Am I anemic... or... what?

[Green_Woman]

See my blog post here on this and PLEASE comment with suggestions... I desperately need help right now. I have too many commitments (jobs, primarily) to crash! But at this rate, I will not last out the week without hitting the ER or having to take a few days off work, which I honestly cannot afford to do financially. :(

Please help me, guys and gals... I need some RAW help.

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/blogs/blog-16797/entry-11746/

[ShelShel]

Ok...no doctor...don't we always have to say this?:p

If you feel you might need iron or protein. Eat them. For some reason in our country the only way people think to get these is through meat sources.

Make yourself some green smoothies. (fruits mixed with tons of dark leafy greens) Iron!

Grab a couple handfuls of nuts. (Protein)

http://whfoods.org/foodstoc.php

Check out this site and foods that maybe rich in the nutrients, vitamins or minerals that your body is needing. Find new sources to heal yourself while staying raw.

I always feel worse before I feel better when I start raw and one of those ways is that I have absolutely no energy and I consume huge quantities of foods for those few first days and weeks.

After that beginning season, my body shed extra pounds, my skin clears...and I start to feel out of this world. But until then...I struggle to feel normal.

Hope this helps a little. Raw (((HUGS)))

[smoothiegirl]

I kind of wonder if it's not some sort of detox. I'm going through the same thing. Double vision, dizzy spells, low blood sugar. It's better. My emotions and hormones are in orbit. I have panic attacks and anxiety attacks. I came from a turbulent past-food may have been a comfort for me and now I guess my body is rebelling. I don't know. I'm not the same person I used to be. Some days I'm lifeless. Don't want to be around anybody. Can't handle a lot or I panic. I have only been raw for about 8 days. But I have been at this for almost 6 weeks w/the exception of some bland cooked foods. I'm not hungry-I feel nourished-I do have cravings but I try to ignore them. Too weak to exercise-I'm just down today. This too shall pass.

[Revvell]

Without reading your whole other post here are some suggestions ~

As one suggested, Green smoothies ~ lots of greens ~ iron AND easily assimilable amino acids which make up usable protein.

For anemia, get some un-sulphured dried prunes, raisins, black figs... soak over night and drink the water, eat the fruit. This will hasten any detox and it will go out appropriate channels.

Water, water, water!

[lytlsprout]

wow this seems to be going around. if you really think you're anemic get a test, just don't do what the doctor says. but i doubt you're anemic. they always think i am when i get sick and then they test me and i'm right in the middle. being anemic is actually pretty rare. i think we're all just going through some serious detox and will have to tough it out. and be careful about making yourself more sick. it's better to take off one day in the beginning to get better than to have to take off a whole week later because you didn't listen to your body.

[JEN]

Im sorry to hear you feeling ill. It might be detox. How long have you been raw??? Are you eliminating (how are your bms)?? Are you getting enough sleep??? Are you in any major stress right now??? Lots of things can play a part in how you are feeling. The fact that you say nothing to eat sounds good might mean that you just need to fast and drink lots and lots of water if possible to flush things out. Have you tried just having some juice or smoothies for now. Rest and remember to breathe as much as possible. Hope this passes quickly.

[oceanee]

Hmm..:confused: let me throw my 2 cents in as well. Sounds like something is going on but what have you been eating the past month(s)...?...on a daily basis...?..I have dealt with anemia all my life until I started drinking GS and it could be that or a multitude of things.....:confused: . Don't mess around....give your body what it seems to be asking for....though it sounds like nothing is calling you.....you must need something...:confused: .make yourself eat as your lifestyle sounds like it needs it.
Big hug ~
Oceanee

[oceanee]

:rolleyes: Gosh...just as I sent that off I realized that perhaps you do need to fast.....it's hard knowing not being you.....but I didn't want to tell you ...you should eat when maybe fasting is necessary.....just the peanut gallery .....I am concerned that you have a busy lifestyle and need to have energy but something is amiss in your system. Please keep us posted.
Oceanee

[Green_Woman]

Im sorry to hear you feeling ill. It might be detox. How long have you been raw??? Are you eliminating (how are your bms)?? Are you getting enough sleep??? Are you in any major stress right now???

I'm on Day 72 of RAW, and NOT going to stop just because I'm hitting a rough patch. ;) No matter what a "doctor" would tell me... trust me, I'm the LAST person to listen to a Dr.... Except for their diagnosis, which is SOMETIMES accurate. ;)

My BM's are REGULAR... 2-3x/day. So, I'm satisfied there.

Sleep is NOT good. I get VERY LITTLE, VERY INCONSISTENT amounts of sleep... and often I have hard dreams/visions/nightmares throughout the night, resulting in me waking up exhausted. This is due to the major stress I AM indeed under these days... and also to 2008 having been a year of change and emmersion out from under the hardest, darkest year of my life (2007).


RAW is part of my way of regaining control over myself... and finding hope when all once looked hopeless. :)

I KNOW I need more iron, so last night and today I made GS's packed with fresh, dark greens (kale and chard).

The only reason a trip to the Dr might be in order is because from some of my symptoms, John is worried I might be having internal bleeding.


Being on this website is keeping me strong in RAW, otherwise guys... I would be starving myself again, and I know I no longer have the strength to survive the anorexia... especially not now. Keep talking. :) I'm listening... and acting on it!

[jacsam]

Black strap mollasses will make your iron levels go up. It can't be any old type of mollasses. It has to be black strap and on the back it says the iron level is 20, where your other mollasses is on 4 or 5 on the iron. Take 1 tablespoon as a dose. If your not in bad shape but just trying to get your iron up, you would take 1 tbsp 1 - 2 times a day so you can decide what you would need. It's soooo simple but it works!!! You can even have your iron levels tested and then re-tested and you'll see for yourself. Good Luck!!!

[Green_Woman]

My Normal Daily Food Intake

It sometimes varies, but generally I eat the following foods (give or take):

* Mudslide smoothie (bananas/almonds/dates or honey for sweetening)
* A big green salad with veggie toppings usually at LEAST once a day, if not twice :)
* Larabar (or 2)
* bottle of Kombucha (original or Gingerade)

And before I started feeling REALLY unhealthy, I was also consuming lots of avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers and raw cheeses/crackers. Lately, I can't stomach any of those items without getting ill.

[Revvell]

You're welcome.

[avanderland]

I know not everyone is a fan of supplements but as someone who actually is anemic, always has been, and am always in danger of going back... I supplement! I take an iron supplement that is a high dose. My body does not process iron well, and while hopefully ti will begin to process it better the longer and longer I am raw, I have had severe anemia symptoms before myself (including PICA that had me thinking that both beach sand and an umbrella would taste DELICIOUS.) You should just get it checked if you're worried this much --- at least it will reassure your mind, if nothing else.

[jayn804]

Don't fool around with this, or self-diagnose. I too had horrible periods with severe cramping and very heavy bleeding. Fatigue was constant, with dizziness. I got so weak I could barely sit up, let alone walk. It turned out my hemoglobin had fallen to 3.1, and I ended up getting blood transfusions for 14 straight hours, and spent 6 days in the hospital. After three more years of constantly fighting to keep my hemoglobin up (including two surgeries), being on BCP to prohibit heavy bleeding and being on massive doses of prescription iron, the doctor finally removed my uterus (my third surgery in 2-1/2 years). Although that may seem extreme, I finally have a life again. I do not have to fight the highs and lows of my hemoglobin rising and falling, living on blood transfusions and heavy doses of iron and constantly being either in the hospital or a doctor's office, having numerous medical procedures, besides all the days I could not go to work because I did not have the strength to make it into the office. I have my ovaries, so there is no hormone replacement to think about. Again, I highly suggest that you get checked out. Self-diagnosing your problem can be dangerous. Also, I was eating a raw diet during this time, and it did nothing to help me. Some situations are so severe that diet alone will not cure it. Good luck.

[JEN]

The reason I asked about your sleeping pattern is because when I worked the grave shift and didnt get enough sleep/broken sleep with no deep sleep I had the same symptoms. It got really bad. Doctors could never find anything. I was really scard when my vision was double and blurry. My fatigue was more than just tiredness, my muscles would literaly give out on me. A combination of poor diet and no sleep was killing me. Have you ever tried any meditation/ meditation cds. I like the ones from holosync and brainsync. They work with the neuro system. They have to be listened to with headphones but they are wonderful. Feel better soon!!

[cherries]

I've had super-heavy bleeding too, and that's one reason I'm on raw, it makes my periods more manageable. I'm pretty sure that my problems were related to my liver being overworked on cooked foods. You can take the herb yellowdock to help with iron so you don't have to take iron supplements and get constipated, (I dislike iron supplements) just don't take yellowdock WITH iron supplements or you will get an iron overdose, it both has iron in it and helps boost iron absorbtion.

But there are so many reasons this could be happening, this list of possible causes is from the Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menorrhagia/DS00394/DSECTION=causes

Causes
In some cases, the cause of heavy menstrual bleeding is unknown, but a number of conditions may cause menorrhagia. Common causes include:

Hormonal imbalance. In a normal menstrual cycle, a balance between the hormones estrogen and progesterone regulates the buildup of the lining of the uterus (endometrium), which is shed during menstruation. If a hormonal imbalance occurs, the endometrium develops in excess and eventually sheds by way of heavy menstrual bleeding. Hormonal imbalance occurs most often in adolescent girls and in women approaching menopause. If menorrhagia is caused by a specific hormonal imbalance, such as thyroid disease, the heavy menstrual flow often can be controlled with hormone medications. However, improper use of hormone medications can also be a direct cause of menorrhagia.
Uterine fibroids. These noncancerous (benign) tumors of the uterus appear during your childbearing years. Uterine fibroids may cause heavier than normal or prolonged menstrual bleeding.
Polyps. Small, benign growths on the lining of the uterine wall (uterine polyps) may cause heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding. Polyps of the uterus most commonly occur in women of reproductive age as the result of high hormone levels.
Dysfunction of the ovaries. Lack of ovulation (anovulation) may cause hormonal imbalance and result in menorrhagia.
Adenomyosis. This condition occurs when glands from the endometrium become embedded in the uterine muscle, often causing heavy bleeding and pain. Adenomyosis is most likely to develop if you're a middle-aged woman who has had many children.
Intrauterine device (IUD). Menorrhagia is a well-known side effect of using a nonhormonal intrauterine device for birth control. When an IUD is the cause of excessive menstrual bleeding, you'll often need to remove it.
Pregnancy complications. A single, heavy, late period may be due to a miscarriage. If bleeding occurs at the usual time of menstruation, however, miscarriage is unlikely to be the cause. An ectopic pregnancy — implantation of a fertilized egg within the fallopian tube instead of the uterus — also may cause menorrhagia.
Cancer. Rarely, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer can cause excessive menstrual bleeding.
Medications. Certain drugs, including anti-inflammatory medications and anticoagulants (to prevent blood clots), can contribute to heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding.
Other medical conditions. A number of other medical conditions, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), thyroid problems, endometriosis, and liver or kidney disease, may cause menorrhagia.