iron-anemic

my daughter is anemic and we don't know what to do to keep her iron level up-the dr suggested red meat again,hello, it does not agree with my daughter in any form and i've been trying to keep her on a modified low suggar-no dairy -low carb-gluten free...so fortified cereals are out and vitamins hurt and dr said no iron supplemements- any iron ideas?-thanks

Red Meat does not agree with many of us, so thats one thing that probably won't help.

As for vitamins, remember - they don't HAVE to come in a Pill form. You can get shake type things from the pharmacist and water desolvable vitamins. Remember - you don't HAVE to drink the whole glass at once. Drink a couple of mouthfulls and put it in the fridge for an hour, then have another mouthful. With the liquid desolvable type, you can also dilute it with far more water then the average person would.

It would seem that you are trying too many things that really are outside the scope of the *Major* problem at hand. Why is your daughter not on this forum? She really needs to be reading and posting questions herself. Your daughter needs to take the reigns to a point or she will just start to feel more trapped then she most likely already does. Help her, but let her take responsibility for her own health.

Stop limiting her diet. Let her eat what she wants. She will learn very fast what makes her sick and what doesn't. You will find she will already know what changes have helped and which ones have made no difference. As for you, quietly keep a food diary of what she does eat and it will help you discern any food allergies without the current drastic limitations on her diet. It is also good to show the doctors so they can see what she ate vs. how her BMs were the following day.

Just remember that there are always alternatives - cereals do not have to mean corn and wheat.

I have to agree with Old Hat and Quincy on the rest of it.

UC is complex - when you change one thing you can easily break another if you don't know its there to break.

In reference to your direct question, take a read of this wikipedia article on sources of iron. Things like fish, chicken, leafy vegies and tofu are all on the list. Here's another good list with more detailed food information. Hope this helps.

My iron levels were very low for six months. during this time I could not tolerate any iron supplements. I dunno why but I found a supplement that worked. I take a double dose of it daily and I drink a liquid iron supplement. It's amazing how better I feel. My evergy is back and my appetite is brilliant. Of all the meds and supplements I've taken iron therapy has helped me the most.

And whilst I accept that iron can't directly help UC I believe that if your iron levels are low your body struggles to heal itself as it cant supply oxygen to your colon in an efficient way. I believe that iron therapy indirectly helps your colon to heal

When I was anemic I had trouble with the pill form of iron so I picked up a bottle of liquid iron from the health food store.  I don't remember the brand but I think it was German.  It tasted like the smell of rust but it was better tolerated than the pills.  It can be mixed in beverages to mask the taste.

Sue

PLEASE. The severity of my symptoms has reduced significantly since I began following a low-carb, low-gluten, low-dairy diet.  So if that ends up working for your daughter, then go for it.

When it comes to diet, everyone has strong personal opinions about what to eat, but until someone finds a diet that is proven to work, they should not put down someone else's efforts (even though I'm sure they mean well for your daughter).  However, though desperate times do call for desperate measures, you don't want to make the diet too difficult or unpleasant for your daughter, so try to keep a fine balance between what's allowed and what's restricted.  I would strongly advice you to get in touch with a nutrionist to help put together a diet/recipes that make sure your daughter's getting enough calories and necessary nutrients.

I began taking iron supplements a few weeks back and take 1 with my evening meal.  I'm taking 'slow-fe' once a day and there's another brand called 'niferex' which was also recommended by my GI specialist.  If your daughter's doctor doesn't want her taking iron supplements, has he mentioned taking an iron injection instead? I've not had one, but read about others on the forum taking them to boost their iron levels.  You could also try juicing vegetables (such as spinach) and adding that to freshly squeezed carrot juice.

All the best!

Many gastros do not want IBD patients to take oral iron supplements because the mineral can clump in the intestines, causing more discomfort. I agree with Judilyn's post; she is giving excellent overall advice. Let me add here in my own defense, though I've mentioned it before, after I was diagnosed with UC in younger adulthood, my mother became convinced that I was really suffering from toxic shock syndrome. Therefore, I get especially concerned when it appears that an IBD patient is being subjected to unwarranted interference with appropriate treatment that is based on the scientific method. Supplements of one kind or another may help reduce symptoms to varying degrees, but are unlikely to put a UCer into real remission. From my experience fighting off severe left-sided flares, I believe that eating as balanced a diet as comfortably possible + taking multivitamin daily & extra folic acid (important for rebuilding damaged tissue) on my gastro's Rx enabled me to tolerate the anti-inflammatory meds & overcome their side effects. (Including Pred.) Without adequate food intake/appropriate supplementation to good nutrition a UCer will lack the strength needed to progress, period. That means extra calorie consumption, not major limitations of basic food elements. What is a good natural source of iron? : spinach, liver! These can be prepared in appetizing ways & eaten in small amounts to be sure they are tolerated. / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Please,

You are doing very well for your daughter. I think your concern shines through. Each case is different and needs to be treated careful. This site is great for advice but be careful with who's advice you buy. Advice after all is just a form of of nostalgia. I totally agree with Judilyn. A bit too much inappropriate scolding on here at times.

Experiment. I found a way of boosting my iron levels after 6 months. It took time but I'm glad I kept at it.

D

My GI just told me I was slightly anemic the other day and he suggested a multi-vitamin with iron. I now take Centrium A-Z.

http://www.dietitian.com/iron.html (the part below is suggestions from this website about what foods to eat if you are anemic due to low iron.)

"Buffalo, venison, elk and most other wild game is lower in fat than beef, veal, pork or lamb.

If you choose not to eat meat, I would suggest you include dark green, leafy vegetables and whole cereal grains in your daily diet. You should also look at iron fortified cereals to supplement iron in your diet.

Vegetarians should eat dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, legumes, yeast leavened whole grain breads, iron-enriched pasta, rice and cereal and meat analogs which are high in iron. Unfortunately, the iron in these foods is not as absorbable as the iron in meat.

But foods rich in Vitamin C (papaya, orange, cantaloupe, broccoli, brussel sprouts, raw green peppers, grapefruit, strawberries, etc.) can be as effective as meat meals in improving iron absorption."

I'm so glad she's feeling better, PLEASE. I hope she's able to achieve her goal of returning to school. Sending positive thoughts her way.

Regarding iron supplements, can anyone in the UK recommend a good one. i have tried a couple of iron tablets which both were horrid to take. Any suggestions ?????

I'm surprised no one has mentioned iron infusions. It's the best way to get iron supplementation without the fear of gut irritation from oral iron supplements or foods that aren't well tolerated. My GI referred me to a hematologist for the infusions. They got me back on track and continue to monitor my levels every six months to a year.

Flinstones vitamins have artificial sweeteners in them so something to consider for anyone wanting to avoid them.

q

Slow-FE worked for me, as well, when other iron supplements didn't. I found Centrum to be too harsh for my system, but can tolerate Forvia quite well. They have a chewable as well - and it dissolves really fast - doesn't leave the super gritty feeling that I get from Flinstones or the Centrum chewables.

I'm very glad to hear that your daughter has found friend with UC/Crohn's. That kind of support is wonderful!