low iron

I was wondering if there is anyone out there who had low iron before going in for surgery. I have been taking a multi vitamin w/iron but the Dr says I need more than that. My surgery is scheduled for next week and I am a little concerned. Would love to hear from any of you on this. Thanks, this site has been great source of information.

Low iron was the indicator that I had problems. It is very normal for women with "female" problems to be anemic. My iron count was so low that I developed a heart murmur from it. I took iron pills for 3 months prior to surgery and finally my blood count was normal just before I went to surgery. Now my blood count is normal without the iron pills....yipee!

I'm anemic too and I'm heading to the OR Thursday morning. I wasn't able to do much about it with iron. However, iron is more easily absorbed if taken with vitamin C, so try drinking a lot of OJ when you take your vitamin. Good luck!

Love and blessings,
Angie K

I was classically anemic -

Cold Hands
Cold Feet (They used to be so cold I couldn't stand for them to touch each other!)
Pale Skin (I'm a redhead anyway)
Low Energy
Craved crushed ice to chew

I was taking 2 iron tablets a day, and then Metamucil to deal with the constipation that came from so much SlowFE. A week before surgery, I was still anemic. My doc said "Of course you're anemic. We'll keep an eye on you while you're recuperating."

I continued the iron tablets for 2 weeks after surgery. Blood work then showed me nearing normal. Doc said I could drop to 1 tablet per day. At my 6 week check up, he said I was iron-rich enough that I could go to just my multivitamin which includes iron.

Now my energy is good. My "thermostat" seems to have been repaired - no more cold hands/feet. Life does get better after surgery. Just follow your doctor's advice and treatment.

By the way, Vitamin C does help with iron absorption. Do remember that caffeine such as cola drinks, coffee, etc., can interfere with the absorption. And things like raw spinach in a salad, fresh steamed broccoli, and all the dark greens have tons of iron in them. Iceberg lettuce, on the other had, has basically nothing but fiber and water in it - go for Romaine instead.

Wishing you all the best on Thursday and pray that all goes extremely well. I have struggled with anemia/low iron count for years even while taking supplements. There are many easily assimilated forms of iron on the market - the one I take also includes Vitamins B and C. Am 6 days post op and feel better than before the hyst - I no longer have that "running through molasses" feeling and no pain in my legs and hips. Saw the dr. today and will take iron for another two weeks and then be retested. Again, best of luck, my dear!

Is craving crushed ice a sign of anemia? Well, that explains why I love it so much! Why do you crave ice with it?

Hi,

Taking iron supplement will help raise your iron. If you are a week from surgery and your Dr is not more concerned with your anemia, it will be fine.

I was on 3 iron pills/day for months pre-op but I was bleeding heavily & constantly so I was unable to get hemoglobin back up and I needed a transfusion 2 weeks before surgery (2 units). It felt like they had recharged my battery. I went into surgery with an hemoglobin count of 10 (lightly anemic), down to 8.4 after surgery. I took iron supplements for 5 weeks and I'm back to normal. I feel great!!


Yes, PICA (non-food cravings) can be part of iron-deficiency anemia. I used to "eat" full glasses of crushed ice. (Not very good for your teeth!!)

Good luck!

So many women with so many problems from low iron. Does anyone know: why is iron not a standard blood test in every woman at their annual check-up?? I was tired for years and it never ocurred to me--I asked my doctor if she had any special recommendations before changing to a vegetarian diet and then she said, why don't we check? !!

i crunched on ice by the glassful. at lunch i would go to any fast food restaurant get a large soda and fill it completely with ice. i was an addict. thank goodness thats all over with! and my doctor never told me that was a symptom of anemia. i found that out when i googled it. im surprise my teeth survived too.

jane321

I had low iron too.... just didn't know it. I lost all motivation to do my daily walks, thinking I was just out of shape, but in reality I was just really too tired and exhausted to walk. I was also having difficulty focusing on a research paper I was supposed to hand in before the end of the semester. Now, its always hard to write, but never this hard! I finally went on line and did a little google searching and discovered that I must be anemic. My surgery was scheduled quickly, and they wanted to boost up my hemoglobin levels quickly. So, I was put into the hospital to receive two units of packed red blood cells. It worked! I went from a 5.2 to a 9. something. Thanks to two great friends who donated blood. I feel much more energized now.