Anaemia

[Bumpstarter]

Hi, anyone had anaemia? I just got my bloods back and an iron prescription. It explains why I have been so tired. I have been trying to get fit over the last year, and just found it too exhausting to keep any kind of routine up. And then I've been thinking well, exercising is supposed to give you more energy, and I'm just knamckered some can't be doing enough exercise, and trying again, and being exhausted again. Also I don't have a car so every trip to the gym is accompanied by 40 minutes of brisk walking,mon top of all the walking I have to do just everyday.

So... What I would like to know is has anybody found the tiredness made them irritable, and the iron pills made it better?

How long does it take to start feeling better?

And what other effects did it have on you?

I would really appreciate anybody's experience as I don't know anything at all about it.

Tia.

My iron levels were so low that they weren't even within the range. I am on high dose iron and find it irritates my stomach.

I don't know how long it takes to feel better. I have been taking them for about 4 months and my iron levels are creeping up, but still near the bottom of the range.

Have you had other things checked? Thyroid function?

Hi rummy, thanks for your reply.

Yes I have had other things checked... Kidneys and thyroid. Just the iron came back low. I don't think it was very low, but too low to give blood, she said. I think it's just because I bled loads on cerazette last year, and have continued to bleed loads all year with the coil, so I'm getting it removed, but not for another month as there are no daytime nurse appointments because of the flu vac clinics!

Wow, 4 months is a long time to not feel better. I used to work in a health food shop, and they always recommended taking iron with vitamin c to help,absorption. Have you heard/ tried that?

Also I was surprised to read on the leaflet that absorption can be less if you take it with tea or milk or eggs.

I had anaemia when I was pregnant. Think I started to feel better after about a couple of weeks on iron tablets. They do make you constipated (and turn your poo black) so eat plenty of fibre.

It's funny you should mention vit c and iron as I took it yesterday with orange juice. I spoke to a pharmacist and she said wait 2 hours after calcium/dairy.

I have other stuff going on and suppose that's not helped my energy levels. Does taking chromium help with energy levels?

Sounds like you have an end in sight though a month to wait is daft! Can you have it removed at a sexual Heath clinic?

I've been taking iron tablets for 8 weeks now. I had about three weeks of absolutely awful dizziness a couple of weeks in - the doc tells me this is a symptom of v low iron levels but I don't know why I got it once taking the iron, rather than before.

My hair, nails and skin are all getting better and I've had far, far fewer headaches. So I'd say I'm starting to feel much better now, about 8 weeks in - and deffo far less exhausted generally.

Oh Remus, that is good news, and heartening. I'm so glad you are feeling less exhausted. Weird about the dizziness though. Has that stopped now?

Rummy, I did work in a health food shop, but was not advising on supplements... Just picked up the odd thing I heard said by the senior staff. So I don't know about chromium at all. I might pop in there next week and ask though.

It's a good idea about the clinic... Another month means another horrendous bleed.

Sounds like a plan :)

Try taking 2 spatone sachets with berocca vit c supplement each morning before eating. You can can buy in boots etc. Gentle on stomach and very effective, raised my iron 3 points from 7.5 to 10.5 in a month.I was long term anemic due to heavy bleeding each month, you need to treat the cause. Tranexamic acid helped reduce the bleeding, but ultimately I needed a hysterectomy.

Oh and yes I was very irritable when low! Tired, irritable, breathless, horrible! Hope you get it sorted.

It could take months before your iron levels get back to a decent level.

Iron tablets are horrible, at least they were for me. Constipation is no fun at all!

Heavy periods were the main cause of my anaemia and consequently I have been taking iron on and off for years. I've taken proper iron until I couldn't stand the constipation any more and then moved onto ferroglobin which doesn't cause me constipation. I didn't like spatone.

I've also have looked carefully at my diet and have made sure I'm getting as much iron as possible. For example I now eat cereal fortified with iron rather than the porridge I was eating before which had no iron in it.

My ferritin levels are still not brilliant at 26, but I do feel better than I did. GP did recommend taking iron until ferritin levels were at least 50.

Polly that's interesting what your doc said. My ferritin hasn't been checked but my iron was v low ( not even within range). I had read somewhere that ferritin should be 70 for good hair growth. My hair is thin and I'm not happy. Since taking the high dose iron I have noticed new hair growing, so feel it is going in the right direction. I will get my ferritin checked I think.

My ferritin level is 16, I am on iron tablets now, so I am hoping my ferritin level will go up, as this hair loss is really getting me down.

Hi kvass, I have bought superdrug's pretendy berocca, and am taking the iron tablets with that. I have not looked into alternative iron products yet, and am happy to give the iron tablets a proper go as they are free.

So, can anyone explain ferritin level and iron level? What is the difference?

Hi polly, I am studying a beef recipe book at the moment and have bought some lamb chops. I had thought I wouldn't look too detailed at my diet since that is not the cause for me either. However, if iron tablets take a long time to build up iron stores then I think I need to increase my iron intake from every possible source.

Do you eat cereal with orange juice instead of milk?

Hi pretty, have you got other symptoms too?

bump no I haven't got any other symptoms just hair loss, I have been trying to eat more beef which I don't like. The Dr said it could take 3-6 months for me to see any decrease in hair loss.

What sort of doses of iron are you all on? So my tabs say 325mg of ferrograd tablets, releasing 105mg of elemental iron. I take 3 so getting 315mg a day. But I guess a lot of that doesn't get absorbed.

Pretty, look at vit d levels and thyroid too if they haven't been checked. I am low on all 3.

I have got ferrous fumarate 210mg x 3 per day. It doesn't say how much is released. Hmmm vitamin d.... That is something I have wondered about, but don't think it has been checked. My nails grow a lot, I shed loads of hair but it isn't terribly thin.

Your vit d levels should be ok if you spend half hour in sun everyday with exposed arms and legs and are fair skinned. I spend most of my time indoors and not been away on holiday for few years (great excuse for hols!).

When I am on the high dose vit d, my mood was definitely better.

rumm I have had my thyroid checked and that's within range, I am taking vitamin d as my vitamin d was 22 back in June, but I should be replete now. Does vitamin d deficiency cause hair loss? what should the level be?

Bump that was my dose on ferrous fumerate before I switched so prob the same as mine I am guessing.

Yeah, vit d, iron, and thyroid function can affect hair loss. I don't know about levels, but guessing they would all need to be an optimum rather than just in range (which it feels like is what docs are happy with).

I am sure I read that b vitamins like b12 b6 ?? Are needed too.

Lucky old me has both low iron stores and an underactive thyroid!!!

Just want to say if they give you ferrous sulphate and they make you feel sick ( they did me - really badly ) ask to change to ferrous gluconate. Much gentler on the tummy, I don't have constipation with the tablets just really black tar like poop. (lush)

I often have dizziness if my iron/ thyroid levels are off. I can't remember how long it took me to feel better with the iron but I know if I skip taking it I start getting dizzy spells and feeling lethargic.

Hope you are soon feeling better x

Yes to black poo. Horrible.

The dizziness had subsided for a few days but is back with a vengeance today - I suspect that tiredness exacerbates it.

I'm on 210 ferrous fumerate twice a day but the doc said to go back if the dizziness persisted. Gawd knows when though, as they only seem to be able to see patients if you say it's an emergency.

Oh dear, I am sorry to hear about the dizziness, Remus.

Glad to hear there are alternatives available on prescription if the ferrous fumarate doesn't suit, Sarah Louise. Are you getting treatment for the thyroid?

Now I know there is a reason why I have been so tired, I feel it much more! I'm sure it's no worse, but I am noticing how tiring walking up the escalator is. Etc.

Hi Bumpstarter, Yes been treated for the thyroid and iron for around the last 15 years.

I do notice that when I am slack taking my tablets (bad I know) I get breathless climbing stairs. You are probably just more aware of it now you know why you have been feeling rotten. These things often are hereditary, my mum has low iron stores, my dad has thyroid issues.
I think initially it does take quite a while to raise iron levels and even then you may need to be on them all the time and not just periodically, apparently my body has a problem storing iron though I have never been able to find out the reason behind it.