What are symptoms of anemia in adults?

[Hulababy]

Curious as I am having blood tests and this is one of the things they are checking for, along with checking my glucose and thyroid levels too.

I was quite badly aneamic following DD's birth (she is now 3y8m). But as stariaght after a cs birth I not sure what the symptoms were, or if similar to now.

possible symptoms include tiredness, dizziness, depression/anxiety, confusion. more likely to be anaemic if you have heavy periods.

tiredness weak, cold most of time

and paleness

Paleness inside the eyes. Pull the bottom bit of your eye down and see how pale it is. Also you can tell by squeezing your nail (or any bit of skin) to see how long the impression stays. If you pink up again quickly then you're not aneamic.

Floradix is a brilliant and very digestable way of taking iron (available in chemists and health food shops).

I mean the lining of the eye sockets along the inside obviously. Not they eyeball.

I am very tired and lethargic all the time at moment, despite getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
My skin is pale and I have dark shadows under my eyes which don't get any better with rest/sleep.
If I leave a meal out for a short while I get very dizzy and sickly
My chest feels tight and constricted a lot, like I am struggling to get enough oxygen in
My heart palpatations are back, although my heart isn't racing too much (again might be that heart is working harder as feel I have less air in there)
Feel "not quite well", but not really ill all the time
I just don't function as efficiently as normal. I am normally organised and on the go, but feel I just can't manage the same at all right now.
Feels like it has been getting worse for at least a few weeks now.

Definitely not stres or over toiredness.

have you done the test Mincepiedermama says

Gp looked at my eyes and skin and said I was pale, hence blood tests.

I need to go and get them done, and then return to GPs after New Year when my notes will be there (just joined new surgery after move).

Don't want to take anything for this (or anything else) until had tests to see.

Tried test suggested but can't tell - skin is pretty pale as it is and have no nails to speak of!

eat liver theres loads of iron in it

I don't eat meat, just veggie food and fish.

I am just falling apart...or maybe just getting older than I think!

i am often aneamic (some times VERY much so)

i have NO symptoms at all and normally only find when i give blood.

Drs used to keep putting me on iron tablets, and taking over 100 X RDA of iron i would still be aneamic and getting "aneamicer". Equally i could STOP taking them and my iron levels would inexpicably rise to normal.

Having read an article telling me that continually taking lots of iron in the form of iron tablest can lead to bowel cancer I point blank refuse to ever take another iron tablet again.

My GP has ruled out all 'normal' conditions with numerouse tests and i was reffered to a sepcialist at the local hospital. He (or she) decided that as i have NO symptoms at all its not worth investigating me further (and as what they were planning to do is pretty invasive and horrid sounding, like blowing up my stomach and looking down it or something (VERY painful apparently) im not argueing). essentailly as im not "broken" they arnt gonna fix me!

In all honesty i seem to be a complete medical mystery, but all the while i have no symptoms at all im not worried (cause surely i cant be that 'ill')

Im also Not at all pale, tho i think i may need slightly more sleep than average (a good 9 1/2 hours) but that is true regardless of how much iron i have.

My doctor told me to take Ferrous Sulphate tablets, and it would boost the iron levels in my blood. I've been taking them now for about 3 weeks, and think I feel better - but is it psychological or physical...don't know. Might be worth a try for you though...

I've suffered anemia off and on since having my kids and the best way of describing how I feel is it's like walking through treacle. Every little thing is a struggle. It's amazing how different you feel once you've had iron supplements. Hope you feel better soon hulababy.

Do you feel like you want to lie down all the time?
It's all I wanted to do when I was quite badly anaemic.

NannyL - I have never managed to give blood. Twice I wasn't allowed as iron level too low. And last time the blood just stopped flowing.

I don't remember any specific symptoms after my cs, when I was very aneamic - poss blamed any I did have on the birth, and also had iron tablets.

I am tired all the time TBH. No idea if ameanic or not, but I am tired.

Kazziegirl - that is a good description!

The symptoms you describe also sound like a hormonal imbalance - dark shadows under the eyes which don't change much suggest oestrogen levels which are way too high. One of the best treaments for that is a NATURAL progesterone cream (ie, not progestins), which has quite a high dose (which helps the oestrogen detox time to lessen) - correcting this imbalance can help with pretty much every one of your complaints.

Also - an aside - chronic anemia also suggest wheat intolerance - so avoiding all wheat products (like wheat bread and pasta (semolina or durum wheat), can be very helpful.

Hulababy

Have you had your blood pressure checked? I have the same symtoms as you describe when mine is high (have history of high bp probs). Worth getting it checked just to rule it out at least

nannyl - I was preg & anemic & taking iron. Stopped & my iron levels went up to normal!! Why did this happen? even my doc thought it unusual!

I have never had any blood pressue problems in the past. And I had my blood pressue done at the GPs (when I went about this) so only this week and it was fine.