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The following is a summary of most of the replies so far.
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My GI, Peter Green of Columbia, prescribed Chromagen Forte for my
anemia. It is supposed to be more easily absorbed.
Take B-12 and folic acid.
After chronic anemia for years, I am now taking a product called
"ferrofood" made by Standard Process. Along with that I take "zypan"
also by Standard Process. Zypan is digestive enzymes which help greatly
in nutrient absorption. I found out about both of these from a
naturopath. She did muscle testing to see what supplements I would best
tolerate and these have worked wonderfully for me so far. My hemoglobin
was at 7.5 in July. I started the Ferrofood and had my blood tested 5
weeks later for an appointment with a hematologist. My hemoglobin had
climbed to just over 10 in the time. This is the fastest I have ever
built up my blood. Usually it has taken months (6 or more) to get this
rapid a rise. The hematologist suggested I keep on taking it through
menopause and then test again and see if I am staying at a good level.
My iron stores (cannot remember what that test is called) are extremely
low (they were at 2 in July, now at 6) should be around 100 in a healthy
individual so that's what I am working toward is getting the iron stores
up to where it needs to be.
Dried prunes are high in iron. Also leafy greens like spinach.
iron tablets (be careful, they can be constipating) ;
and try eating more iron in your diet, Liver, raisens....
I am a Medical Technologist who also has celiac and your hgb(hemoglobin) is
not too low. As a tech I would not consider that abnormal. At the hospital
that I work at we would not treat a hgb of 10.8 My hgb was down to 6.9 and
I am currently taking 450mg of iron along with monthly B12 shots. I would
suggest taking over the counter Fe (iron) Also what is your MCV? That
should be reported with your cbc results. If your MVC is less than 80 than
all the iron you intake is being used on a daily basis and none is being
stored in the form of ferritn. Once your MCV reaches 80 then you dump more
of the iron into storage (which is called ferritin). which then increases
your hgb.
My latest blood work after a year of GF eating revealed that I was, again,
slightly anemic. My iron levels improved after the initial diagnosis and about
90 days of iron supplements. New symptoms arose, including hair loss, I went
in for another upper endoscopy and colonoscopy which showed the villae were
back, but they biopsied and found microscopic colitis. I'm back on 324 mg
iron/day for at least 60 days and then maintenance levels after that. Apparently
the colitis and Celiac disease seem often to go hand-in-hand, even though more
prominent among women.
black strap molasses. Start out small, and work your way up to 1 T a day.
I have had pernicious anemia all my life
and while I do ;know my hemoglobin ran around 12. before being diagnosed CD.
The norm for me since being gluten free runs 10.8 consistently and the doctors
all accept that. The problem with Celiac is that we do not absorb B12 so I
take shots twice a month and that keeps me on an even keel. Of course, this
may or may not have anything to do with you and I have a thyroid problem that
may contribute to mycount, I don't know but I just make sure it doesn't get
much lower that l0+
I've been battling anemia since going GF 2 1/2 years ago. First it was
B12 deficiency. Got supplemented with B12 shots & had a quick recovery.
Then folic acid anemia came along. Got folic acid supplements & partial
recovery. Then the latest was iron deficiency. This time, my doctor
gave me IV iron. It really helped. I'm now "almost" normal. Apparently
I just don't absorb stuff like I used to, even though I take tons of
digestive enzymes, stomach acid replacement, etc. I suppose it will be a
lifelong battle.
I found this book to be extremely interesting (although CD is only given a
brief mention). Understanding Anemia-- by Ed Uthman. You can get it on Amazon
or other sources.
I'm reading a fabulous book that gives me real
hope and helps me feel better in the meantime: BEATING CANCER WITH
NUTRITION by Andrew Quillin. It's well documented and very authoritive.
I've learned there's a lot more I can do about the course of my life than
I previously thought.
I would suggest that you take iron tablets. I have been battling
anemia on a constant basis as a result of cancer and radiation
treatments. I know when my hemoglobin count drops. I drag my tail.
I have been taking iron tablets since my diagnosis.
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I am including in this summary the following excerpt from the NEJM:
Celiac sprue-New England Journal of Medicine
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Volume 346(3) 17 January 2002 pp 180-188
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Current Concepts: Celiac Sprue
[Review Article]
Farrell, Richard J.; Kelly, Ciaran P.
From the Gastroenterology Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and
Harvard Medical School, Boston. Address reprints to Dr. Farrell at the
Gastroenterology Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dana 501, 330
Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215, or at [log in to unmask]
........Approximately 50 percent of adult patients do not have clinically
significant diarrhea. Iron-deficiency anemia is now the most common clinical
presentation in adults with celiac sprue. Other laboratory abnormalities include
macrocytic anemia due to folate (or, rarely, vitamin B(12))) deficiency,
coagulopathy resulting from vitamin K deficiency, or vitamin D deficiency leading to
hypocalcemia and an elevated alkaline phosphatase level. [20] Other
increasingly recognized extraintestinal manifestations include bone fractures, [21]
infertility, ....
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