Help me boost my IRON - Page 2

[mightymoo]

Taking Chlorophyl also always helped me, with additional iron sources.

[CarrieMF]

Originally Posted by julieshayna

Thanks jocelyndale for explaining that to me. They did check so much other stuff, including B vitamins, complete blood count (does that reflect how my red blood cells look?), chemistry panel, cholestrol, thyroid, etc etc. Everything except for my iron stores were normal.

Did you get your actual numbers? Normal doesn't always = okay.

[SabraMamma]

Newcastlemama- My level was 4! As I said, I didnt get much info from the doc's office so I am trying to sort this out on my own.

CarrieMF- Yes, I did get the actual numbers for everything. All in the correct ranges.

Mightymoo- I have taken liquid chloryphyl in the past with great successes also but recently was told that it doesnt actually build blood (as I thought) but just mimics it and if there were trauma my body could be in trouble b/c the blood really wouldnt be as strong... any thoughts on this?

I got Floradix and started taking it. Also have been making smoothies with blackstrap molasses. About meat- I eat it, but lately have NOT been wanting it. In the past my body has led me in the right directions, but hmmm.... I wonder why I don't want it these days if I need the iron. I have to get myself a cast iron pan- good timing since I really do need to replace some of my others at home.

My dark chocolate sitting here on my desk doesnt have nearly as much iron as what you ladies mention. I'll eat it anyways!!!

[Spastica]

Hmm. If it were truly 4 you wouldn't function well at at all - your hair would be falling out, your nails would be seriously hooked, you would have prickly sensations and headaches all the time. You'd be tired as hell and losing your breathe going up and down stairs. You'd bruise easily.

You don't happen to have Meditteranean ancestry do you? Italian/Greek, etc?

If so - you need to tell your doctors, you may just have thalassemia and that's normal for your ancestry.

[SabraMamma]

no Meditteranean ancestry here. I did have the blood work done right after completing my cycle and I have super duper heavy cycles- so that may have affected it.

[Spastica]

I have super heavy periods too, which is the cause of my anemia. Make sure you've gotten checked out for fibroids, endometriosis, and other problems too from your gyno. If you have no gyno problems, make sure you're not taking too much aspirin or Vitamin E (both are blood thinning). Eating beef and tofu/soy products also makes people bleed more. I've lowered my intake of beef and soy products for that reason. Same goes for essential oils - it's too estrogenic and makes you bleed more.

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by julieshayna

Mightymoo- I have taken liquid chloryphyl in the past with great successes also but recently was told that it doesnt actually build blood (as I thought) but just mimics it and if there were trauma my body could be in trouble b/c the blood really wouldnt be as strong... any thoughts on this?

I don't really know enough to refute, etc, but that doesn't make much sense to me - some brief attempts to google what you are talking about bring up nothing.

My understanding (from just reading a few internet sites on it) is that Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin have a similar base molecular structure, with the exception of the core molecule - Chlorophyll has magnesium, Hemoglobin has iron. So the idea is that the Chlorophyll swaps its magnesium for iron creating hemoglobin more easily. I could see some truth to what you heard because hemoglobin is not the only thing that makes up blood, you have clotting factors and white blood cells, etc. So I could see that taking chlorophyll will help you only build the hemoglobin, not the rest, so if you have a problem with other parts of the blood being low, then it won't help you. However, I don't think it makes sense that it is harming you - I mean it may not be solving the whole problem, but its not making 'weaker' blood - by having more hemoglobin your blood is better, not worse, you just may have other problems not fixed by the chlorophyll. Also, considering a healthy diet consists of a heck of a lot of chlorophyll from leafy greens and other veggies, I don't see how adding some pure should create any problems.

[mtn.mama]

Hey- you asked about blackstrap recipes... I like to put mine in ramen soup, with butter, Dr. Braggs liquid aminos, a little bit of bbq sauce and some nutritional yeast. Sometimes I dump in a can of oysters. I also put blackstrap in muffin mixes.

[aiccerb]

Originally Posted by EnviroBecca

Sorghum syrup is very high in iron (and other minerals) and tastes better than blackstrap molasses. It's yummy on oatmeal or Grape-Nuts. It's hard to find in some parts of the country, but you can buy it online from Maasdam Sorghum Mill, and they enclose a recipe booklet.

:

[SabraMamma]

Originally Posted by mtn.mama

Hey- you asked about blackstrap recipes... I like to put mine in ramen soup, with butter, Dr. Braggs liquid aminos, a little bit of bbq sauce and some nutritional yeast. Sometimes I dump in a can of oysters. I also put blackstrap in muffin mixes.

Thanks- so far all i have done is add it to smoothies.

[3 little birds]

Was the 4 from a needle stick or blood drawn and sent to a lab? Finger pricks can be way off.

[SabraMamma]

The 4 was from blood drawn and sent to a lab- not a finger prick.

[AmazoniaBelly]

Going through this too

After a few months of thinking I was loosing my mind and assuming it was all due to lack of sleep, I had my blood tested last week and discovered my iron count is 3.5!!!!

I have very heavy periods and got my period 4 weeks from the day my daughter was born,,,,right back on schedule. A few people in my life are suggesting it is because I have been breastfeeding for 2plus years.

I am relieved to find out what is wrong rather than having a mystery on my hands....but I feel pretty stupid about letting my health get out of hand. It's ironic because I am the person my peers come to for health adive and look at me now. It's really difficult to think clearly when I haven't slept for longer that 3.5 hours for the past 2 plus years.

I notice that a few of you had thoughts about OTC iron...Can you tell me your reasons. I live in Germany and so I can buy Floridix for pocket-change. My doctor said that since my anemia is so extreme, I must take OTC. He prescribed 200mg a day!!!!

I don't know....Thanks for listening.




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[SabraMamma]

Originally Posted by AmazoniaBelly

After a few months of thinking I was loosing my mind and assuming it was all due to lack of sleep, I had my blood tested last week and discovered my iron count is 3.5!!!!

I have very heavy periods and got my period 4 weeks from the day my daughter was born,,,,right back on schedule.
...

It's really difficult to think clearly when I haven't slept for longer that 3.5 hours for the past 2 plus years.

Your life sounds similar to mine. I got my period 7 weeks after both of my children were born. I BF them both (18 months with DD and 23 months with DS). I also did not sleep more than a 3 or 4 hour stretch for about 2 1/2 years after DS was born. Now he sleeps most nights great (he is almost 3 1/2) but I thought that my body was coping/adjusting to lack of sleep and I have been wiped out for a long time now. Never thought it was iron related. Silly me!!