Can untreated Anaemia become dangerous?

Question

I haven't been taking my iron supplements for a few months now as they upset my stomach so much. I have avoided repeat blood tests as I know the anaemia is getting worse but can not face taking the tablets. Will it sort itself out in its own time or will it continue to decline without treatment?
(I have Anorexia, my nutrition is quite poor and I am a vegetarian).

Answer 1

In a word, yes.

If you can't stomach the supplemants, you have to get the Iron you need from food. If you eat or drink something containing Vitamin C when you eat a food rich in Iron, you will absorb twice as much. Don't drink tea when you are eating, the oxyalic acid in it robs your body of Iron, and prevents you from absorbing it. Coffee and excess bran can also inhibit the uptake of iron, magnesium and calcuim and should be avoided. Actuallly, cola and chocolate because they contain caffine, have the same effect and shouldn't be consumed at the same time as good sources of iron such as eggs and wholewheat cereals.

Dried apricots are brimming with Iron. Also good for you are : bananas, dates, oranges, apples, pears, plums, grapes, peaches, blackcurrants, lemons, figs, strawberries, rasberries, almonds, pecans,walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, garlic, egg yolks, broccoli, spinach, brown rice (not white), sesame seeds, wholewheat and dried brewers yeast. All these foods are full of nutrients that are easy to absorb.

Avoid : refined carbohydrates, (white sugar, white flour and processed foods made with them - cakes, buscuits etc.,) as they are a heavy tax on your digestion and you have little energy to spare. Avoid fats in excess for the same reason (processed food, fast foods) and don't drink alcohol.

Eat high quality foods rich in nutrients. Eat regularly and properly. Little and often is better than starving and bingeing. Regular mealtimes prevent wild fluctuations in blood-sugar levels, and keep you on an even keel. Don't fall into the sugar trap, no matter how desperate you feel for energy. The lift it gives is short-lived and you'll end up feeling worse. Save yourself time over the kitchen stove, eat plenty of raw food. They supply instant energy and are easier for your digestive system to cope with.

You will not get better unless you eat well and look after yourself. A lack of Iron will slow you down and could trigger depression. Go to your healthcare proffessional and ask for a different supplement that may suit you better.

I know Anorexia is difficult to overcome, but I have chosen many of the foods above because they are high in nutrients and low in calories. One Brazil nut can supply all the selenium you need for a day. Find out as much as you can about optiimum nutrition, and you could eat well and never put on too much weight. It is possible to live healthily on 1,500 calories a day.

Anaemia will weaken you and make it less and less likely that you will recover from it the longer you leave it untreated. The future of your health is in your hands.

Good luck.

Answer 2

It will not sort itself out and your symptoms will continue to get worse. The last time I had anemia, in addition to being weak, tired, depressed, and pale, my hair started falling out.

I know iron tablets can be very mean to your stomach, but you should not avoid going back to your doctor or avoid your blood tests. You need to tell your doctor that the tablets upset your stomach so much. There's usually an alternative besides totally giving up on your treatment. The iron tablets that were prescribed to me were 106mg each. I discovered that my stomach cannot tolerate such a high dosage. I can only handle about 25-30mg, so I cut my tablets in fourths. I also have some over-the-counter iron tablets that are 45mg and I cut those in half. Even though I was taking a smaller dosage of iron, I still got better and stronger and my hair stopped falling out.

You should be taking a multi-vitamin, also. You can get a multi-vitamin that has iron in it. Look for one that has at least 25mg of iron. I think One-A-day Women's has that much iron in. You will need to continue to take a multi-vitamin with iron for as long as you are anorexic and/or a vegetarian. You need to get your iron in one way or another. Lower your dosage to a tolerable level. (And try to make it a goal to eat a little more food.) Supplements are best taken with a meal.

Answer 3

You need to take the pills hun! Im in the same situation, if you dont take them they will have to start giving you injections and they are worse!! If you dont take anything it will just get worse and you dont want that! Try taking them with a big glass of water, cause alot of iron pills say take with a meal because of your anorexia I would say meals dont happen very often that is probably why you get stomach aches. If this doesnt work try a different iron pill.

Good luck!!

xx

Answer 4

depends on what type of anaemia...

but if you said that you're taking iron supplements, you should continue it. take it after lunch since we're usually full at lunch, then there's a short fasting from lunchtime till dinnertime. don't take it after breakfast since most people don't usually eat breakfast and not also after dinner since there's a long fasting time from dinner till next breakfast (if you eat breakfast, worse if you don't).

iron supplements are very famous gastric irritants, so take them with a full stomach.

no, anemia doesn't resolve on its own. thing is, when you have anemia, that means you have low red blood cells. your red blood cells are the carriers of oxygen. thus, you will have few oxygen in your blood. later on, it will be very difficult for you to breath, your bodily functions will not function well since oxygen and glucose are the fuels in these functions. eventually, you'll get sicker and sicker.

please go back to your doctor, and follow his orders and take your routine blood tests.

plus you are a vegetarian, you don't get enough iron from veggies, you usually can get it from meat. also, try to eat well, if you don't like 3 big meals, at least take 5-6 small meals.

good luck!!!

Answer 5

Yes it is very dangerous you will probably die without treatment