Anemia?

FloydLandis

I have just recently been warned that i may be anemic awaiting a second oppinion. Anyone have an idea how to overcome constant cold feeling and energy loss. Sometimes i feel faint when i stand up. I get sick alot now too. I realize no one here may be a doctor just looking for instant ideas i need to keep riding.

DennistheMennis

Maybe it's time you stop all that doping! ;-) Just kidding!

Is it true anemia can make you feel cold and dizzy? If so, get rid of your anemia and that will fix that problem!

I had slight anemia too, but never felt that way... well, at least not enough to where I thought to look for a cause.

Anemia can be prevented with proper diet. I eat red meat because it's the best source of easily-absorbed iron, and also vegetables high in iron. Blackstrap molasses is also a good source of iron. And you can improve iron absorption by drinking orange juice or other fruit juice with your meal. One old trick was to stick a rusty nail in an apple and let it stay for a while before you eat it (the apple). Never tried that!

matagi

There are no instant fixes for anaemia unless you can find someone to give you a blood transfusion. If you are anaemic, treatment will depend on the reason for your anaemia. The most common form is iron deficiency anaemia, which will mean iron supplements until your counts go back to normal.

What is your diet like? The best dietary source of iron is in fact liver, but most people are not keen on eating offal these days and of course, if you are a vegetarian, it is not an option.

The reason you are feeling sick, etc, is because when you are anaemic less oxygen is being delivered to the various parts of your body, so your system is effectively under stress. You will need to cut back on your riding for a little while until your body starts to pick up again. If you keep trying to push yourself while you are feeling like this, you could make yourself sicker.

FloydLandis

I eat bannanas and apples for breakfast as well as lots of orange juice. I eat either a tuna sandwhich and fruit for lunch or a sub. And then for dinner I eat lots of food usually steak and salads and then ice cream and fruit. I eat so much i try to get as much iron as i can but i just can't seem to fix this. I want to try to get back on the bike before i lose too much and my doctor is taking forever with this process.

musher

Hi,get a nother doc. is best to have a noter opinion, my training partner is is also my doc. i'll ask him tomorrow we are riding a 150 miles together. You may want to consider Beef Liver,i eat it feew times a week (just don't cook it to much ,almost raw).USDA Ref. 3 oz cooked:cal 162,Pro 25 g,Carb 4 g, Fat4 g,Chloles 334 mg, Sod 67 mg Zinc 5 mg/30%,Vit B12 60ug/1,000%,Sel 31ug/44%, Phosp 422mg/42% Niacin 15mg/74%, Vit B6o.86mg/43% Iron 6mg/31%, Ribofl 3mg/171%. I t hard to beet that? Musher

RickF

It is true that iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia, but folic acid deficiency and B12 deficiency are also possible causes. The diet is rarely lacking in B12, but some people cannot absorb B12 very well. For those individuals, monthly or even weekly injections of B12 are necessary. Oral B12 supplements usually are not effective. The diet can be lacking in folic acid and iron, especiallly in vegans, and oral supplements of iron and folic acid are very helpful.

More serious causes of anemia are conditions where there is chronic bleeding, (e.g., gastric or duodenial ulcers, gingivitis, colon polyps, certian nephropathies, etc), conditions where the red cells are being destroyed prematurely (i.e., hemolytic anemia), or conditions where red cells are not being produced quickly enough (i.e., aplastic anemia). Because of the potentially serious nature of some of these conditions, it is best to find the cause of the anemia, then treat that cause, rather than just adding more iron to the diet and hoping that the condition goes away. Once the underlying cause is corrected, iron and folic acid supplements will help one to recover more rapidly.

musher

Anemia can be cause by the 3 main bodily mecanisms that produce it are:Excesive destruction of RBC,Bloodl oss ,Inadequate production of RBC (Red Blood Cell).Other causes can result from inheritance ,nutrion problems, infections, some kind of cancer,or exposure to a drug or toxin. Sins & Symptoms: mild skin palness,decrease pinkness of the lips & nailbed also irritability, fatigue ,diziness,lightheadedness & rapide HR. fOLIC ACID & Vit B12 supp. may be prescribed. Doctor's don't diagnose Anemia until they run Blood Tests as part of a routine examnation. So don't mess with this guet some Blood test done.You may guet a transfusionof red blood cell with a prescription.

FloydLandis

I have had one blood test done about two months ago and the hemoticrit levels where way low my doctor said. He wants me to get more blood work done to confirm which sounds reasonable but it is hard to get into the office so i was just hoping in the mean time i could get some answers that could help me. I really feel horrible most days. I Am getting sick alot and i am tired and cranky and light headed and always freezing cold. i Also feel like i am only at 70 percent. I have these sharp pains in my right chest or lung that last for about two hours a day then they go away. And most of all It's hard to cycle and i can not loose cycling. I would rather die. So i will get more blood taken and hopefully try a different vitamin and we shall see. I appreciate all your help and look for more answers. thank you

Topsi1208

Beans are also a good source of iron. Try some Black beans or red beans. They are full of fiber & a great source of minerals.

Pendejo

FloydL, as suggested above, you really need to go back to a doctor ASAP to get to the bottom of the problem. I would recommend a hematologist, instead of your normal physician. If your blood counts are low enough to be causing the kinds of problems you describe, it's highly unlikely your problem is a diet imbalance. Good luck, and please keep us posted.

RickF

+1 This is not the time to procrastinate. It is easy to find excuses to put off a doctor visit for another week, but it is best to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible.

matagi

+1 on getting folllow-up, you really need to go back and see your doctor and you really need to do it ASAP.

Your very first post suggested you might be anaemic, but your most recent post tells us you had a blood test two months ago which showed a low haematocrit - that means you ARE anaemic, it is now a question of finding out why because you cannot successfully treat anaemia without knowing the underlying cause.

FloydLandis

I am making another appointment today. I will keep you up to date. Thank you all for your help again, it means alot. I am just worried that i may not be able to continue racing although this would explain why i have such a hard time competing.

Pennstate

This is the exact point. The cause of the anemia is the the key. Simply increasing Iron intake for a non-iron-deficient anemia will not help at all. Etiologies are quite diverse and follow age-related distributions. For example anemia in older people has more ominous (colon cancer) causes than in younger people. Your primary care should be able to do more tests, particularly a CBC (complete blood count) which will give far more info than just the hematocrit. Keep us posted!

Fred