Anemia

[Jessiecat]

So I had a letter through to say that i'm aneamic but I really don't want to take the iron tablets due to the nasty side effects that i've experienced before with them.
So, i'm trying to manage it myself with my diet but I need to know i'm not harming myself or baby by doing this?
What are the implications of being anemic? I'm soo bloody tired but im also 30 weeks preggo so hardly suprising lol.
Anyone else tried to manage it themselves or am i best off just taking the pills?

Thanks ladies xx

 

[Jessiecat]

Also does anyone know the ranges of what classes as anemic and what's borderline etc? if I can work out how anemic I am it will help me decide if I just need to give in to the pills and boost my iron or if im just mildly so and can handle it.

 

[bigbee]

Jessie, sorry to hear that!

I don't really know, but can you find out how much iron you will be getting by taking tablets? If you want to manage through diet, you can always try and balance the requirement vs food intake?

There is loads of stuff that's high in iron... (You're a veggie, right?) seeds, nuts, figs etc.

Although, I would speak to the MW/GP before discounting tablets, to be honest.

 

[Orion]

Not sure. All I know about it is that if its not under control by the time you give labour, there's a higher chance of bleeding badly. I'd seek medical advice before deciding not to take tablets that have been advised for you.

 

[tiggy85]

It depends how low your levels are. Do you know what they are?

I had a level of 105 at 9 weeks pregnant which is just on the threshold for iron tablets,I tried spatone, floridix and increasing iron rich foods in my diet but by 28 weeks my levels were down to 90, I really didn't want to take the iron tablets as the side effects are awful. I discussed with my gp and I was told if I didn't get them up I would more be risking myself having to have a transfusion post birth and also j would have gone to consultant led care if my levels hadn't increased by 36 weeks.

I did end up taking the iron tablets from 28 weeks and my levels increased to 106 so meant I could have my low risk home birth.

So it depends on what your levels are and what you have already tried to get them up. I would discuss any plans for not taking them with your gp or midwife as they were helpful and prescribed a kinder to the stomach iron tablets for me so the side effects weren't so bad. X

 

[MrsT2011]

Hi Hun normal levels are roughly 10.5-12.5. I had significant blood loss when I had my son which although was a quick straightforward delivery resulted in being kept in 2 nights after collapsing with levels of just 9.4 and later going down to 8.1. I felt so ill so I would recommend taking the tablets as they do really help x

 

[Jessiecat]

Thanks everyone that's really helpfull, i'll speak to doctor first then and see if they advise just taking the pills. I'll obviously not go against medical advice.
My levels are also 90, so assuming that's pretty low by the sounds of what you said tiggy though i can't relate that to your post MrsT?

 

[MrsT2011]

Yep 90 is pretty low - I was passing out at 90 so you're doing well to be upright still lol! They said I would be given a transfusion if it went below 8. I was very breathless and dizzy for about a week until the tablets kicked in x

 

[tiggy85]

Yes I would say that's low enough to take your iron tablets I'm afraid......bit too low for spatone and floridix particularly in the third trimester as can take 4–6 weeks of tablets to increase the levels.

90 is the same as 9.0 likewise 105 is 10.5 etc. Just expressed with with a decimal point!

 

[Jessiecat]

Thanks both. Tiggy I thought that would be the case, feel a bit silly now haha.
Ok i'll give it to the dreaded pills xx

 

[SpinSugar]

Jessie cat try taking the pills with or after food - that does hrlp minimise the side effects. What problems were you getting? I'd definitely advise the tablets but keep going with diet and spa tone too. I'm on 2x spatone a day and 3X ferrous fumerate a day too in a desperate hope to increase it.
Every area us slightly different but my area is
<90 hospital only
Can't have home birth if <100
Good luck xx

 

[Jessiecat]

Than spin sugar. So by the sounds of it the birth would become higher risk? It's looking likely another section so would that make the op dangerous?
I'd have about 8 weeks for the tablets to take effect though I guess.
I'm already suffering with (tmi) constipation and piles and I really didn't want to make it worse but sounds like the iron tablets are pretty important.

 

[littlemonkey]

Than spin sugar. So by the sounds of it the birth would become higher risk? It's looking likely another section so would that make the op dangerous?
I'd have about 8 weeks for the tablets to take effect though I guess.
I'm already suffering with (tmi) constipation and piles and I really didn't want to make it worse but sounds like the iron tablets are pretty important.

If you speak to your doctor, different types of iron tablets do help. I had terrible problems with mine after I had my son and the doctor was able to give me a different type that helped.

Apparently the iron kills off bacteria in your gut which is what can cause problems, so I started having probiotics as well. Loads of cereals are fortified with iron too, which can also help with the constipation. I was having loads of weetabix which helped with the iron and going to the toilet.

Do take the tablets though because as others have said, it's so important. I felt pretty horrendous after myself c-section, mainly because I tried to do too much, but I also stopped taking my iron tablets cos of the toilet troubles they caused. I wish I'd gone to the doctors about them sooner, instead of waiting until my check up and then I would have felt better sooner.

 

[SpinSugar]

Ahh yep know that well. Get hood of some lactulose (aboit £3 a bottle?) And take daily. I promise it helps - and it's not absorbed so no probs with baby (I'm a pharmacist)

 

[Sm1lerno1]

Yeah maybe find out your level and then decide.

I'm not long out of hosp. I was really quite ill. Apparently I have low haemoglobin. I've been put on triple iron therapy. That's now 3/4weeks I've had them and it's made little impact. They are now talking about providing iron through IV drip. She said this however carries risks (I don't know what they are!)

They mentioned my diet. I don't like meat. I'm not a lover of cereals and dont like veg. I'm worse than a child!!

What I'm saying is, just watch your levels don't drop more leaving you more tired and weak, then you need further investigations. They told me other than the pills, food was the best way to get all the iron you need. So if you can eat most of the stuff they say would help, try it! Oh and orange juice.....but not too much???

 

[Demaris]

Your levels being at 90 is low and they will definitely want to get them up before delivery. Mine were at 95 all through pregnancy and at first I was told to change diet, however my levels never changed. Then I was out on ferrous sulphate and it cause horrible constipation so I switched to spatone-still my numbers stayed the same. So then the doc upped my dose and gave me ferrous glucamate which doesn't cause constipation ( they were a godsend!).

Unfortunately for some reason I never absorbed any iron this way so two weeks ago I had 2 sessions of iron infusion, basically iron through a drip and I cannot tell you how much better I feel! In fact I look back and wonder how I got throug the days when I felt so tired and lethargic. I don't know what my levels are now, but judging by how I feel back where they should be I guess.

Definitely ask the doc about changing the iron tablets though to one more gentler on the stomach, there are ones out there x

 

[SpinSugar]

Demaris did they ever check your B 12? X

 

[Demaris]

Demaris did they ever check your B 12? X

Yes it came back fine, as did the third one they checked that I can't remember what it's called!

 

[Louise2013]

I feel for you hun, I dropped to bang on 8 and was an utter zombie. I looked like a walking corpse......they contemplated transfusing but avoided it in the end and gradually built it back up via diet and tablets. Took a while though..... Take the tablets with a glass of oj as vit C helps iron absorption and caffiene has the opposite effect so avoid it if you can. Good luck xxxx

 

[1501lozza]

no wonder im feeling rough mines 8.8