Maybe I found my answer??? « Back to Group Discussions

[SoonToBe]

Guess what causes:

- restless legs
- insomnia
- joint pain
- muscle weakness
- trouble swallowing (I keep getting pills stuck)
- itching
- fatigue
- feeling really run down
- hair loss
- depression (which is just starting these last few days)
- can lead to plugged ducts or mastitis
- is a leading cause of recurrent mastitis
- makes you more prone to infections in general
- rapid heart rate (took it three times and it was 97, 94, and 93)
- night sweats (which I have...which is why you see me in a tank top and no covers when the room is cold)

Guess what causes all of this?  Low iron.  Guess who calculated how much iron she gets in a day and found out it's next to nothing since I haven't had much red meat and I don't eat bread or cereals that are fortified?  Guess who had her ferritin tested during pregnancy at the end and found it was low? 

ME!!!

Oh please let this be the answer to all my woes.  Please, please, please.  Seriously every issue I have is linked to this.  Please oh please.  Off to eat a cow... just kidding.

[Baby_Cakes]

Not that I routinely wish anemia on anyone, but mama, you need to be cut a break!!

[jillybeans]

ohhhhh are you going to go and get tested asap? go get some damned floradix lady! Like stat!

[SoonToBe]

LOL...I like the little fingers crossed emoticon guy. :)

I know what you mean though.  Not that I want anemia, but it would be convenient to have something like that explain everything.  I feel like it's down to two things:

1.  low iron

or

2.  yeast

I just don't have the typical yeast issues though.  Yes I have been on abx forever and a day, but the pain I have when feeding now is not excrutiating.  I don't have red, flaky nipples.  I don't have shooting pain.  I know I could have atypical symptoms, but I'm hoping it's the iron thing instead.  Seems like it's got to be since I NEVER have restless legs or itchiness.  I also never have problems swallowing pills that are huge and I'm getting little teeny ones stuck now all the time.  In fact, the ones that I have that are powder filled capsules get stuck easy now and then when I cough, powder comes out my mouth because it's stuck in my throat!  Tastes nasty too. :)

Anyway, I feel like I should go with Occam's razor here...simplest explanation is probably the answer.  Could I have a yeast issue with atypical symptoms?  Yes.  Could it be both?  Yes.  Low iron explains everything except my nipple pain, but I think that's from Elliott acting like a pitbull lately because I actually had pain free nursing for almost every session for two days last week.  Part of me though is more excited about the low iron theory since it explains everything and it's also easier to eat more iron and supplement it then it is to cut out dairy, sugar, and all grains and stuff. 

I don't know.  I hope I'm not grasping at straws here.  I hope this is the answer.

[kylaskye]

You don't need to eat red meat or fortified cereals for iron. Up your dark leafy greens and it should help. Spinach, kale(i think), stuff like that. Those are all so much better for you anyways.

Hope you figure this out!

[Italiamom]

Bree, if you want to you can make an iron tincture yourself.  It's SO much cheaper than the floradix, and tastes better (to me, anyhow).  I got this recipe off of MDC somewhere (I believe).  It is:

1 oz dried yellow dock root

2 cups water

1 cup blackstrap molasses

 

Bring water and yellow dock to a boil. Lower immediately to barely a simmer. Keep it at that heat for 30 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth or (lint free) towel, and then squeeze any liquid you can out of the roots with a spoon or your hands (watch out, it's hot). Pour into a liquid measuring cup.  It should make about 1 cups or so of liquid after it's been reduced like that.  The exact volume isn't terribly important.  But if not, you can simmer it over low heat for another 10 or so minutes.  Pull off the heat and mix in 1 cup blackstrap molasses.  I like to add a few tablespoons of good brandy to it, but that's option   Take 2 Tbsp morning and evening, and keep refrigerated.  Try to use it within a couple weeks.

 

You can get organic yellowdock through Mountain Rose Herbs.  Get the root, not the powder.  My Costco sells blackstrap molasses in enormous bottles.  It's much cheaper than the floradix!

 

Iron deficiency is actually incredibly common following childbirth.  Make sure that you are not mixing iron-rich and calcium-rich foods or supplements.  Calcium blocks the absorption of iron.  Vitamin C, however, will aid in the absorption of iron.  So starting your day with an emergen-c and a few tablespoons of iron tincture is a good thing!  You might already know all of this, but after all you've been through, you deserve to feel good!!

[SoonToBe]

Thanks ladies.  I had lab work done yesterday and found out:

- my thyroid levels are high

- my iron is a low (but not anemic)

- my lymphocytes are elevated

The thyroid stuff is good and bad.  It being high means I am actually needing less hormones than I needed before which is great.  Bad because I'm not balanced.  Good because I can just reduce the dose.  In addition, high thyroid symptoms include joint pain, insomnia, hair loss, and a bunch of the other things bothering.  Apparently thyroid problems are linked with mastitis as well, but I couldn't find a lot of info about that. 

The iron isn't super low, but it's low-ish.  I'm supplementing with Floradix just in case.

The lymphocytes were elevated beyond the top of the reference range...I think normal was 8-47 and mine was 50.  I don't know if that means I am still fighting an infection or what.  I'm just taking it super easy and DH is doing a lot of the errands and chores so I can lay low.  We travel on Wednesday to Chicago and I'm packing slowly over time to avoid the stress.  Hopefully the flight is uneventful and the trip is not too bad.  Here's hoping!!