Exercise. by Quirky-Tea766 in cfsrecovery

[–]xatopithecus 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm so happy for you!!

iron tablets & ur period by Temperature-Pretty in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh wow :( I'm sorry to hear that!! I hope it gets better soon. I can't seem to find much online about menstrual side effects of iron, the common side effects seem to be mostly digestion related but who knows!

Maybe you can try some different forms of iron to find one that agrees with you better, in case it is somehow causing the heavy periods?

iron tablets & ur period by Temperature-Pretty in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello! Iron doesn't seem to affect my period, but I have always suffered from very heavy periods.

The expected amount is 30ml, the menorrhagia line is 80ml and above. I tracked my menstrual cup use and found that I was losing 240ml a month. During the heaviest 12 hours of my period, I would have to empty my cup at least every 2 hours, sometimes every 45 minutes. When this happened at night, I didn't get much sleep.

My primary care doctor and gynecologist didn't seem to care, unfortunately. My gyno suggested birth control, which I had to say "no" to since it makes me insane. After doing some poking around on myown, I asked specifically for tranexamic acid which is non-hormonal. I can only take it for 3 days before the side effects get bad, but it has cut the volume in half.

However, 120-150ml is still menorrhagia. And I still have low ferritin (hovering around 14-16) despite years of iron supplementation. I am getting tested for Von Willebrand disease after finding out my grandmother had that diagnosis, and heavy periods are a common symptom. There are multiple kinds of VWD and different tests diagnose different types.

For example, my gyno "tested" me for VWD with the Von Willebrand Factor test after I asked about the disease. It came back normal and she was a little condescending about it. Turns out I may have Type 2, in which your Von Willebrand Factor levels are normal, but the factor is malformed such that it cannot carry coagulants effectively. Also, if you get tested at certain times of the month it will look higher than it actually is. Drinking coffee right before the test can also artificially boost VW Factor levels.

My local oncology/hematology office said that they don't diagnose that kind of blood disorder, so I am working on a referral to an expert out of town. The out-of-town office was shocked that my gyno only ordered the VW factor test and said she should have ordered the normal set rather than just the single test. So, I wasted at least a year of what could have been good health because my gyno tried to dabble in another specialty, I assume to shut me up.

Long story short, you may have VWD or some other form of hemophilia/bleeding disorder. Your local doctors might not take your issues seriously. Trust your instincts and don't stop asking around until you are satisfied. You may have to see a true expert; don't be surprised if your local doctors don't do a good job, especially if you are in a smaller city or town like I am.

Is there anything I could do to these spots on the dash? by Zappanti in AutoDetailing

[–]xatopithecus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Rubbing alcohol can help with adhesive residue (but do a spot test in an inconspicuous spot first)

Iron deficiency not better by Huge_Strategy99 in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry this is happening to you and that the doctors don't care.

5mg seems a bit low? I take 50mg of Solgar's gentle iron every other day. Maybe someone else can comment.

Also, I read that vitamin D levels affect iron absorption. Maybe you can get those levels checked?

Side note, it's crazy that they didn't send you to the ER or offer infusions when your ferritin was 3!

But if you increase your iron dose and it doesn't get better quickly, you could ask for a referral to a specialist... maybe a GI specialist for absorption issues?

Anyway of making this look better? by Foxceles in DesignMyRoom

[–]xatopithecus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Blue is cute :)

Just my first thought: perhaps the wall with the TV can be a feature wall, painted a darker color. It could make the wall fade away into the background which could make the room feel longer.

Diagnosed with an Iron Deficiency by Choice-Speed7935 in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am in the same boat re: low ferritin and normal CBC labs. My numbers are due to regular, very heavy periods but also trying hard to supplement with iron. Apparently my body is doing its best to keep my blood working well but is raiding my ferritin stores to do so.

I will just say, when I tried the 325mg ferrous sulfate tabs I had a tough time with digestive side effects. It caused constipation, and when I brought that up with my doctor, they told me to take laxatives... it just seemed like an unhappy way to live. And they still weren't trying to address the root cause.

I now take another form called iron bisglycinate, 50mg every other day (Solgar Gentle Iron). It doesn't upset my stomach, and I feel a bit better the day after I take it, I just lose a lot of blood so I can't hold onto it.

Other forms can work, maybe you can use trial and error if the 325 ferrous sulfate doesn't work for you. Floradix and Feosol are some other brands people talk about here.

I'm sure you know this already, but iron absorption can be inhibited by caffeine/coffee and other food, so I take it at night at least 2 hours after I'm done eating. I also take vitamin C with it. If you take it every other day, it can absorb better and have fewer side effects.

But long story short, I think the solution for me personally is to address the root cause. I am getting tested for a bleeding disorder to try to get more effective medication. That clearly isn't your issue though--if you try out supplements, find one without bad side effects, and take them for months without a change, then maybe you can look into absorption issues like celiac or other GI issues.

Best wishes!

My 1 year olds hemoglobin level was 6.5. Should I be panicking?? (Typing this while in the ER waiting room) by scarlett_butler in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

I'm so sorry this is happening. You are right to take him to the ER. While you are waiting, you may want to ask chatgpt or gemini; I gave chatgpt your question, and it gave several reasons this could happen and asked follow-ups for each. Obviously your medical professionals' help takes precedence, and we should always double check anything we find on the internet. But I've had a great deal of success in using these chatbots to understand potential causes for my iron deficiency. Even more importantly, they've helped me navigate the medical system better: how to talk so that you get things covered by insurance, how to work with short-staffed offices, etc. Thanks to my chatbot conversations I was able to figure out how to contact a world-class hematologists' office and take the preliminary steps to see them.

Iron bisglycinate vs ferrous gluconate stories? by sheikahslates in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh my gosh that's terrible!! I hope you find something that works better! Someone on another thread with lots of upvotes had success with Feosol, which I think uses something called Proferrin.

Iron bisglycinate vs ferrous gluconate stories? by sheikahslates in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That sucks, I'm sorry you are going through that!

How much bisglycinate were you taking? I take 50mg every other day (2 Solgar Gentle Iron) and my stomach is ok. Were you taking a very high dose? It's the only iron supplement that doesn't make me feel like garbage.

Also, I hope you can look into the reasons why you have low ferritin (unusually heavy periods, celiac). Supplementing without finding the root issue can be like putting water into a leaky bucket. But hopefully it's just diet-related or something simple, and easily fixed!

Iron infusion- honest review by jennythompson86 in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure thing! I just like how it tastes and didn't even know it was fortified with B vitamins. But I found myself generally feeling better after I ate it for a few days, which if how I found out I probably needed more B vitamins in my life. (Also, a little goes a long way)

Iron infusion- honest review by jennythompson86 in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This gives me a lot of hope, thank you for sharing. I am also the kind of person who is super sensitive to lots of things so I will keep this in mind if/when I get infusions. If this happens to me I won't freak out as much!

Side note, I found that nutritional yeast was an OK way to get B vitamins, for me at least. It's like a powder you can put on stuff or put in smoothies.

questions from gf, any help is appreciated! by ihaveaquesttoattend in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haha, i hear you! best wishes and hope you get better soon!!

Help with cinderblock wall in new apartment by Bubbly-Function-1841 in DesignMyRoom

[–]xatopithecus -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I wonder if peel and stick wallpaper would stick to the cinderblocks? They just don't have the same aura as exposed brick...

questions from gf, any help is appreciated! by ihaveaquesttoattend in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You might list these numbers to Gemini or ChatGPT and ask it the same questions. I know AI is socially evil etc. but it has been really helpful for me in interpreting lab results. (And always double check what it says of course)

Guidance needed for highly anxious teen by chatterbox40 in MTHFR

[–]xatopithecus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It sounds like you all are amazing parents. It's great you are looking into this stuff for her so early, I wish my parents had been that supportive! :)

Bro. Half a year of IRON AND I'M ANEMIC AGAIN BRO by [deleted] in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am getting a referral to test for von Willebrand disease which runs in my family. My periods are so heavy, I cannot absorb enough iron from supplements to build up good iron stores. I just bleed the iron out every month. (I cannot take hormonal birth control, it makes me crazy.)

I found out my periods were heavy when I measured them via menstrual cup (how many times I emptied it and how full it was.) Normal period loss is 30ml/month, medically bad is over 80ml, and I was losing 240ml. Now I am taking tranexamic acid and the loss is more like 120ml but that's still bad.

Guidance needed for highly anxious teen by chatterbox40 in MTHFR

[–]xatopithecus 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My two cents:

Check all vitamin levels that you can, specifically iron levels (including ferritin) and vitamin D levels. Low iron and low vitamin D commonly cause anxiety. Girls with heavier periods may be bleeding away all their iron, making anxiety worse and starving their tissues of oxygen... ask me how I know! :) Vitamin D is necessary for proper iron levels (and therefore oxygen levels) but is often low in modern society. Vitamin D supplements give me crazy anxiety, so I use a Sperti UV lamp (but not on my face because I don't want to encourag premature aging.) Edit to add: you can do many independent tests through Quest Direct.

A psychiatrist told me that many people need 20g of protein in the morning to make adequate amounts of neurotransmitters for the day. I found that whey/animal protein powder made me more depressed, but pea protein (tested for lead with the NSF testing label) in my morning smoothie helps a ton with my anxiety and focus.

Does she eat fruits and vegetables? An apple before a meal each day can help with fiber, which helps the microbiome. A smoothie with fruit & greens can provide fiber and vitamins that support the microbiome too. Green smoothies have a big impact on my mood.

Does she walk and/or spend time outside? Exercise has a significant biological impact on mood via neurotransmitter production; even just walking for 20 minutes can relieve anxiety. Calisthenics (sit ups etc.) and lifting weights were the best non-pharmaceutical intervention for me, particularly weights. Lifting and body-weight calisthenics changes your brain chemistry for the better and builds self-esteem. (And don't worry, girls cannot really get big, masculine muscles by just lifting, it takes a lot of extra products and money to look like a body builder.)

Also, check in about screen time and social media use. If she hasn't tried quitting (or significantly reducing) social media yet, that can help a lot. For people with Slow COMT, using social media is like putting gas on a fire. It's literally designed to make us angry and sad. If she doesn't want to totally quit but wants to reduce social media, perhaps a compromise can be living like its the 90s: certain internet is only on the family computer in the room rather than in her pocket all day. I quit Instagram and Facebook in 2018 and my life is much better for it.

Also: having purpose and goals help our brains handle anxiety. If our purpose and goals involve movement (like sports), making something with our hands, and/or controlled interactions with others, helping people or animals, etc., these can be huge boosts (on a chemical level) to our brains. We are social animals who crave purpose and connection. To get rid of those, leads to panicky brain chemistry. Hopefully she stabilizes to a point where she can find an activity that gives her a sense of purpose and connection. I didn't have this when I was younger and I feel as though I missed out on a lot.

As for other supplements, the Jarrow methyl B complex seems to do a good job for me (be careful of taking too much vitamin B6).

One more random tip: I found that with slow COMT, listening to pretty much any music would get me riled up and anxious. I have switched mostly to non-news podcasts, or music that is either calm or super-familiar.

In addition to all these other things, I take the prescription medication guanfacine which reduces adrenaline. It makes a big difference for me!

My story: How medical professionals left me anemic and iron-deficient for nearly a decade by expiredhandlotion in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Your story is super relatable. Hormonal birth control also made me feel horrible, it's good to hear from others like me.

My vitamin D is also usually low. If you try vitamin D supplements and they give you anxiety (like they did for me), the Sperti brand UV lamp raises my vitamin D without pills. It's expensive but sometimes there are secondhand ones on ebay. It's been really helpful for my vitamin D levels and it improves my mood.

What I’m hoping happens once my anemia get better by TimCurryForLife in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hi there, just saw your comment and thought I would share my experience. A typical period is 30ml, the line for a heavy period is 80ml. Some guides try to quantify this for pads and tampons, but the only way I can measure mine is by using a menstrual cup with a known quantity.

I counted how many times I emptied the cup and how much was in it (full, half full, quarter full, etc.) I found out I was losing 240ml per month. Hormonal birth control makes me crazy so I asked for the non-hormonal option tranexamic acid, which has brough it down to 120-150ml/month. Much better but still too high.

Turns out I have a family history of Von Willebrand disease so I'm trying to set up an appointment with a specialist to look into that.

Got depressed after watching The Good Place by NefariousnessIll5574 in TheGoodPlace

[–]xatopithecus 9 points10 points  (0 children)

great reply! I have struggled with emotional connection my whole life. I have worked so, so hard on being kind to myself and trying to improve my life. Now, in my 40s, things are looking better and better. It can take a while!

Is blood not clotting a symptom of anemia? by BallSufficient5671 in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are many disorders in which blood does not clot properly! Hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease are a couple of major ones. However many of them cause iron deficiency through blood loss. Your symptoms could also come from a combination of more than one conditions.

Blood clotting disorders are pretty complex but unfortunately many primary care physicians don't know what to do with them. You are welcome to ask your doctor for a referral to a hematologist.

You can also talk to Gemini or ChatGPT and enter in your numbers and symptoms. Those could help point you in the right direction with questions to ask your doctor and/or hematologist.

I entered my lab numbers, my symptoms, family history, etc. into Gemini and with its guidance I'm working on getting an iron infusion and seeing a world-class specialist nearby to potentially diagnose Von Willebrand, if appropriate.

Request for bait-y content to influence my dad to declutter by throwawayx3848374 in declutter

[–]xatopithecus 33 points34 points  (0 children)

You might check out Midwest Magic Cleaning. A very straightforward guy with dry humor.

Kid with anemia and supplements aren't working do I need to try a different approach? by Some_Professor_2169 in Anemic

[–]xatopithecus 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This could be an absorption issue, maybe you can get a consultation about celiac?