TAH 3 weeks post hysterectomy: Anemia

Hello! I am almost 3 weeks post op. Before I had the surgery my hemoglobin was 8.2. They prepared me for transfusion but didn't have to go through with it. I'm just curious what you guys have done to get your hemoglobin level back up? Obviously I'm not bleeding anymore so that will help. But I'm still having anemia symptoms and I'm borderline vegetarian I've been drinking protein shakes & trying to eat iron rich foods. I haven't seen my dr yet for post op so just wondering what you guys have done for this? Thank you.

Hello, I had severe symptoms & I was then diagnosed as anemic- prior to my TAH. I was given a prescript & I couldnt handle it. Bad abdominal cramps, pains, bloating, constipation. My Dr changed me to Slo-fe iron. Its non-prescript & its gentle. You should just put a call into your Dr & ask what you can take.. See either your Gyn or Primary Dr. Its not good to be too high or low in iron..

I too was told I would need a transfusion at surgery. Turns out, I didnt. My Dr told me I had very little blood loss. Post op, I continued to take Slo-Fe iron to 6 week appt then I stopped. I have 1 more test, so hopefully I wont need it anymore.

Basically eat a diet high iron rich foods. I was eating an egg, salads, green leafy, broccoli, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, etc. Vegetables are high in iron but if you have a condition & are a vegetarian, its important to consult w your Dr & a dietician as usually additional supplements are needed.

I'm sorry to hear you are suffering from Anemia. It's an awful condition to deal with!
My heavy periods caused severe anemia which was one of the reasons I elected to have the hysterectomy. I'm being treated by my naturopathic dr with an IV iron. It's tolerated well by most people and is a great way to balance out your ferritin and get some relief from the anemia symptoms. I'm happy to report I'm finally sleeping well and am not freezing all the time. Big wins in my book!
Best of luck in your recovery.

Stay well hydrated and increase folic acid and b vitamins in addition to iron. Basically, a good prenatal vitamin will do it for you. I have been treated by a hematologist for the past ten months due to extreme anemia, including a week as an inpatient and three transfusions. My type was not related to blood loss or diet (I am a vegetarian, too) but good nutrition is helpful for all types of anemia.

My ferritin level was 10 and my doctor put me on prescription iron, ferrous sulfate, but it made me break out in a rash and I couldn't take it. I got something called Blood Builder from Amazon which is about half the amount of iron but I take it twice a day and it works much better. After a month my ferritin was up to 28. It's great because it also has the other vitamins in it that you should take along with iron to make them absorb better.

I'm taking multivitamin with iron and extra vitamin c