How to deal with anemia?

[SacredWarrior]

I suffer from iron-deficiency anemia and the symptoms that I display the most are difficulty breathing, feeling tired, and dizziness to the point where I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I also get moody and cranky at times as well and I find myself craving certain foods. I've had a habit of eating ice ever since I was a kid and although I don't eat it as much as I used to, I still can't go a day without eating ice at least once.

My diet isn't the best and is pretty shitty at times. Mainly because of how picky I can be when it comes to food and there are times when I eat little to nothing at all which has lead to me losing a bit of weight. I'm not overweight or anything though.

I've been thinking about eating foods that are high in iron more often so I won't deal with the symptoms. Does anyone know what foods are high in iron? I probably should take iron supplements as well but I'm scared to because I took some that my mother had once and they made me sick to my stomach :(

 

[Kagayours]

You should talk to a doctor about this... O_O

I would also recommend iron supplements, but, if the ones you tried hurt your stomach, then it's possible that it was just too high of a dose for you. And if you want to know what dose is right for you, then that takes us back to point 1, which is... Go see a doctor. O_O

Especially since I'm not even 100% sure that dosage is the problem. That's just a guess, really. A doctor can probably give you a more certain answer and can probably help you find supplements that don't hurt your stomach.

 

[Minibit]

Talk to your doctor, not the Internet.

 

[Jorick]

If you're gonna go seeking medical advice from the internet (which I don't recommend, but sometimes it's real damned hard to get to a doctor so do what you gotta do), try medically focused websites rather than roleplaying forums. :P

Iron deficiency anemia Prevention - Mayo Clinic

 

[kixinorbit]

Make an appointment with your doctor, especially if you're dizzy and having trouble breathing. They will need to run a blood panel to get levels, then go from there. If you have a true deficiency, simply eating iron-rich foods may not help.

 

[Sidhe]

Be forewarned that if you start taking iron supplements you may have trouble pooping. And when you do poop, do not be alarmed if it's almost black.

Just speaking from experience.

 

[Minibit]

Reiterating "talk to a doctor" but adding more iron to your diet shouldn't hurt, even if you're also taking supplements.

Take iron or iron-rich meals with vitamin c (eg: a glass of juice or some fruit), it helps break down the iron.

Spinach is high in iron, so is kale. Chickpeas are good too, and some beans.

Red meat has more iron than white meat


Start reading nutrition labels, or use a diet tracker like myfitnesspal to make sure you're getting enough

 

[Hope]

Talk to your doctor. But regarding this:

My diet isn't the best and is pretty shitty at times. Mainly because of how picky I can be when it comes to food

Food is often times either abused and/or not taken advantage of for its healing aspects. I am in school to become an Ayurvedic Practitioner and the hardest part of our job is getting people to change and clean up their diet. It is so frustrating to tell people what they need to do to be healthy and get back the response "well I don't like _____."

You know your diet isn't healthy, so you need to change that. A pretty simple solution. Now, nobody here is qualified to tell you what you need to become healthy regarding your diet. Even if they are professionals it us not ideal to prescribe diets without physically examining the patient.

Therefore, you should go seek help from a professional. And of course be responsible in regards of your diet. In the end our health us all we have. You only get one body. Take care of it even if that means sucking it up and eating foods you don't like.

 

[kixinorbit]

Additionally, check for foods/drinks that inhibit iron absorption. One really common drink is tea-- the tannins in it limit the body's ability to absorb iron.

 

[SacredWarrior]

tea

I only drink water. I'll drink soda on occasion but it's mostly water so no need to worry about that :)

 

[howl]

I take iron supplements because I'm deficient too. For some reason the doctor didn't tell me anything about them after telling me to take them, so I did a small amount of research online first.

Stomach aches could come from 4 things I know off the top of my head: taking too high a dosage, eating whole wheat within 2 hours before or after taking iron, the same thing for milk/dairy, and taking it on an empty stomach.

Also, I'd really not suggest just going and buying iron or taking your moms. You need to find out what the correct amount for you is- too much can be harmful (you can overdose and die on iron) and too little won't help.

If you haven't already I'd suggest going to a doctor if you can. They'll have to draw blood, but it goes pretty quickly and they don't have to take too much. When they do the bloodwork they can tell you if you're deficient in iron, if it's something else, or a combination. I also found out I don't have enough vitamin D so I take that too!

Also, if you do end up taking iron, drink orange juice when you do. It'll help it absorb better.

As for being scared of them I don't think there's a reason to be. If you avoid what I listed and make sure the dosage is correct, theoretically you shouldn't have problems. Everyone's body reacts differently of course and changing your diet probably would be the best option... but I'm picky as fuck too not by my own choice (what can you do when most things taste so bad you feel sick?) and I know how difficult that can be.


In addition I'd recommend going to a doctor because if you don't know for sure it's iron deficiency (didn't see you mention anywhere how you know other than your symptoms) the symptoms could be caused by something else. Not being able to breathe and getting dizzy could be kinda serious, or at least caused by something unrelated.

 

[Razilin]

Why aren't you on iron supplements or (if severe enough) temporary IV iron from your doctor?

 

[daemon_reaver]

To echo others:

A) get an appointment with your Doc, ASAP. They know way more about the human body and info from your symptoms than us random internet people.

B) If it has protein, there is likely Iron in it aswell. I live in cow country, So beef is usually what I chow on. while I don't like steak and hate ribs, I have no objection to meatballs, hamburger helper, hamburger, hot dogs. last one I know isn't exactly cow, but you get my point. While it isn't the healthiest, you need the iron. worry about the other stuff later.

 

[Insa-Bot]

Hello! Bit late to the party, but sunflower seeds and some nuts ALSO have iron. Meat is a great source (better than the plants usually) and iron supplements are always good.

Vitamin C also can help iron absorption (you could be eating plenty and your body just can't take it in!). It is highly recommended you eat your C at the same time as the iron. So take your pill with a glass of O.J. or whatever fruity beverage you enjoy.

I find when it comes to tiredness a bit of vitamin B can temporarily perk you up. I would get a B complex, not just B12, but this could potentially limit the absorption of iron.

Note that calcium (all your enriched dairy and some plants) inhibits BOTH forms of iron absorption.

Deep breathing exercises can assist if you experience shortness of breath. If you ever feel light headed, start to see spots that turn white-to-black and back again around the corners of your vision, or feel an odd 'ghost' feeling in the back of your skull sit down or lean against a wall. Take deep breaths, and long exhales. Give your body time to recover.

And last and most important: See a doctor. There is a very easy blood test. Sometimes all they have to do is prick your finger! Anemia inhibits a lot of the body's core functions because it limits what your red blood cells can carry.