Are you anemic (iron-deficient)????

[texasqt]

Wow! Okay. My doctor found a few fibroids last year and at my last exam she said one has gotten larger. I have an ultrasound scheduled for next week. I'm definitely going to ask her about this. My hair has been shedding like crazy, I always wear a sweater, and I've been real lazy lately. I take a multi-vit when I remember to but I may need to add iron, especially since I don't eat as healthy as I like!

Thanks for bumping this!!!

 

[dlewis]

I'm anemic and have been for as long as I can remember.

Here's me in my 15 year old winter coat at my desk 5 mins ago.

 

[mzhotniz86]

they didnt give you a list of iron rich foods to try in addition to the supplements?...i know a lot of people who cant do the iron vits because it constipates them. You also need an adequate dose of Vit C because that helps absorbs the iron. I never heard of B12 complementing Iron...but Im not a professional.

nope they didnt. in fact my doc didnt even give me any supplements. she just told me to go get some otc iron supplements. didnt even give me a dosage or nothing. And you know what? It probably was Vitamin c that was said , Im forever getting things mixed up. I have a bottle of that already that i havent started taking yet. they said its better to take the iron with food , but some people are different. I been changing my diet up too , so hopefully that helps. i mean, I been anemic my whole life and Im just now finding out about a month ago, and i really havent had anything bad happen because of it. i MIGHT start taking the iron. they said good iron rich foods are :

meats (especially liver...gross )
seafood (shrimp/crabs!!! mmmmm )
nuts
beans
green veggies (spinach , brocolli)
WHOLE grains (no "enriched" flour)
and some other crap i cant remember. Im eating a chicken breast as i type

 

[MzLady78]

The last time I went to the dr. he said my iron was low. He wanted me to try to get my levels up naturally before having me take iron pills, but I'm sure I haven't done too well with that. I'll probably end up having to take the pills.

 

[imstush]

Interesting. I was diagnosed as anemic when I was pregnant, in addition to my Prenatal vitamins I had to take iron supplements. I have really bad periods, in fact after I had my son I would have my period for 2 weeks, stop for one week and back for 2 weeks, etc. My last monthly was pretty bad and lasted for a week. I am going to buy some Iron supplements this evening, since my dr.'s appt. isn't until next week. Oh and my son was born with sickle cell trait. Only the boys in his father's side of the family have the trait, none of the girls.

 

[Isis]

they didnt give you a list of iron rich foods to try in addition to the supplements?...i know a lot of people who cant do the iron vits because it constipates them. You also need an adequate dose of Vit C because that helps absorbs the iron. I never heard of B12 complementing Iron...but Im not a professional.

I totally agree about the vitamin C. I've learned it's very important to take the vitamin C at the same time one takes the iron so the body can absorb the iron. Many doctors won't mention this but nutritionists will. BTW, all iron is not constipating.

I posted earlier in this thread so I might be repeating myself, but I take B12 also.

 

[toyztoy]

I am anemic have been for as long as I can remember & I have very low blood pressure. (when the DR's take my pressure they joke w/ me like are you alive);o) But I take prenatal pills (combo pack that also contains a DHA pill the name is DUET DHA by Stuart they're great but expensive but well worth the price 30.00 w/ insurance) currently & I guess the iron in them are enough b/c my blood work has been coming back good. I know initially the iron pills I had to take made me constipated, then she changed me to a kind that had a stool softner in them which was good. I cant say that I remember shedding.

 

[ghanaian dime]

I am extremly anemic. Have been since I was a teenager. I am not very good at taking my iron pills, mainly because they nausiate me. But I can definately tell how it affects my hair. When I stop taking the iron pills for 2 or 3 weeks my hair starts shedding by the handful.

Suggestion for those who hate taking iron pills b/c of nausea or constipation: Take them at night right before you go to sleep (so you're asleep when your stomach is absorbing), and take w/orange juice for better absorption. This was a suggestion from my girlfriend who is gynecologist. It has worked wonders for me consistantly taking my iron. I have more energy and my hair doesn't shed as much. And drink TONS of water to help w/the constipation

I also take a probiotic everyday b/c my digestive system is not the best and noticed that I have no problems w/consitpation anymore. Constipation was one of the main reasons I didn't take iron consistantly in the past.

 

[lshevonne]

This is a great thread....
I was told years ago that I was slightly anemic and that most women are due to the monthly cycle. I'm not taking anything for it anymore but I think I should. I'm always cold and never have any energy to do much. My hair does shed and break off too much to me. I blamed that on my stylist and her relaxing. That's why I've started back doing my own relaxer. Well, off to get some iron pills today.

 

[rootdeep]

I discovered I was anemic back in college when I went shopping with my mother and literally passed out in the parking lot of the mall. I was on my cycle for 2 weeks at the time and the loss of blood was kicking my butt. I've tried BC but the side effects were too harsh(I've tried 3 different kinds) so now I just bear the long cycles and up my iron.

I have noticed when I stop taking the iron my hair does shed bad....I never thought about that until now though. Hmmm

 

[Lady Esquire]

this is a really GREAT thread. i am anemic. i have all the symptoms previously mentioned, every!...including close supervision during both pregnancies. anyway, lately my fatigue and shedding has increased. i am very irresponsible about pills. but this is a habit that i must fix. even my husband is on my case now...thank you so much for sharing ideas and suggestions. many of you reminded me of certain things i forgot and many of you have given me food for thought.

again, thanks!

 

[Rhapsodie]

This is a great thread!

I've always had low iron and last Sept my doc prescribed 300 mg twice a day. I had a growth spurt about a month after but I didn't make the connection!

Now that I haven't been taking them for a while, I've had increased shedding and breaking. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out why. That could be the culprit, I'll start back my pills and see if that makes a difference.

 

[CarefreeinChicago]

I started back on my iron pills yesterday i noticed i was having more shedding

 

[cecepassion]

I've been anemic for a while. The doctor prescribed 325mg ferrous sulfate to take 3 times a day. My hair has been shedding crazy and i almost fainted the other day. It's so hard to remember taking pills plus it makes me nausated.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Bumping for fabulousity

 

[*fabulosity*]

Thank you!!! Something is wrong with my search so I couldn't find it. My doctor just put me on Niferex? (sp)... but I shed tons of hair. Perhaps this can stop it!

 

[glam-]

I am anemic. My Drs are always checking my levels. I have really thick hair and several years ago I noticed my hair was gradually getting thinner- I just attributed it to me getting holder and I really didn;t mind much because it was more manageable. My hair was just chronically and almost hopelessly dry too though.

I'm now keeping my anemia in check. Ironically, my hair journey has made me more conscientious about taking the iron supplements that Drs were always on me to take anyway. I do find my hair does better with them and holistically I do better too.

 

[MonaRae]

Thanks for the bump DI. This is a classic thread!

I found out this past March that my iron levels were very low when I tried to give blood and started taking Floradiz Floravital Iron + Herbs. Its a liquid and taste kind of like prune juice. Before that my hair was shedding really bad and had the fatigue issues. I'm a lot better now and just last week I also started taking Chlorophyll.

The iron supplement I'm taking has a rich source of B vitamins and a good soruce of Vitamin C and is easily absorbed. Its also non-constipating. By the way what is considered anemic? My hemoglobin was 9.6.

I say this with love ~ I have to say I am very amazed at how many ladies admit they are anemic and don't take they iron supplement. We really got to do better ladies.

 

[TrulyBlessed]

Bumping to remind all of my fellow anemic ladies to take your iron. I've been shedding like mad lately and I even increased my MSM to try to help it a bit. I soon realized that my butt has not been taking my iron supplements faithfully! I can remember to take everything else under the sun but for some reason I always fail to take iron like I should which is actually one of the most important in my diet. My hands and nose are freezing cold as I type and I vow to take my iron first thing in the morning or right before bed as I should.

 

[DarkHair]

Thanks for the reminder. My anemia comes and goes. I noticed that I when I take my iron, I get tired. I'll add them back in to my vitamin regime though.

 

[trj1922]

I'm mildly anemic and I'm not sure how strongly connected that is to my hair's thinning. I will say, though, that I have been lazy about taking my iron. I do try to eat iron rich foods and I invested in some cast iron cookware (from Wal-mart, so not very expensive) as I heard this can help add iron to foods that you cook.

 

[titan]

unfortunately yes

 

[poookie]

i'm not. but i'm 100% sure my roommate is. i'm not sure what the symptoms are, but she STAYS shedding hair all over the floor. and i gave her a rollerset this past weekend (she's past APL, relaxed 3B), and combing gently with a wide toothed comb, shed hair came out in clumps. plus she keeps a bottle of iron pills on her desk, but i'm not sure if she takes them.

 

[hairdrama:{]

I am , I just started back on my iron & b-12....hoping for some good retention by the end of 08....

 

[Miamori]

I am. I take iron for it. When I don't, I am generally fine, but if it gets very bad I often have a lot of shedding, low energy, and get very cold.

 

[Sarahh.]

I don't actually know for sure but I suspect I am anemic as I am a vegetarian and don't eat many other food high in iron. I am always tired and have no energy, and it probably is the reason for my hair shedding. I didn't know always being cold was a symptom too? (because I am). I don't take any iron supplements at the moment, but I do take a multivitamin which I think has a little bit of iron in it. I should get my blood checked hey..

 

[*fabulosity*]

B12 vitamins are a good supplement for iron? Actually, I am very anemic (probably less now because I want my hair to thrive and have been taking my pills like clockwork!). My doctor told me to take the iron with vitamin c because it increases iron absorption.. and never take it with caffeine..which is what I was doing before... I would take it in the morning with my triple venti skinny caramel latte.. So now I have the vitamin c capsule and then the iron with water. I think it's helping.. but now I gotta go get some b12... It's funny what you won't do for health; but you will do for hair..lol!

 

[TrulyBlessed]

I mentioned a supplement in another thread a long time ago called Blood Builder by Megafoods. It's a food based iron supplement that includes iron, folic acid, vitamin c, b12 and blood building herbs (alfalfa, beet root extract, hydrilla verticillata). It works pretty quickly and doesn't aggravate my stomach or constipate. Vitamin Shoppe carries it and you only need one tablet a day.

Hematinic Formula by Solgar is a liver powder based supplement that I hear works well but I haven't tried it since I had luck with Blood Builder. It has vit C, folic acid and B12 included as well.

I had no idea about B12 and folic acid assisting with iron until my doc mentioned it at my last visit and I could definitely tell that it makes a difference. Also remember not to take it with calcium! I used to take iron with milk many times when I was younger and wondered why it never worked! Hope this helps someone.