I have anemia and take iron supplements. Why would I still be weak ?

Question

I also have lost my appetite and hurt really bad in my pelvic area. I have to force myself to eat. I went to the doctor today and they did some blood work, but I'm worried because no matter how much rest I get, I still feel tired. I will have to wait for the results a few days. Any one have any clues?

I have been on the iron for 5 mths.

Answer 1

maybe internal bleeding - better to let the doctors figure it out than to speculate here.

Answer 2

Apparently iron deficiency is not the problem causing your anemia.. If you had said 4 or 5 wks, I would not be quite as adamant.. There is another factor which has to be considered when there is weakness and loss of appetite. The pelvic area discomfort has to be considered also..

One must remember, iron has to combine with another fraction in order to carry oxygen.. that factor being protein.. If you are not assimilating that protein, you would still be anemic regardless of how much iron you ingest. There are some people who are unable to assimilate that foodstuff.. Not a great number of them but enough to find out the medical approach has no answer for it.. You don't mention your age nor how long you have had this condition.

The loss of appetite and the pelvic discomfort bring a very different attitude into play...what were you told your pelvic discomfort was caused by? And why is your appetite diminished? All questions that should have been answered while you were in the office.

Must also consider one factor relative to the pelvic discomfort as well as the appetite suppression.. You make no mention of elimination regularity or irregularity.. So much missing here..

Answer 3

I used to be really anemic because I would not eat enough, and when I did it was not the right foods. And I was not getting enough meat/protein in my diet, and also, obviously not enough iron. I had been trying to lose weigh and had stopped eating and stuff like that. I was tired all the time and it made me dizzy and lightheaded just to get up out of a chair. Then one day my boyfriend came over and I did not even get up to see him! I could not, I was so weak, and then he knew something was wrong with me-he said I was not white, but gray. I started taking iron supplements that same day and within a week or so my color, strength and appetite returned. Just give the iron time, it may take a while! Like 1-2 weeks! But good luck and I hope you feel better-the iron helped me out a lot and my period even returned! Which I never thought I would be so happy to see!

Answer 4

Iron supplements have a tendency to not be too kind to the gastrointestinal system sometimes. Resulting in constipation (which may account for the pelvic pain if you have noticed that your BMs are not what you are used to). Even if you rest a substantial amount, not eating enough will cause you to drain that energy you gained rather quickly. If the iron is not doing it's job then your tissues are not getting enough oxygen which may also be a source of your tiredness.
(a little extra: The hemoglobin in our bodies is responsible for transporting oxygen to tissues in our bodies. The Iron portion of the hemoglobin is the part that the oxygen is bound and released from. It could be possible that your hemoglobin may be structurally unable to bind to enough oxygen because it is unable to utilize the iron properly due to some defect.)

Answer 5

Anemia is a condition in which your body has lesser number of red blood cells (RBC). RBC are needed to carry oxygen (O2) to your bodily cells for oxidation and release of energy. With lesser RBC meaning less O2 available, you are tired and feel cold too. Anemia is linked to deficiency in iron but can be associated with bleeding (menses or parasitic infections). Other causes can be lack of VitB12 and folic acid. Liver diseaes can lead to anemia too as the liver stores Vit B12 and makes proteins needed for the formation of RBC by bone marrow. Diseases in bone marrow can create anemia as well kidney diseases.
Hope that you understand this complex answer!! Good luck with yr blood test!!

Answer 6

You also need to be taking 2 multivitamins daily. If you hurt bad in your pelvic area, the docters should have told you whats wrong. If they drew blood, wait for the results to come back. Then your doctor will diagnose accordingly. Patience young padawan.

Answer 7

Actually the more you do nothing the more you will feel tired. I hope you told the Dr. about the pain and it takes a while for the supplements to work.

Answer 8

wait to see what the doc says another way to increase your iron is to cook using iron ski lets

Answer 9

Wait.