Anemia

[MerrittJ]

Hi,

My partner was recently told by her doctor that she is anemic.  I have just started NC and have not covered this yet, so I am doing my research as best I can, but would love some guidance. 

I know that she needs to have her ferritin levels checked.  Is there anything else test wise that she needs to check?  What are some of the other health issues that could contribute to anemia?  I read B6 deficiency, inadequate iron in diet, poor absorption (I suspect she has a dairy allergy that is contributing to this).  She also has fibrous breasts and very heavy, painful periods, and EXTREMELY dry, itchy skin (she is 27 but her hands look twice that age... liver function, perhaps?)...  I'm trying to piece all of this together, but think I am confusing myself more in the process. 

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks,

Merritt

[jodi f.]

Is this iron deficiency anemia or from low B12/folate?  Look at her lab results. Look for MCH, MCHC, and MCV. Are they elevated? I assume her RBC, HGB, HCT are depressed?

Liver function (maybe poor estrogen metabolism), thyroid function, low stomach acid and other digestive insufficiencies come immediately to mind. Can she afford to do some functional testing? This is the kind that's indicative of the actual function of the body, versus blood tests looking for disease states. It's the kind insurance generally doesn't pay for but is far more helpful. With this type of testing, you can help her determine food sensitivities, detoxification issues, estrogen metabolism problems, fatty acid balance and more.

Ferritin is the storage form of iron and will help determine if she has iron deficiency anemia. Given her heavy periods, this is a possibility. Insurance will generally pay for these other helpful tests too: Fasting Insulin, TIBC (total iron binding capacity), HbA1c. These will give a better indication of iron stores and blood sugar regulation. Did she have her thyroid checked?

As an NC, if she's willing to consult with Bauman Nutrition, you could be part of the process, sitting in on sessions. It could be a very valuable experience for you.

I would encourage her to seek help either through an NC or through a naturopath, as well as through her regular medical doctor.

This could be an interesting, complex issue for you to study as an NC student. Take good notes, mental or written, as she (with you, perhaps) works bit by bit to uncover the underlying issues. Update us occasionally, if you like. I'd be interested in hearing how it goes.

[MerrittJ]

Wonderful information.  Thank you, Jodi.  I will keep you posted.

[MerrittJ]

Hi,

I just wanted to follow up with what is going on with my partner.  She had some blood work done, very interesting (and helpful).  Looks like she is extremely iron deficient, and from what I can tell her WBC count is very low, which as I understand it, is related to immune function?  Interestingly enough, she has an incredibly strong immune system, almost never gets sick.  As for her anemia- she does bleed very heavily, more so in the most recent month... which I'm guessing is from the liver support/dim that she started about a month ago.  She is definitely estrogen dominant, and in the last month since taking the liver support/dim, has noticed a fewer fibrous lumps in her breasts, along with less PMS.

Attached are the lab results (posted with her permission).  The doctor we are working on this with suggested that we need to figure out how to get her bleeding under control.

I would love help/suggestions/input on any/all parts of this puzzle.  Thanks!!!

Merritt

[AlisonM]

I also had low iron/ferritin levels, and I was taking iron pills along with eating more red meat, and my iron levels were not going up. I decided to see a holistic health care practitioner, and found out that I had a parasite infection. I would defiantly out rule a parasite infection first. My health practitioner used the lab from MetaMatrix. She used the GI Effects.

[MerrittJ]

Interesting.  Did you have any other symptoms that would indicate a parasitic infection?

[AlisonM]

I really didn't have many symptoms of having a parasite, when I look at the symptom check list the ones I had were: weakness, fatigue and digestive issues. My health care practitioner thought I still had a H. Pylori infection, since I had it in the past, and wasn't re-tested. I was quite surprised when my test showed up with a hookworm infection.

[AlisonM]

You should check out this video that my health care practitioner's husband did on anemia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kKQFlB6f7g&feature=player_embedded

[MerrittJ]

Nice.  Thank you.

[jodi f.]

Merritt, I checked out the lab results and find them to be indicative of several possibilities:
     Iron-deficiency anemia---but this is only a symptom, and the underlying cause needs to be  found.
     Vitamin B12/folate deficiency, possibly w/the iron-deficiency
     Hypochlorhydria, possibly due to hypoadrenia (if applicable)
     Digestive inflammation
     Parasites, as mentioned by Alison
     Kidney or liver dysfunction
     Genetic tendency

Internal bleeding is also a possibility, so getting this checked out further is important.

If she isn't gluten-free, I highly recommend it. This pattern is looking like one of my clients who had a previously unknown gluten sensitivity---from childhood, it turns out. We didn't test for Celiac because he stopped gluten entirely. He also had parasites of unknown taxonomy that normally wouldn't pose an issue, except that his GI tract was so compromised and vulnerable. Interestingly, Celiac disease appears to contribute to heavy menses (I googled "celiac disease, heavy menses").

So, it looks like there are several possibilities. Rule out the easy ones first, and the ones insurance will pay for. If you choose to do a stool test, I highly, highly recommend Metametrix Lab's "GI Effects". It can be ordered through Bauman Nutrition. You can do the portion of it that looks at microbiology, only, if you need a lower cost option.

For gluten, elimination is best and least expensive. Hopefully she'll be as into this exploration as you are.

[MerrittJ]

Thanks Jodi.

She has recently given up dairy and gluten.  We are working on getting a GI assessment test done, I'll keep you posted on what comes back.  Very interesting about the connection between gluten and heavy periods...

Any recommendations for a liver and kidney function assessment test?  And how does one assess internal bleeding?

Thanks again,

Merritt

[jodi f.]

If the liver and/or kidney are seriously dysfunctional, this would show up in standard lab tests, such as ALT, AST, creatinine and others. I listed these conditions in my previous post simply because they were on the list I looked at. Chances are good, however, that her issue is one or more of the other ones and not as serious as kidney or liver disease. I always recommend starting with the simplest possibilities, and the ones easiest to test, and then work up to the more complex issues, if necessary.