Anaemia and trying to lose weight

[DoristheCamel]

Was not sure if to post this in here or weightloss....

I have recently been diagnosed with quite severe anaemia after a year of feeling myself slow down completely, hair loss, dizziness, pins and needles tingling. exhaustion, breathlessness and generally feeling like 102 instead of 42 etc.

I am still having more blood tests as they think its something to do with my platelets and it may be Perconious aneamia.

Anyway, I have just returned from holiday and am shocked at my holiday snaps. I knew I had gained weight but I have gone beyond chubby. I was also shocked at how tired and frankly ill and worn out I looked. I had no idea. .

I know I have gained weight as I have slowed right down and become less and less active over the past year as I have felt so odd and weak. The dizziness etc also affects my confidence of being out and about. I also because of sheer exhaustion started to become lazy with food prep and have been eating alot more packet/jar foods and easy fillers such as bread/toast/cheesy pasta etc. All wrong I know, but I am so drained some days I just dont have the energy to cook.

I have only recently started treatment which consists of a several Iron tablets a day - B12 and Ferrous Sulphate.

I have also been trying to introduce more Iron high foods into my diet but wondered if anyone here can help me with some tips - perhaps a few high iron filling meals just for me to get started. I will obviously run my ideas past my GP when I see her next week and I am not on about eating a few lettuce leaves and little else but as I have to change my diet anyway to try and introduce more iron high foods - I thought I may as well try and do it in a way to help me lose weight.

I am hoping to losing weight will also help with my energy levels. I am very overweight at 12 stone and 5ft 1 inch high - although I have never been to 8stone the NHS charts say I should be. 10stone - is my target and will get me back to a size 12 and away from the 16/18 I am currently at.

So please if you think I can offer me any advice or ideas, I would very much appreciate it.

[AMumInScotland]

In general, dark green vegetables and pulses, plus obviously red meat, are high in iron. Vitamin C helps absorption, caffeine reduces it, so fruit juice rather than tea or coffee with meals would help.

[orangeplum]

Hi, sorry to hear you haven't been well. Good thing now is that you are on the road to recovery. I was in a v similar position to you. I found that iron tablets made me less hungry which was good. Prior to diagnosis was eating like you. Since then have cut down on portion sizes and eaten a healthy diet. Best to make long term changes that you can stick to than follow a plan that is destined to fail. I also cut out any snacks, biscuits etc between meals. Think carefully before you put anything in your mouth and eat it slowly. I have since lost 2.5 stone and am continuing to lose weight.

Good luck!

[DoristheCamel]

Thank you.

Well done Orangeplum on your weightloss.

I am off shopping later and am determined to make myself feel better. I had hoped to go shopping last night but I was feeling light headed and disorientated so had to give it a miss.

So - how long did it take you start feeling normal again? I am so fed up of feeling like this. I feel like my life is on hold.

[orangeplum]

Hi, I started to feel better once my haemoglobin started to increase and got above 10. Good luck, little steps will take you a long way.

[tb]

Pernicious anaemia is one of the family of auto-immune disorders.

My late df had it, but his elder sister had an under-active thyroid.

Once you have 1, or others in your family it increases the risk of others arising.

On a personal note, dd hates us as just going as far as my grand-parents, and including aunts and uncles she has

3 cases of thyroid nodule removal - 2 in direct line
3 under-active thyroids - 2 in direct line
1 instance of neutropaenia
2 instances of pernicious anaemia - 1 in direct line and
1 sarcoidosis - in direct line

but, thank goodness, no type 2 diabetes.

According to the questionnaire I found in a book about hypothyroidism, being left-handed also increases the risk, and I'm left-handed (and have a completely knackered thyroid).

[tb]

Sorry meant to say that I'd get a full thyroid panel done too, just in case.

Following a 12 year wait from symptoms to diagnosis, I have 60kg to lose, but have shifted the first 10kg with slim and save fairly easily, not something I though I'd say.

Both my aunt and df had a small freckle, almost like a blood blister on the edge of their lip. Apparently that can be a sign of pernicious anaemia - my aunt had her's removed, but df didn't. He didn't receive any treatment either, but still lived to 79.

[DoristheCamel]

Thats interesting tb. I have blisters on my lips too.

They thought I had a slightly over active thyroid at some point (borderline) and I had thorough thyroid bloods done fairly recently, which all came back within the normal range.

This anaemia came as a shock (but relief to actually find the cause) as my GP had been considering thyroid issues for a while.

I keep shoving down the B12 and ferrous sulphate tablets but tbh they make me feel a bit off and I sometimes think I can taste blood/meat/metal in my mouth. I am determined to stick with it.

I am having more bloods done on Monday to look at platelets in more detail.

[DoristheCamel]

Feeling a bit down and fed up with it all today. I know I wont see improvement overnight but I am so lightheaded and have a mouth with several new blood blisters and mouth ulcers.

I have been on medication for about a month now and I seem to still be getting worse.

Sorry to winge - but I thought I would some on here to do moan because I dont want to be a misery to my family who must be sick of me being a boring old fart at the moment.

[GothMummy]

Oh you poor thing. I could have written your posts. Im the same, been feeling dreadful for about 18 months, immune system low, mouth ulcers etc. I started iron pills about a month ago and it is just this week that I have felt well enough to start taking my diet in hand. I am low carbing, which is the easiest way for me.

I have also found that the iron tablets make me a lot less hungry so its much easier to diet. I would wait a few weeks before you start beating yourself up about your diet