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Originally Posted by Ella
How long does it take to get 'normal' again???
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The anemia can be caused by a number of things. Did they tell you what the cause was? Did you have a period recently? That will affect my hemoglobin. I personally just don't absorb/process the iron very well. Taking iodine suppliments with the iron and NOT taking calcium with them can improve the amount of iron that you absorb. My Dr prescribed iodine in the form of Kelp suppliments to help my body absorb the iron better. If you take calcium or drink milk with the iron it binds with the iron and you simply end up flushing both out of your body.
Ask you Dr what kind of anemia you have? Did he/she personally inspect the cells? My cells were smaller simply because they were not carrying iron with them and when they aren't carrying iron they can't carry oxygen either which combined makes the empty cells much smaller. Mine is iron deficient anemia. There's also another kind of anemia which results from blood loss and you simply have a smaller NUMBER of red blood cells in general. Then there's sickle cell anemia which is a genetic disease resulting in deformed blood cells. The deformed cells die quicker and also tend to cause blockages in the blood vessels. This particular condition is treated totally differently from the other kinds of anemia is chronic.
Anemia can be also caused by certain infections and medications. Be sure you get all the information you can from your Dr since it's impossible for us here to truely know the cause of your condition. The time can vary for your hemoglobin to be up to within the normal range depending on what the cause is for your current state.
My Dr told me to check back with her in 2 weeks after starting my suppliments because I should notice SOME improvement by that time. Your Dr should have scheduled a followup apt to check on your progress. If not you should take the initiative and make one for yourself. I know you feel terrible sometimes while you are anemic. It make me so tired, weak, and consequently depressed and cranky that I was no fun to be around and constantly miserable. Good Luck getting this cleared up soon.