# Gravely Anemic w/Low blood pressure



## Bella99 (Jun 19, 2011)

Both my anemia and LBP are BAD.   They're both getting checked out by doctors but I thought i'd try hard to help incorporate food that'd help this.  

LBP people need salt,  and my Anemia needs food with B12.  Now i'm just at loss at what to do.   

Beef, Cheese, Crab/Lobster, and Eggs are high in B12
Salt (obviously), Bouillon cubes, Gravies, Soy Sauce, Salad dressing, Bacon and sun dried tomatoes are all high in sodium. 

Help?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 19, 2011)

Remember to drink plenty of fluids.  All the salt is not going to raise your LBP without a volume of fluids to help it.

Eggs may be a good source of B12, but the also have a factor that blocks absorption.  You would benefit mostly from a B12 supplement or eat lots of liver.  Fortified cereals are also a good bet.


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## Bella99 (Jun 19, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Remember to drink plenty of fluids.  All the salt is not going to raise your LBP without a volume of fluids to help it.
> 
> Eggs may be a good source of B12, but the also have a factor that blocks absorption.  You would benefit mostly from a B12 supplement or eat lots of liver.  Fortified cereals are also a good bet.



I do have B12 supplements,  my body doesn't take the pills so I go once a week for the needle.  Usually it's once a month but it was so bad they had to 'up' it.  

Thanks


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## justplainbill (Jun 19, 2011)

Given the choice of liver or epoetin,  I'd eat liver 4 times a day (if my kidneys could tolerate it).


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 19, 2011)

I spend a lot of time trying to convince my patients with low blood pressure to drink fluids...don't make me show up with a bottle of water


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 19, 2011)

Anemia - B12 deficiency - PubMed Health


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## Bella99 (Jun 19, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I spend a lot of time trying to convince my patients with low blood pressure to drink fluids...don't make me show up with a bottle of water



Hahah!  Yes Ma'am, off to get a bottle now


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 19, 2011)

Bella99 said:


> Hahah!  Yes Ma'am, off to get a bottle now


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## Constance (Jun 19, 2011)

Bella99 said:


> Both my anemia and LBP are BAD.   They're both getting checked out by doctors but I thought i'd try hard to help incorporate food that'd help this.
> 
> LBP people need salt,  and my Anemia needs food with B12.  Now i'm just at loss at what to do.
> 
> ...



I've been dealing with severe anemia caused by bleeding ulcers. I'm taking meds and extra iron, but it's been slow to improve until the last few weeks. Did some reading and found that iron from red meat gets into your system faster than that from plants. So I've been eating more meat, especially beef, and had a significant increase in my blood count this time. I also recommend eating snacks of salted nuts and graham crackers with peanut butter.


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## LPBeier (Jun 19, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> ...don't make me show up with a bottle of water





Bella99 said:


> Hahah!  Yes Ma'am, off to get a bottle now



Bella, I am glad you took the bait - the Princess takes her threats pretty seriously.....specially when it comes to people's health - I know this (lovingly) through personal experience! 

But yes, this is a battle I have had to wage with my father who's idea of drinking water was the ice in his glass of scotch .  I bought him an insulated metal water bottle and every day when I go up to see him I refill it with the cold filtered water they have on hand.  He is doing so much better since he realizes that I am seeing how much he drank in the last 24 hours!  The nurses stand beside him at meal-time as well until he drinks his small glass of water....then they give him his milk and supplement shake!  His BP is stabalizing and he take (oral) B12 supplements and iron.

Take care of yourself!

(PS, he rarely had scotch, but even more rarely drank straight water!).


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 19, 2011)

LPBeier said:


> Bella, I am glad you took the bait - the Princess takes her threats pretty seriously.....specially when it comes to people's health - I know this (lovingly) through personal experience!



If'n I didn't care...


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## buckytom (Jun 20, 2011)

if you eat foods highin iron, be sure to also eat foods high in vitamin c along with it.

it's sorta like eating  foods with calcium along with vitamin d. they work together.


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## LPBeier (Jun 20, 2011)

Good advice Doctor Bucky!  DH can't have too much iron because of a genetic blood disorder that runs through his family.  He found that even when he cut down on iron rich foods he was still having problems....then we realized it.  He was taking a vitamin C tablet every day!


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## Snip 13 (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm no Dr. but I do have LBP and am slightly anemic at times. I usually just eat liver and leafy green veg when I feel a bit bad and that helps. I also make a point of drinking 8 glasses of water a day. My iron levels drop when I don't eat enough red meat since I like fish and chicken more. Try eating more lean red meat too


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## CWS4322 (Jun 20, 2011)

If you wish to eat liver, chicken liver is a better source of vit B12 than other types of liver. I have high-normal iron levels (as does my DH). This is in part because of the well water we drink, but also because of all the veggies we eat. Your doctor should be able to refer you to a nutritionist/dietician who could help you tweak your diet to include more foods high in iron and to understand which ones you can't eat with other foods because they bind. I know my friend who is anemic (a) takes a liquid iron supplement (and, I want to say she can't take it with orange juice, but I'd have to email her to confirm that), and (b) raids my kale and swiss chard patches during the summer months. She juices the kale and swiss chard to get more of a concentration of the nutrients. 

Another reason to request a consult with a nutritionist/dietician would be if you are on any medication for LBP. There are certain foods that you would want to avoid and knowing which foods to either avoid or eat in moderation could help the medication to work more effectively.

Good luck!


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## Bella99 (Jun 20, 2011)

My doctor is not the swiftest.  He forgets my names and mid-appointment asks me why I was there again.   So i'm not on any medication for my LBP,  but I will ask to see a dietician, thank you


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## FrankZ (Jun 20, 2011)

Bella99 said:


> My doctor is not the swiftest.  He forgets my names and mid-appointment asks me why I was there again.   So i'm not on any medication for my LBP,  but I will ask to see a dietician, thank you




Sounds  like you need to ask to see a different doctor to start with.  I expect a professional to at least act the part.  I have fired doctors in the past.


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## Bella99 (Jun 20, 2011)

FrankZ said:


> Sounds  like you need to ask to see a different doctor to start with.  I expect a professional to at least act the part.  I have fired doctors in the past.



I visit my brothers' family doctor (the one their families go to) and he's the one who sends me for blood for my anemia and takes care of that. So i'm cheating on my doctor,


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## CWS4322 (Jun 20, 2011)

See if that doctor will take you on as a patient. You need a doctor who can remember your name and makes sure you get the bloodwork done that you need on a regular basis. And, might be able to refer you to a dietician or nutritionist. This is a problem you will need to manage for a number of years, and it can be managed, but you need professional help to do so properly. Be aggressive--it's your health and well being. I imagine both--the anemia and LBP--render you tired most of the time.  You look too young to be tired all the time.


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## Bella99 (Jun 20, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> See if that doctor will take you on as a patient. You need a doctor who can remember your name and makes sure you get the bloodwork done that you need on a regular basis. And, might be able to refer you to a dietician or nutritionist. This is a problem you will need to manage for a number of years, and it can be managed, but you need professional help to do so properly. Be aggressive--it's your health and well being. I imagine both--the anemia and LBP--render you tired most of the time.  You look too young to be tired all the time.



Thank you !   I'll see what I can do,   if he'll take me.  He made me an appointment early next month to see how everything is going so i'll talk to him then


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 20, 2011)

Yes, get another Primary Doctor.  You are not married to him and he is not your boyfriend, so you are not "cheating" on him.  He is supposed to be there to help you, not the other way around.  Believe it or not, Doctors are just the same as the rest of us, they are not Supermen, even if they want you to think so.


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## medtran49 (Jun 20, 2011)

Yes, find another doctor.  You REALLY should find out the underlying cause of your anemia and LBP.


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## ChefJune (Jun 20, 2011)

medtran49 said:


> Yes, find another doctor. You REALLY should find out the underlying cause of your anemia and LBP.


 
Amen to that!  You wouldn't continue to pay household help who weren't doing the tasks you asked them to do... The doctor WORKS FOR YOU!  I know, they want us to think they are doing us big favors, but the real is the opposite. Your doc works for you!!

PS, Do you like foie gras?  That's what I'd be eating.


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