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iron deficient anemia

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Posted 4/19/2009 12:29 AM (GMT 0)

I was wondering if anyone else has had iron deficient anemia following prostate surgery.  My husband had surgery last April 2008   In January 2009 at an annual physical with his internist, the blood work showed anemia.   He tried to take oral iron to boost his counts but couldn't tolerate it.   Yesterday he was seen by a hematologist who did additional blood work.   The tests that he did, confirmed iron deficient anemia.  This doc looked at my husband's records when he was in the hospital following the surgery and noted that his hemglobin was at 8 when he was dismissed.  I recall the urologist telling me that Ron had lost quite a bit of blood that he would be able to replace it on his own without a transfusion.   Obviously, that hasn't happened as he is still anemic.   The hematologist told us that the IV iron has many side effects and if Ron can't take the oral iron supplement to try and supplement his diet with iron riched foods.   Since we have been avoiding red meat, that is a difficult task.   Just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience.  Thank you.  I enjoy this site and have learned lots from it.  

Posted 4/19/2009 5:52 AM (GMT 0)
cw,

My surgeon told me I lost very little blood, so that I didn't need a transfusion. Of course, there is still some blood loss. My red cell count was considered normal, but I felt a bit anemic, and so although I normally avoid red meat, I started having a few servings a week. This was recommended to my wife when she was on chemo and her red cell count was low. For me, I think it helped, but I did also put on a few pounds. Now about 3 months out, I've cut down on red meat again. As I recall, you can also get a decent amount of iron from green leafy vegetables like spinach. And a lot of breakfast cereals have a good amount of iron.

DJ
Posted 4/19/2009 9:00 AM (GMT 0)
Foods rich in iron include:

Red meat
Pork
Seafood
Poultry
Eggs
Iron-fortified cereals, breads and pastas
Beans
Peas
Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach
Nuts and seeds
Dried fruit, such as raisins and apricots
Meat sources of iron are more readily absorbed by your body.

Posted 4/19/2009 1:44 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your replies.....Ron eats raisins by the handful, lots of green leafy vegetables and we have started eating a couple of servings of red meat a week...in addition to lots of other foods that are too boost your iron. So far our diet is to no avail....but we will keep trying. I hadn't seen other postings from members of HW that have had this problem. Ron is to have his bloodwork redone in two months...hopefully, he will show some improvement at that time.
Posted 4/19/2009 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
Caring,

Did your DH try Slo-Fe? I found it to be much easier on the stomach than other formulations.
Vitamin B12 is also good. In fact a good B50 is good. And what's with the red meat?
If the man needs it, feed it to him! People need to pay attention to their bodies. Low fat, lean red meats provide necessary, very valuable nutrition. With all the best intentions, we do tend to avoid one thing only to accidently contribute to another. Our body has a mind of its own.....his is saying something. Find out what that is and feed it to him :>) As a long time anemic myself, I find an occasional 2-3 oz. hunk of liver sausage (with mustard!) provides a much appreciated boost in energy.
Maybe ever few months my body tells me to eat high iron, high protein liver...and it works :>)

Swim
Posted 4/19/2009 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
Ron has tried all forms of iron....slow release, ferrous glulconate, prescription iron...anything out there he has tried.  His reaction isn't a GI reaction but rather his blood pressure rises, he becomes flushed and because he is spinal cord injured, his legs become very spastic.   I know this isn't the usual reaction to iron.  Even prior to the PCa diagnosis, we didn't eat too much red meat and his hemaglobin was always in the 14-15 range very normal. We certainly aren't totally against red meat in our diet. 
Posted 4/20/2009 3:28 AM (GMT 0)
Caring

So much for the trials of different formulas eh? I'm going to have to dig into journals and see why the reactions with cord injury. Haven't heard of it but then again...I haven't heard of a whole lot of things.
I'm sorry Ron has such difficulty but, it does sound like you and he are seeking all the right medical attention searching for a solution. Red meat once or twice a week, dark green veggies and perhaps B12 are the only other things I can think of other than resorting to transfusion if he gets too low. Hope all goes well soon.

Swim
Posted 4/20/2009 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Swim and if you can come up with some reason why Ron has had such a reaction from oral iron please post for us. It is a reaction similiar to a Niacin reaction in able bodied folks. The docs have no explanation for the rise in blood pressure and increased spacticity. I think this site has some very smart folks that read and post. Healing Well has been so informative.
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