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What can I do for iron deficiency anemia?
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Jan 9 7:30am | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
Hello @tshere1995 and welcome to Mayo Connect.
I can imagine how tired you must be if your iron level is only at 6 right now. You say the doctors cannot tell you why your body does not absorb iron.
If you care to share more, please let us know what types of diagnostic tests you have had. Has it been just blood work or has an upper endoscopy been done?
While I am not a medical professional, I would like to share the experience of a friend of mine who had the same symptoms of low iron level and terrible fatigue. They found that she had celiac disease. She now follows a gluten-free diet and is doing quite well.
Here is some information about celiac disease from Mayo Clinic's website, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20352220, As you can see, iron deficiency is one of the symptoms.
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Vitamin C can increase absorption of iron. Some iron products over-the-counter do not contain very much elemental iron. For instance I know of one product called Hemocyte that has 105 mg of elemental iron per pill whereas ferrous sulfate only has about 30 mg of elemental iron per pill. The Hemocyte would only need to be taken once daily since it has the max amount of iron you would want to ingest per day. Certain foods can increase iron absorption & some foods/drinks like black tea can block it. Might do some research. I do believe you might be able to affect this with your diet. Good luck.