HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Anemia With Ileostomy

Support Forums
>
Ostomies
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/5/2012 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
I had blood work a few months ago and it showed I was anemic. I just had more blood work and it shows the anemia is even worse.

I have not been anemic since I had a hysterectomy in 2005 and that was from heavy bleeding.

What could be causing the anemia now?

I looked at all the iron meds and most of them are enteric coated.

I am also worried that the iron may make me sick to my stomach or constipated?

Anybody have any ideas about this? And any suggestions about which iron is best to take?

I went to GNC to look at all of their powder multivitamins and none of them have iron in them?

And liquid iron is absolutely disgusting and I can not even swallow it without throwing up.

I did have low vitamin D, but since I have been taking 5000IU of vitamin D3 everyday, it has came up to a normal level. I also take several gummy vitamins a day to try to make sure I am getting enough vitamins since my diet does not include very many fruits and vegetables.

I was eating watermelon, but one night it made me really sick and I am scared to try that again. I can eat a few slices of an apple, but it comes out pretty clumpy and I am not sure if this is safe or not.

Thanks
Posted 7/5/2012 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear this. Did you have symptoms or was it routine bloodwork?

I've just had some bloods done for the same reason and waiting to hear back.

I totally agree.. the iron absorption seems to be a big issue. I hardly eat any food rich in iron any more and can't take liquid iron as it makes my output too thin.

If you're not losing blood then I'd imagine the anemia is more likely to be caused by lack of absorption and/or lack of intake. I think it it's very low your Doctor will probably suggest iron injections or even an infusion, as it will take a long time for it to come back up with supplements alone.

I think Vitamin C is also important to help iron absorption - usual recommendation is to have a glass of orange juice at the same time as an iron fortified breakfast cereal for example.

Run4pancakes knows a lot about this subject, she might come along soon to offer her advice...

I'm really struggling with my diet too and looking for more easily absorbed vitamins, although am waiting to see what results my bloods come back with tomorrow.

Are you due to see your doctor?
Posted 7/5/2012 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
I have a j pouch not an ileo anymore and I am in the same situation. I cannot get my hemoglobin above 9.5. I take an iron supplement (Bifera) 2x a day and try to eat right and I cannot seem to get out of this. The Bifera is the only supplement I can take that doesn't make me sick to my stomach. Actually they just changed the name from Bifera to Feosol. I was going to start iron infusions back in the spring but I had an issue with my insurance and never did it.

I'm not bleeding and my "new plumbing" is working just fine. So it has to be an absorbion issue. My family doctor has been no help....other than suggesting the iron infusions....he's at a loss. I haven't seen my GI since before my surgeries because I haven't really needed to see her for anything. So I'm at a loss. Anyone have a magic wand to make it go away? Lol
Posted 7/6/2012 12:17 AM (GMT 0)
I had an anemia problem when I had my temporary ileo. My surgeon wouldn't reconnect me until I got it back up closer to normal levels. Here's what I did:

I would have Cream of Wheat for breakfast and also after dinner. Cream of Wheat is pretty high in iron.

I took Kirkland (Costco) vitamins that had iron in them. To make sure I absorbed them, I crushed them and put them in the Cream of Wheat. I wasn't too bad that way.

I would eat steak a couple of times a week and other kinds of meat the rest of the days.

Since I was also underweight, I also drank multiple Ensures each day. Ensure is quite high in iron as well.

Doing all these things, I got my weight from 135 to 185 and my hemoglobin from 9.5 to 13.5 in about a month in order to get reconnected.
Posted 7/6/2012 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
     Tracy, how severe is your anemia?  Best to consult your doctor about your options.  Do you feel tired all the time?
Posted 7/7/2012 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
I know that pernicious anemia can be caused by a B12 deficiency. Do you get shots? Those of us with ileostomies can no longer absorb B12 (either from diet or pills) because we no longer have the part of our anatomy that absorbs it. We need shots. I was told once a month, but I can tell that I need it more often. Have you checked your B12 level? Do you have an ileo?
Posted 7/7/2012 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
I take B12 shots once a week due to low B12. My ileum was damaged by scar adhesions that my doctor said I was born with and he said I would need B12 shots for the rest of my life. ACK

He didn't seem too concerned with my iron, only told me to take an iron tablet and get it checked again in 3 months.

I was just curious if this was a common problem with ileostomies?

I been craving ice and this is what I used to do when my iron was at its lowest.

Thanks, Tracy
Posted 7/7/2012 7:23 PM (GMT 0)

answers4me2 said...

I been craving ice and this is what I used to do when my iron was at its lowest.
Thanks, Tracy

I chew ice all the time! I'm probably killing my poor teeth. I have heard many times its an indication of low iron.
Posted 7/7/2012 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
I chew ice all the time, too! I didn't realize that it was an low-iron indicator. I'll have to look into that. Thank.
Posted 7/8/2012 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
I was low on Iron for 2 years. I had this craving all the time for ice and I was chewing it all of the time. I also had a lot of itching with my legs and with my hair. My doctor finally had me get iron infusions and the craving for ice immediately stopped as well as the dry itchy skin. My output also thickened up and I didn't need to use the bathroom as much. It did start stinking really bad though because of the iron.
Posted 7/8/2012 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
Yup, chewing ice is a primary sign of iron deficiency. I don't know why.
I have had very low hemoglobin and have had iron infusions. Gosh, they make things much better and brighter. My pharmacist said that the liquid iron would be the way for me to go but I don't think I could swallow it without it coming right back up again.
I did not know about B12. I'll check that out with my doctor and maybe start getting injections.
Thanks
Posted 7/8/2012 9:12 AM (GMT 0)
As mentioned above, I've also been dealing with this. I finally saw a hematologist this week and am getting scheduled for an iron infusion. She said she sees this issue a lot with people who have stomach or intestinal surgery and it is typically an absorption issue. She also told me that once your numbers are pretty low for any length of time, oral iron isn't going to do much to fix it in any reasonable time frame. My advice would be to ask for a referral to a hematologist and let them manage the situation. I hope you feel better soon, anemia is awful stuff.
Posted 7/8/2012 11:37 AM (GMT 0)

run4pancakes said...
As mentioned above, I've also been dealing with this. I finally saw a hematologist this week and am getting scheduled for an iron infusion. She said she sees this issue a lot with people who have stomach or intestinal surgery and it is typically an absorption issue. She also told me that once your numbers are pretty low for any length of time, oral iron isn't going to do much to fix it in any reasonable time frame. My advice would be to ask for a referral to a hematologist and let them manage the situation. I hope you feel better soon, anemia is awful stuff.

Please post back and let us know how the iron infusions go. That's my next move wether I have to pay out of pocket for it or not...I can't keep going on with this anemia. It so bad for all your organs to be in this chronic state.
Posted 7/10/2012 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
You need to see a good doctor that is checking everything.. not just your hemoglobin. You need your iron stores checked, B12, everything.
If you have depleted iron stores, there is no way oral iron or iron pills are going to help you. Last year, I finally found the right doctor to help me with my fatigue, headaches, and low hemoglobin, turns out I had completely depleted iron stores also. The negligence of my previous doctors surely contributed to my state. I ended up having to do a series of 9 iron infusions. Wasn't until the fifth one that I felt like a new person.

Its my understanding that those of us with jpouches or failed jpouches and now ileostomies seem to have a higher incidence of anemia but they don't know why yet. Its just something that needs continually monitoring. After my recent jpouch removal my doctor now has me on weekly B12 shots and is closely monitoring the new dropping of my iron stores. I think more iron infusions are soon in the plan.
Posted 7/10/2012 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
There's a good site at http://www.anemia.org/patients/feature-articles/content.php?contentid=000316
It tells the different types of iron supplements, how much elemental iron is available in each and how much is generally needed to treat anemia.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply