed with anemia about 4 years ago; low RBC, low hemoglobin, and a ferritin level of 7. Shortly after, my doctor discovered I was gluten intolerant and chalked up the anemia to that. However, even after 4 years on a gluten-free diet, I still have a low RBC about every other time they check it and I've never seen my ferritin get above 20. Before I was diagnosed with gluten-intolerance, they did a pretty good GI work-up to make sure I didn't have internal bleeding and everything looked fine. More recently, I had an intestinal permeability test on the assumption that maybe I couldn't digest/absorb iron, but I seem to be relatively impermeable Since then, my doctors have blamed "heavy periods" even though I insist that I only lose 1.5 to 2 oz of blood each period (I use a menstrual cup, so I can get a pretty accurate measurement). My periods only last for 3 days and come every 28-30 days, so I don't think I can rightly consider them "heavy". I'm wondering if any of you ladies have problems with anemia or iron deficiency even though you might not have heavy periods. I'm wondering if endo can contribute to anemia even in absence of a heavy flow. Maybe the whole retrograde menstruation thing? I can only say how much comes out; I have no idea how much might be staying in or flowing backward.
|
|
|
Anemia
Jul 31, 2011 20:56:52 GMT -5
Post by jessabug on Jul 31, 2011 20:56:52 GMT -5
I have been anemic for several years, but I'm not sure if endo is linked to anemia! Have you tried googling it?
|
|
|
Anemia
Aug 1, 2011 7:46:55 GMT -5
Post by 1234 on Aug 1, 2011 7:46:55 GMT -5
Hi, Brussie! I'm in your same boat. I get pretty strong anemic symptoms at the end of every period, even if it's not heavy. THere is definitely a link between anemia and endo, though it's often put down to the internal bleeding and heavy periods. I'm not convinced.
However, I have gotten a MUCH better handle on anemia since adding a complex Vit B (it has to be "complex"--meaning all of the Vitamins B) pill to my diet, that also includes folic acid. Deficiencies in those two vitamins also cause anemia, also, and my bloodwork showed that I was both iron deficient and had enlarged blood cells, meaning that I lacked either or both Vit B and folic acid. You can also take prenatal vitamins, which have high iron and folic acid.
Can you ask your doctor to see if any of these other nutrients is low in you? I'm sorry for the anemia--it's such a struggle. I really hate slurring my words and feeling stupid, and when I'm anemic, that's what happens to me.
|
|
|
Anemia
Aug 1, 2011 8:48:03 GMT -5
Post by cherry on Aug 1, 2011 8:48:03 GMT -5
I agree about getting more details on what you're missing out on. A recent hospital visit for me saw them rule out appendicitis but not tell me I was quite anaemic! Since then I've started taking a good range of vitamins. I take normal supermarket bought iron twice a day as well as folic acid but might swap to good ol' ferrous sulphate cos it's not quite working. I also take a multivitamin and a vitamin B complex, and lots of vitamin C which is also important in getting iron levels up. I also take calcium with vitamin D, glucosamine with chondroitin and omega 3 but that's to help with my joints. As I said, I don't think the iron is doing quite enough to help but taking those extra vitamins has really turned me around so I can see a light at the end of the pale tired tunnel! Hope you can find some relief in this. I've wondered the same about anaemia and endo, seeing as I ended up like this but with no period for nearly a year. Would like to see medicine try harder to find the links between endo and all these resulting conditions we face.
|
|
|
Anemia
Aug 1, 2011 12:31:44 GMT -5
Post by brussie on Aug 1, 2011 12:31:44 GMT -5
jessabug: I've tried running some searches, but everything I've found says something along the lines of "due to frequent heavy menstrual flow, women with endometriosis frequently suffer from anemia". I haven't really found a way to take the heavy flow aspect out of the search. 1234: Yes! I get "brain fog" as well when I'm anemic. I'll try to think of a word and it just won't come to me. Although, I think the worst symptom for me is the unrelenting fatigue and the exercise intolerance. When I'm anemic, there's no way I can keep up with the guys on bike rides. I'll be panting and gasping for breath on even short climbs. Even walking up staircases can wind me when I'm very low on red blood cells. No oxygen! My doc actually ran a test on my B-12 and folic acid levels to rule out pernicious anemia awhile back and both of my levels were quite high (I think they actually might have been out of range high...). I take a B-50 daily and sometimes take a multi on top of it. cherry: I agree, the companion nutrients to iron are vital. I take a B-50 daily and my B levels seem to be good. I just started taking C, so we'll see if that helps. I also take 50mg of iron each day but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I've tried a bunch of different forms: heme iron, liquid iron, etc. but I haven't found one that has done the trick yet. However, I do feel the best on the heme iron. I'll post back if my new doc says anything illuminating on this iron issue.
|
|
|
Anemia
Aug 1, 2011 15:17:46 GMT -5
Post by 1234 on Aug 1, 2011 15:17:46 GMT -5
Please do post back Brussie! I get winded and exhausted too, so anything you figure out I'd love to learn from. Hope you find something that works soon.
|
|
|
Anemia
Sept 13, 2011 11:49:12 GMT -5
Post by KSA on Sept 13, 2011 11:49:12 GMT -5
Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by pallor (reduced amount of oxyhemoglobin in skin or mucous membrane), fatigue and weakness. Because it tends to develop slowly, adaptation occurs and the disease often goes unrecognized for some time. In severe cases, dyspnea (trouble breathing) can occur. Unusual obsessive food cravings, known as pica, may develop. Pagophagia or pica for ice is a very specific symptom and may disappear with correction of iron deficiency anemia. Hair loss and lightheadedness can also be associated with iron deficiency anemia.
Other symptoms and signs of iron deficiency anemia include:
* Anxiety often resulting in OCD type compulsions and obsessions * Irritability or a low feeling * Angina * Constipation * Sleepiness * Tinnitus * Mouth ulcers * Palpitations * Hair loss * Fainting or feeling faint * Depression * Breathlessness on exertion. * Twitching muscles * Tingling, numbness, or burning sensations * Missed menstrual cycle * Heavy menstrual period * Slow social development * Glossitis (inflammation or infection of the tongue) * Angular cheilitis (inflammatory lesions at the mouth's corners) * Koilonychia (spoon-shaped nails) or nails that are weak or brittle * Poor appetite * Pruritus (Itchiness) * Dysphagia due to formation of esophageal webs (Plummer-vinson syndrome). * Restless Legs Syndrome[6]
Normal Range
In an adult, a normal blood iron level is 60 to 170 mcg/dl. On average, women have slightly lower iron levels. Influencing Factors
Iron levels tend to be highest in the morning and lowest in the evening. If a practitioner suspects iron deficiency, she will usually recommend testing before noon. Effect of Medication
Many medications can affect serum iron levels. Drugs containing estrogen, including birth control pills, can raise iron levels, while some antibiotics can reduce them. High Iron Levels
Unusually high iron levels might be caused by a number of conditions, many of which are serious. They include iron poisoning, hepatitis, hepatic necrosis, hemochromatosis, and deficiencies of vitamin B-6 and B-12. Low Iron Levels
Below-average iron levels are usually less serious and more treatable than high iron levels. Common causes include heavy menstruation, poor absorption of iron, poor diet and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding.
~I found this online as a guide to normal iron levels however my doc and the hematologist puts a woman's level at 64 as normal. Most of the girls on here prob have some of these symptoms bc of blood loss since you are still menstruating even tho if you are below and feel any symptoms contact your doc as something could help you to get thru the low energy caused from anemia~
|
|
|
Anemia
Sept 13, 2011 19:44:42 GMT -5
Post by jessabug on Sept 13, 2011 19:44:42 GMT -5
Hi Girls!
Thought I'd drop in and offer some advice I got from Dr. Redwine about anemia:
He told me that multi-vitamins are often misleading because they do NOT contain the iron you need for the day. So, if you're like me and have been taking a pill like Women's One A Day, that isn't cutting it, no matter what the bottle says. You need to also be taking REAL iron supplements, so you need to get a pill that is specifically JUST iron in order to do your body any good. He also, of course, advises incorporating iron-rich foods (I think he said greens... I am so bad with that kind of stuff..) into your diet!
|
|
|
Anemia
Sept 14, 2011 18:14:25 GMT -5
Post by KSA on Sept 14, 2011 18:14:25 GMT -5
Jess you are exactly right and Redwine is the go to guy for all of this. Lots of foods are full of iron. Greens are the best. It may not be the best tasting food but you can get it in supplement form and yea the mulit vitamins are a total scam they do not contain what you need at all that is money wasted for people mislead by the advertising companies. Thanks for sharing the docs info we will all benifit from you seeing him:)
|
|
neina
Junior Member
Posts: 63
|
Anemia
Apr 27, 2012 14:28:20 GMT -5
Post by neina on Apr 27, 2012 14:28:20 GMT -5
I am anemic too! I Googled it, and found that anemia does not cause endo, it is the other way around (due to the bleeding that endo causes). It's funny... everything that has been unexplainably wrong with me in the past all make sense now because they are all endo related! ugh! I thought I was falling apart piece by piece! lol
|
|
|
Anemia
Apr 27, 2012 17:30:09 GMT -5
Post by 1234 on Apr 27, 2012 17:30:09 GMT -5
Neina, make sure you get tested to see if you are iron deficient or folic acid/vit B deficient--or both! There are two types of anemia, and if you have folic acid/vit B deficiency, taking all the iron in the world won't help a bit!
|
|
|
Anemia
Apr 27, 2012 18:00:12 GMT -5
Post by omaklackey on Apr 27, 2012 18:00:12 GMT -5
if anemia is caused by a loss of "intrinsic factor" which makes Vitamin B-12, there must be another test for vitamin B-12. Does anybody have the name for that test?
|
|
ree
New Member
Posts: 8
|
Anemia
May 29, 2012 10:20:20 GMT -5
Post by ree on May 29, 2012 10:20:20 GMT -5
Adding on to Rustmyrtle's comment, another thing you anyone with that list of symptoms should look into is Thalassemia www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001613/. This is another form of anemia that can't be helped by taking iron, and it is genetic. It runs in my family (my mother and sister both have the trait), but I tested negative for being a carrier. Thank god, because I already have the iron-deficient anemia (borderline for the moment) and narcolepsy to boot! Ree.
|
|