Are you anemic (iron-deficient)????

[Divine Inspiration]

I'm wondering how many ladies have issues with hair loss & anemia.
I'm anemic, and my hair shows it big time when I don't take my iron like I should.
I know we have one or two ladies who have recovered from alopecia so I was just checkin to see who was dealin with low iron & if you're taking iron for it.
I take 300 mg a day. When I do, I'm not as cold as I usually am, I have more energy, and my hair does SOOOOO much better.

 

[CarLiTa]

I used to be anemic, but I dont know if I still am. As a child, i was anemic, then I got better, and then it started all over again in the 8th grade... i used to get so cold and I NEVER had energy. Since 8th grade, i've been drinking Ensure almost daily, and my mom had ordered Iron vitamins from Haiti and i took those, and i gained 5 lbs. I was below 100 pounds at that time. Now, i dont know if i am; my multivitamin has 18mg only, and i'm not very energetic still... my hair shed something bad when i was really anemic, it was pitiful. Now i don't know, i'd have to take a test and find out.

 

[metalkitty]

Hmm, I'm sometimes anemic, don't know if I am now though, I do shed a bit though, do you know the range of milligrams one should take and how long it takes to kick in?

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I think you have to have blood work done first and have a hemotologist (blood specialist) analyze the results. Depending on the deficiency level, they can prescribe the appropriate number of milligrams. My doc prescribed two 150 mg capsules per day with food. When first starting, it usually takes 2-4 weeks for the iron to completely absorb into the system and correct the deficiency, but I notice a difference in a week. I went for about 3 weeks w/o iron and my hair started breaking & shedding like crazy. I took my iron every day for 1 week, and my shedding was reduced by about 60%. If you've got shedding issues, I would definitely check it out. HTH...

 

[Anancy]

I was told by the doctor that im mildly anemic. Im always cold but i don't think my hair has suffered because of it.
Funny enough i have been wondering about it lately, because i was taking iron tablets but once the bottle was done i didn't get anymore and that was atleast 7 years ago.

I guess im fine at the end of the day just as long as im eating a balanced diet and exercise for an energy boost.

 

[MzTami]

I was anemic when I had my first child..I took 325mg of ferrous sulfate(Iron pill) which kept me constipated...So I would only take my prenatal vitamin. I haven't heard anything else about it when I had my second child. I also make sure I eat lots of chicken to keep my iron level up.

 

[CarLiTa]

after practice, or basically any physical activity, my sugar level is always VERY low... i start shaking and the ONLY thing on my mind is to put something sweet in my mouth. i walk around with granola bars, that have some sugar in them, or Hershey Kisses to replenish, and then i feel better after i eat it. I don't know if that has to do with anemia, or maybe it's something else. I need to go to the doctors, because I haven't in a while

 

[CoveredGirl]

This is interesting. I was extremely anemic as a child, I cant remember what I was taking but eventually I stopped . I remember my mother had me taking S.S.S Tonic for awhile (cant remember why).. But I stopped taking that as well. I wonder if my thin edges has something to do with a low iron level... Besides feeling cold all the time, what are some other signs/symptons of anemia?

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Carlita, those sound like some diabetic symptoms...you may wanna have some blood anaylsis done to detect any deficiencies

Baha Ma, your temples may be a result of low iron, especially if you have a history of anemia or if you're cold all the time. Other symptoms are extreme fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, confusion or loss of concentration, dizziness or fainting, pale skin,
rapid heart beat, feeling cold, sadness or depression. A lot of times when people have these symptoms, they attribute them to something else. Most insurance plans cover blood work so it's a good idea to get it checked out.

 

[Cowgirl]

I am extremly anemic. Have been since I was a teenager. I am not very good at taking my iron pills, mainly because they nausiate me. But I can definately tell how it affects my hair. When I stop taking the iron pills for 2 or 3 weeks my hair starts shedding by the handful.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Hey Cowgirl...
I used to have the same problem. I would take the pills and be sick as a dog for hours after, but I realized that I have to take them on a very full stomach. I can't eat like a peach and then take it, it has to be a full meal. When I do that, I never have any problems with takin it...other than thicker, stronger hair which ain't a problem!

 

[foxybrownsugar]

I'm anemic also. If my iron goes down i have just about all the classic symptoms: headaches, dizziness, fainting, brittle nails, cold hands & feet, fatigue, and shedding hair. I especially noticed it winter 2001 and thought i might be diabetic but my doc informed me that i was anemic. My aunt (my mom's baby sis) has had it longer or known shes had it longer than myself. She has fainted numerous times, i have only fainted once but i have more of a shedding hair problem than she does cuz her hair is below bsl. In the winter i take more supplements because im not eating as much fresh fruit/green veggies than when its summertime and im not a big meat eater except seafood/chicken.

 

[Naijaqueen]

after practice, or basically any physical activity, my sugar level is always VERY low... i start shaking and the ONLY thing on my mind is to put something sweet in my mouth. i walk around with granola bars, that have some sugar in them, or Hershey Kisses to replenish, and then i feel better after i eat it. I don't know if that has to do with anemia, or maybe it's something else. I need to go to the doctors, because I haven't in a while

Are u diabetic?? pls check ur insulin levels!!!!! or better yet go to the dr

 

[tal]

I'm very anemic. Haven't taken iron pills in a while. When I did, I took Slo Fe which is a slow release iron pill that doesn't require you to eat food in order to take them, didn't nauseate me, is a very small pill, and I didn't get constipated. Why did I stop, you ask? Because, I'm not very good at taking pills. However, when I was told to take them under the doctor's orders, she said even though I begin to feel better, continue to take them so that I fill up the reserve level in my bone marrow (If I recall correctly).

My hair sheds like crazy. Hair is all over the house, and everyone hates me for it! Imma try to start taking them on a routine basis again. Anemia ain't nothing to play with!

 

[karmelsassy]

I'm wondering how many ladies have issues with hair loss & anemia.
I'm anemic, and my hair shows it big time when I don't take my iron like I should.
I know we have one or two ladies who have recovered from alopecia so I was just checkin to see who was dealin with low iron & if you're taking iron for it.
I take 300 mg a day. When I do, I'm not as cold as I usually am, I have more energy, and my hair does SOOOOO much better.

I am anemic and I just started taking a form of iron (Iron Chelate 25 mg) that I can digest and doesn't make me constipated. I actually started taking Iron pills on your suggestion (thanks DI!!!). I've only been taking them for about 3-4 weeks and I notice that I don't have as much shedding as I used to. My energy level has yet to feel the effects of the iron (I'm still draggin). Hopefully my enegy level with increase soon.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I'm very anemic. Haven't taken iron pills in a while. When I did, I took Slo Fe which is a slow release iron pill that doesn't require you to eat food in order to take them, didn't nauseate me, is a very small pill, and I didn't get constipated. Why did I stop, you ask? Because, I'm not very good at taking pills. However, when I was told to take them under the doctor's orders, she said even though I begin to feel better, continue to take them so that I fill up the reserve level in my bone marrow (If I recall correctly).

My hair sheds like crazy. Hair is all over the house, and everyone hates me for it! Imma try to start taking them on a routine basis again. Anemia ain't nothing to play with!

I used to have hair everywhere too...I left a trail..my car, home, work...everywhere! It was madness...you're right, anemia really isn't anything to play with. When I first started taking it, my doc straight up told me that if I didn't take it like I should I was gonna end up passing out & having to have a blood transfusion. That just sounded uncomfortable & scary so I got consistent after that. Besides, I feel SO much better when I'm consistent and health is important...to me anyway.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I am anemic and I just started taking a form of iron (Iron Chelate 25 mg) that I can digest and doesn't make me constipated. I actually started taking Iron pills on your suggestion (thanks DI!!!). I've only been taking them for about 3-4 weeks and I notice that I don't have as much shedding as I used to. My energy level has yet to feel the effects of the iron (I'm still draggin). Hopefully my enegy level with increase soon.

You're welcome mama!! I'm just glad that somebody can benefit. I'm glad to hear that your shedding has slowed down. As you continue to take it, it will slow down even more and your energy levels will surge.
I know that so many ladies have shedding issues and many of us just write it off as a seasonal issue or "just one of those things." But truthfully, your hair can be trying to tell you something more significant that's goin on inside your body.

Good luck girl! I'll say a prayer for ya

 

[Cowgirl]

Hey Cowgirl...
I used to have the same problem. I would take the pills and be sick as a dog for hours after, but I realized that I have to take them on a very full stomach. I can't eat like a peach and then take it, it has to be a full meal. When I do that, I never have any problems with takin it...other than thicker, stronger hair which ain't a problem!

Hi Divine, trust me I tried that as well. I always take it after a full meal but it still makes me queasy. So when I force myself to take them regularly as I should I have to take them on full stomach and at night so I can just go to bed and try to fall asleep before I get queasy.

 

[foxybrownsugar]

I'm very anemic. Haven't taken iron pills in a while. When I did, I took Slo Fe which is a slow release iron pill that doesn't require you to eat food in order to take them, didn't nauseate me, is a very small pill, and I didn't get constipated. Why did I stop, you ask? Because, I'm not very good at taking pills. However, when I was told to take them under the doctor's orders, she said even though I begin to feel better, continue to take them so that I fill up the reserve level in my bone marrow (If I recall correctly).

My hair sheds like crazy. Hair is all over the house, and everyone hates me for it! Imma try to start taking them on a routine basis again. Anemia ain't nothing to play with!

I think i will try the slow release this winter. My multi has iron in it but i need more in the winter months.

 

[carletta]

I am. I actually had blood work done for a high protein count and they found the deficiency. I've had low blood all my life so, I'm taking SLOW-FE iron. works great too i'm feeling alot better ! and had a growth sput in hair growth too! Who knew

 

[Sridevi]

The new Centrum chewable multi-vitamin has 100% of the necessary daily iron. I chew one a day and get all my necessry vitamins plus the iron. It tastes like a kiddie vitamin so it's not bad.

 

[mscounselor]

I have a form of anemia called thalessemia. I have to take iron so I can replace what leaves my body. I knew about the lack of energy and constantly being cold but I never knew there was a correlation with shedding hair! Thanks for posting this information, divine.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

MsCounselor, you are more than welcome! Just doin what I can...

 

[locabouthair]

i know i used to be anemic that was about 4 years ago. i havent gotten my blood checked since. i know that i am always sleepy and tired. i havent noticed ny abnormal shedding. my mom is always ellin me o tak my iron supplements but i always forget. she said that i shouldnt take the suplements wth a multivitamin becaue the multi has 100% of iron in it already. does anyone know if it is ok to take both at the same time?

 

[Divine Inspiration]

i know i used to be anemic that was about 4 years ago. i havent gotten my blood checked since. i know that i am always sleepy and tired. i havent noticed ny abnormal shedding. my mom is always ellin me o tak my iron supplements but i always forget. she said that i shouldnt take the suplements wth a multivitamin becaue the multi has 100% of iron in it already. does anyone know if it is ok to take both at the same time?

It depends on how many milligrams you were prescribed to begin with. I take a multi-vitamin that doesn't have iron b/c I haven't searched hard enough for one that does, but I would just do the math. For instance, I've been prescribed 300 mg/day. So if I found a multi that had say 100 mg, then I'd consult my doc and ask for 200 prescribed mg instead. There is a such thing as having too much iron, but people who are anemic, it's almost impossible to OD. Most multi-vits have a very small amt of iron (i.e. 10 or 20 mg) so even if you took a multi and took prescribed iron, you'd be ok. I take my 300 mg, and I still try to have an iron rich meal at least twice a week.
I'd consult a good hematologist and then do the math and gauge how much energy/shedding/chill I had

 

[naptrl]

I am extremely anemic. In fact I have sickle cell anemia. I don't have any problems with my hair and i don't take iron. It's thick and grows really fast. Maybe it's a combination of things for you.

 

[SisterGirl*]

Isnt' true that Blackstrap Molasses is a good source of Iron? Have any of the Ladies here tried it?

 

[tal]

Molasses is supposed to be an excellent source of iron. I tired it once, and that was enough for me. I couldn't stomach it. Now, I don't even remember how it tasted, but I remember it was not good. It's put away somewhere and I hope to never see it again!

 

[Bklynqueen]

after practice, or basically any physical activity, my sugar level is always VERY low... i start shaking and the ONLY thing on my mind is to put something sweet in my mouth. i walk around with granola bars, that have some sugar in them, or Hershey Kisses to replenish, and then i feel better after i eat it. I don't know if that has to do with anemia, or maybe it's something else. I need to go to the doctors, because I haven't in a while

I only have your symptoms if I'm too busy to eat and skip meals, if I don't drink orange juice or put a Starburst in my mouth, I start shaking, getting servere headaches and the dry heaves. It actually sounds as if you are the opposite of diabetes; you could be hypoglecimic- low blood sugar.

 

[TrulyBlessed]

I've always been anemic and took different iron supplements with my orange juice and they never helped much. Sometimes after being on the supplements I would go back to the doctor and my iron stores would be lower than it was when they first checked me (my body just wasnt absorbing them). I started taking chlorella and things when uphill from there. Chlorella or some type of liquid chlorophyll supplement has been known to help.

For the iron sensitive people Solgar's Gentle Iron (iron bisglycinate) is very gentle on the tummy. They sell it at the Vitamin Shoppe.