How severe is your anemia?

[KimchiiFiend]

Tomorrow I'll be getting some blood work to check my iron levels. Since Dec. I've been taking a prenatal vitamin a day, and since the beginning of this month slow fe twice a day.

I still find myself very tired, getting cold too frequently than I care for, and the dreaded blue lips and nails. I maybe paranoid but I think my hair is thinning too!

So tell me, how bad is your anemia, and what do you take give yourself and iron boost?

 

[shamrock15]

Mine was really bad for about 3 years. Needed to get blood transfusions every 6 weeks, and sometimes iron on top of that. My blood levels were routinely in the 70's, should have been 130-180. There was nothing that worked at home for keeping them. It finished my 15 years as a minor hockey ref because I was sure I would be able to work the games. Now they are back to normal, and my body seems to be able to absorb iron and make blood again. Not sure why, never found out.

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

I'm just slightly anemic. I've never needed blood transfusions or anything. I'm just a little tired.

 

[ekay03]

In the last 20 years I have twice needed blood transfusions. Currently I am only slightly anemic.

 

[Kit]

I started taking a prescription supplement after being in the hospital and my hemoglobin was 8.2. I have been slightly anemic before then, but that is the lowest it has been. I was taking iron supplements before I went in too. I have lost hair as well, not sure why, but started taking GNC(General Nutrition Center) hair, skin and nails be beautiful vitamin and it helped a lot. My hairs grew back and it is a lot fuller now. I hope this helps.

Kit

 

[Starla86]

I had a blood transfusion last July and currently take B12 injections once a week. Seems to help although I have lost more than half my hair and my toes contantly stay a nice purple/blue color.

 

[moogie]

The only times I had iron problems was when my plague was out of control. I took little red pills on prescription from my GI. Once my Crohn's was under control the problem dissapeared.

Lucky I guess.

 

[Grant]

Hardly ever these days which I'm grateful for. Its a bit strange because I now lose clots regularly & my last colonoscopy back in October clearly highlighted a small area that was bleeding & producing a lot of mucus & yet my bloods are fine. I'm happy for small mercies tbh.
Rgds
Grant

 

[littlemissh]

I only really have low levels when my symptoms are poorly controlled. I end up having blood transfusions and iron also. My last Hb was 62 / 6.2 so had another transfusion. I only have blood if it falls below 80 / 8.0 now.

Once I start feeling better the problem should go away. I believe it is a combination of inflammation preventing iron absorption but also blood loss which can be acute or chronic.

 

[lifesover]

My Bloomin PC, Sorry duplicate, see below.:frown:

 

[lifesover]

I've suffered for over a year now, had weeks where never got out of bed. I've had 13 units of blood in the last 13 months, I take prescription Iron supp's every day, had loads of Iron infusions in hospital via IV and was beginning to think there was no end to suffering.

Nothing worked for me until last month, I was given a drug called Clipper 5mg and Salofalk enema 4g x 60mil for one week, now I have 1 g aerosol type every evening. After all that time being bad, I stopped bleeding over night on these drugs and I now feel on top of the world after only three weeks.

I am back in to see Doc next week not sure what the next step will be, just had two TB tests (negative) and chest Xray Can't wait to tell them how good I feel.

I have just got to keep it like this now, somehow.