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Anemic and Bad Flare

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 6/14/2012 10:23 AM (GMT 0)
got a call from my GP yesterday that my hemoglobin was 9 and he was very concerned. I am on Bifra RX and its been giving me horrible cramps, on top of that i have been waking up every two hours to go to the bathroom with just straight blood....UGHHHHH cant take this anymore...been using the Hydro Cort Enemas and nothing really...any other ideas to stop the bleeding? should i stop eating hard foods and stick to popsicles and water ice?
Posted 6/14/2012 11:37 AM (GMT 0)
I would have bad bleeding and anemia with my UC too. There are many different kinds of iron pills....unfortunately it's trial and error until you find one that works for you. I'm still anemic even 2 years after surgery but it's because I'm not absorbing iron for some reason. I take Bifera 2x a day and Floradix liquid iron once a day as well. The liquid iron is much gentler on the stomach and it absorbs well. You can get it any vitamin store. I had a very hard time getting the bleeding to stop because the meds I kept trying didn't work for me.

Make sure you are going every couple of weeks to get checked. If you go down to 8.0 you will need a blood transfusion.
Posted 6/14/2012 12:34 PM (GMT 0)
turnpkegates,

Sorry you're having such a tough time.

I'm a little surprised your doc didn't suggest some iron infusions to get you going? Maybe you should ask about it?

Also, what about vit. b12, if you're having anemic you may be having problems synthesizing b12 as well.  Did he test for that too?

Although you should know that blood test for b12 is NOT reliable as it will show both the bio-available and non-bioavailable forms of b12, thereby skewing the results. The only reliable test for b12 is urine test called MMA.

Also when was the last time you were tested for vit. d levels?

Are you:

doing any probiotics?

doing any diet modification?

trying slippery elm powder or L-Glutamine powder?

I would suggest bowel rest at this point for a few days until things calm down, and then try diet modification.

If you want some ideas, please go to this link: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1666318 , and look at the 11th post.

 

Let me know how we can help.


Posted 6/14/2012 1:23 PM (GMT 0)
http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html

The above website contains information about foods that enhance or decrease iron absorbtion in your gut.
I tried several kinds of supplements; iron tablets that released all at once and various slow release tabs. All produced cramps or other bad effects.

The one that works for me is a good multivitamin with iron taken with food.

I think you would benefit from eating chicken broth with well-cooked vegetables. Could add some kale or spinach. It's my go-to food when I have problems with digestion. IMO, you should stay away from dairy (including yogurt) and carbs at least for the time being.

Are you taking probiotics?

You could add a "signature" to your posts that say what meds and/or supplements you're taking or have tried.

Hope this is helpful :-)
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