How common is Anemia with PCOS

hpnutter · 02-24-2008, 10:48 PM

I just had my annual OB/GYN appointment and found out I was anemic. I was talking to my mother about this and she reminded me that I had anemia as a child. I've been exhasuted and thought that my thyroid meds were off so I was glad to find out there was a reason for my malaise. Is this related to PCOS or is it just a coincidence?

lizcharles · 02-24-2008, 11:12 PM

are you middle eastern/indian/greek etc? if so you might have thalasemia minor. i could explain it but this does a better job. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalassemia i had a blood test for it last week and find out soon. its pretty rare but doctors dont think to check for it, so if you are of one of the "at risk" races then you should ask for a blood test.

Leigh2005 · 02-25-2008, 12:58 AM

Do you have heavy periods for longs periods of time? Anemia can be caused by a lack of iron and the only way to get rid of iron from the body is through blood. If your periods are heavy you may be losing too much iron so iron supplements help. My girlfriend just found out she was anemic because of her heavy periods

Just a thought

pal · 02-25-2008, 05:30 AM

I've been anemic for as long as I can remember. I've never been able to give blood as my iron count is always too low, even if I eat liver and take iron supplements for several months. I also wonder if Pcos and anemia is related...

soulfulqween · 02-25-2008, 12:36 PM

There could be a relation...I too am anemic.

I get heavy bleeds occasionally and that doesn't help.

Take iron along with Vit C so that your body will absorb it. Take the iron daily. Being anemic and leaving it untreated is very very bad for the body, in particular the muscles more importantly the heart. Plus I hate the tiredness that it causes.

My mother and grandmother are anemic I'm sure both had pcos they both now have type 2 diabetes, have painful periods, and hysterectomies, and cysts and fibroids and heart issues...all of which are hereditary. Now does one cause the others...coincidence??
Hrmmm??

PCOS strikes again if you ask me.

Kerys · 02-25-2008, 01:24 PM

I've had problems with anaemia too..i know that anaemia can be associated with thyroid problems, so it's possible that the two are connected

februarystar · 02-25-2008, 05:42 PM

Most of my family are anaemic apart from me (and I'm the only one with PCOS). I'm surprised because I have such heavy periods and lately I've been having them every 2 weeks.
Though its not just about getting enough iron, like the pp said you should take vit C or have vit C rich foods along side your iron foods, and also space out your iron intake (from food) because going overboard one day of the week isn't going to help because your body can't process too much of it. Also you should always leave 2 hours between an iron supplement and a calcium supplement, otherwise they can interact and neither is absorbed.

Rebecca's Mom · 02-27-2008, 01:41 AM

I never have a period and I am anemic, whats up with that

soulfulqween · 02-27-2008, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebecca's Mom

I never have a period and I am anemic, whats up with that

You're on Metformin...You're IR?

There is a relation between sugar levels and anemia.

(edited cause I'm a fool sometimes lol)

Leopassion7 · 02-27-2008, 02:21 AM

Hey, would that be true of long periods that variate? Because my periods never seem to go off. They come on and last for 2, 3, and 4 weeks sometimes but they will range from spotting for 3 weeks to moderate for 3 weeks. It just depends on what it feels like doing. Then it will leave for about 2 weeks and literally come right back on. Recently, my cycle was heavy for about 5 days and I had a dizzy spell. I looked it up and anemia came up. Low iron anemia that is. Said a doc should be consulted before attempting to do those iron pills on your own though.

soulfulqween · 02-27-2008, 05:21 AM

If you're having heavy and or frequent bleeds for months the anemia is gonna catch up with you.

sunshine75 · 02-27-2008, 03:28 PM

I have iron deficiency anemia. I've had it since I started my periods at 11.

I've been taking supplements off and on since then(I'm 32 now). They don't seem to help me much. I take them with orange juice for the Vitamin C.

Soulfulqween - what iron supplements do you take and how much? So far I've tried regular Fesol (constipation like a mutha!) and slowfe which is better. I've also tried this HerbOx (?) liquid iron supplement that tastes like prune juice, but it's a wee bit expensive and you have to remember to take it a couple of times a day(I always forget). None have had a big effect on my iron levels. They're always at least a little low, my hair is still falling out, I still have dark circles under my eyes, dry skin, and I'm still exhausted. I was hoping the iron would help more?

(sorry for the threadjack)

lizcharles · 02-27-2008, 03:53 PM

i tested negative for talassemia but my iron is really low so my doctor gave me a shot of iron. maybe you should ask about getting an iron shot?

sunshine75 · 02-27-2008, 04:01 PM

I'll ask about the shot next time I'm at the doctor's lizcharles. Thanks.

I've been dealing with doctors who don't seem to want to treat anything. And since my iron is only borderline anemic with supplements, they try to tell me it's "ok" and to just keep taking them. (dummies

)

soulfulqween · 02-27-2008, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunshine75

I have iron deficiency anemia. I've had it since I started my periods at 11.

I've been taking supplements off and on since then(I'm 32 now). They don't seem to help me much. I take them with orange juice for the Vitamin C.

Soulfulqween - what iron supplements do you take and how much? So far I've tried regular Fesol (constipation like a mutha!) and slowfe which is better. I've also tried this HerbOx (?) liquid iron supplement that tastes like prune juice, but it's a wee bit expensive and you have to remember to take it a couple of times a day(I always forget). None have had a big effect on my iron levels. They're always at least a little low, my hair is still falling out, I still have dark circles under my eyes, dry skin, and I'm still exhausted. I was hoping the iron would help more?

(sorry for the threadjack)

Good job with the Vit C. You may have more success with eating dark green leafy veggies then.

I take Fesol but I drink lots of water, 100% juice and eat fairly high fiber. Have you tried that? I haven't had any issue whatsoever and feel much better on the Fesol.

I was taking liquid iron and that helped but it wasn't strong enough...I also can't think of the name of it right now...BUT it tasted much better than what you just described. It tasted a bit metallic but still not bad...I used to add it to orange juice twice a day.

The herb Dong Quai has also helped with this.

I hate shots so I did whatever I could to avoid them...but everyone is different and it maybe worth discussing this with your Dr.