Iron deficiency anemia?

[wrinklyraisin]

Does anyone else suffer from this? I've recently been diagnosed due to major menstrual blood loss. My GP has not prescribed iron as I'm still in "normal" parameters although at the very lowest acceptable level iyswim. I need to take a supplement for 3 months then get bloods redone. My symptoms are sometimes crippling tiredness, chills, mood swings, fatigue and of course losing almost 3/4 pint of blood every month just makes it worse. My thyroid is normal and b12 is low. What supplements would any of you recommend? He just said make sure its about 30mg of iron a day, and 2500mcg of b12. Helpful I know.

Would appreciate any advice!

[CrazyChristmasLady]

I get this sometimes but my doctor does give me iron tablets, although when I get to the stage that it is realised, I am severely anaemic by then. I would get a multi vitamin with iron. They usually contain the full amount of all what you need.

[HeathRobinson]

I get this. I use Feroglobin. Tastes ok and seems to do the trick.

[CrazyChristmasLady]

Did they tell you about not drinking tea with meals as it reduces your iron absorption? My doctor recommended drinking pure orange at breakfast as this increases your absorption.

[TooMuchRain]

I didn't get on well with iron supplements. My doctor (not in the UK) told me to eat horse... then when she saw the look on my face scaled it down to liver once a week and plenty of other naturally iron-rich foods.

[neriberi]

you can buy liquid iron supplements like spatone and floradix, these are so much better than iron tablets and are absorbed a lot more quickly by the body plus they don't have as many side effects. Increasing vitamin C can help your body absorb iron and supplements like spirulina are high in iron and B12. Also, if you like the odd alcoholic drink try and cut back because booze can lower your blood count and drinks like red wine can stop your body absorbing iron.

[idlevice]

Haeme type iron supplements tend to have more iron in them per recommended dose than the liquid supplements & are extremely absorbable. A bit more expensive but would be best to get over very iron levels then you could reduce a bit more to maintenance supplementing with something else.

[butterfliesinmytummy]

I have the same. I am taking spatone, prescribed by my doc. Also cyklokapron for 3 months to reduce blood loss. Also had an internal ultrasound to rule out fibroids (there were none). Have to go back in 3 mnths for another blood check. As fibroids have been ruled out, it has been assumed that I've just had heavy bleeding for a long time, which has led to anaemia and very low iron stores. I crunched ice for years, which can be a side effect of anaemia....

Try to get your doc to find out why you have such heaving bleeding - this is a symptom so something else might be causing it. If it is fibroids (which are common), at least there is a solution.

[wrinklyraisin]

No fibroids. But extensive endo that was removed 8yrs ago and have bled heavily for as long as I can remember. I used to eat more liver/red meats and haven't for a year now so I suspect I was always heading towards anemia but controlled it via my diet up til now. I'm tired the entire duration of my period and a week or so after. I've just ordered a large bottle of floradix (I don't live in the uk) so hopefully that helps! I don't want (and can't afford) extensive tests/treatments here.

[strictlycaballine]

I've had the same thing - (fibroids in my case). My stomach couldn't tolerate any of the supplements so also relied on Floradix and eating lots of red meat combined with dark green veg and veg containing vit c (ie red peppers and kiwis) which helps absorption apparently.

Sorry to say that nothing really helped though until I stopped the bleeding through going on lightest dosage of pill possible. (Mirena was discussed as an alternative treatment.) Then I finally was able to build my iron levels back up and feel a hundred times better. Good luck.