QuestionHi. I have been having trouble with anemia for the past 4 years. My blood work shows iron deficiency anemia. I take iron pills and it will get better, but it does return after a few months of being off of the iron pills.
Lately I have been having all over body aches, fatigue, headaches, and joint pain. I had some blood work done to check for nutrtional deficiencies and it showed I was anemic again, plus deficient in Vitamins D, K, and C. My ferritin level was around 9.
I have had a thyroid test because I thought maybe my symptoms were stemming from thyroid trouble, but I was told they came back normal. My TSH was 1.33 and the T4 was 8.6.
The only other medication I take daily is Pepcid (10 mg) about 4 times a day for GERD.
Are these deficiencies reason why I would be having these symptoms? When I tried looking up Vitamin C deficiency all I can find is info. about scurvey and how rare it is in the US now. Why would I have these deficiencies? I am 37 years old, female, do not smoke or drink, am not dieting.
Thanks in advance for your advice and opinions.
AnswerDear Pam,
Thank you for writing in.
There are a few reasons why someone would be iron deficient. The main one for females is the menstrual cycle. During a normal menstrual cycle, meaning moderate bleeding for 3-5 days, iron is lost with the blood. Replacing the iron will help with the iron deficiency anemia. However, if your iron deficiency is due to a heavy menstrual cycle, then the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia should be revised to blood loss anemia. Iron replacement will only help with the symptoms of anemia if your hemaglobin is within normal limits. Once your hemaglobin is below 10, you will experience the symptoms you have described: body aches, fatigue, headaches and joint pain.
In addition, the American diet is a very unhealthy diet. We do not, as a nation, feed our bodies well. Our nutrition status is below adequate. Much of the reason for this is the amount of meat we eat, the lack of water we drink and the insufficient amount of fresh fruits and vegetables added to our daily diet.
In order to maximize the nutritional value of vitamin C, it should be eaten. Citrus fruit is the best way to absorb vitamin C. Although it is added to almost anything you buy at the grocery store, it is better absorbed in its natural form. If you are unable to tolerate citrus fruit due to your gastroesophageal reflux disease, taking approximately 500 mg of vitamin C daily will help your levels to rise. Also, iron is best absorbed when combined with vitamin C. Vitamin C potentiates the absorption of iron.
Within the past 5 years, much research has been done on the benefits of vitamin D. It has been proven to decrease the incidence of cancer, asthma, osteoporosis and significantly improves the immune system, allowing the body to stay healthy and fight off infections.
Vitamin D is only absorbed through the skin. Vitamin D can be taken as a supplement, but studies have shown that allowing just one arm to get 15 minutes of the sun rays will increase your levels of Vitamin D. Although the sun can cause skin cancer, premature wrinkles and age spots, the benefit of allowing your body to absorb a few minutes a day of the sun's rays can help you to bring your vitamin D levels up.
Vitamin K is obtained from dark green leafy vegetables. Kale, spinach and broccoli - to a lesser extent - contain healthy quantities of vitamin K. Vitamin K assists with the body's ability to clot when injured, this is one of the reasons why it is contraindicated in people taking Coumadin. It also assists with strong bones.
Ferritin in a protein found inside the cells to store iron for later use. If Ferritin levels are low, the ability for the body to store iron for later use is also low. Ferritin levels range from 12-150 for women and 12-300 for men. Your levels are below normal.
My advice to you would be to:
1) Speak to your doctor if your periods are heavy and prolonged. No amount of iron will fix this.
2) Change your diet to include less meat, more fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of water (8-10 glasses) a day, no soda, and limit the amount of sugar you eat.
3) Take a multivitamin daily.
4) Begin taking 1 gram of vitamin D daily. If your levels are low, it will take your body a few months to get in the normal range. Provided you do not use tanning beds, allowing the sun's rays to be absorbed through your skin for 5-15 minutes a day will improve your levels.
5) Continue your iron supplements with at least 500 mg of vitamin C daily.
6) Exercise regularly. Walking 45 minutes a day is the perfect exercise. Start slow. Even if you can only walk 5 minutes a day, it is a start.
Please let me know if there is anything I have missed when answering your question, and please don't be shy if you have further questions or concerns.
Yours in health,
