Low Iron

catty · #1 (**permalink**) 06-04-2007, 11:10 PM

Hi

Any males out their suffer from low iron levels,type 1 diabetes?

My husband levels just come back low and he feels very tired and generally unwell.

He has an intolerance to gluten maybe it is all related???

caswellhb · #2 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 03:28 AM

Hi,
I'm not male but have been through phases of diabetes related low Iron.
I have usually countered it successfully by adding lots of spinach and other greens into my diet. This works for me but what did the Doc suggest?

Heather.

2high · #3 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 03:47 AM

I'm not male either (well, not last time I checked!!) but I have had low iron levels in the past. Symptoms I had were EXTREME fatigue, irritability, and very pale skin.

As Heather said, diet adjustments MAY help, eg lots of spinach and greens, and lean red meat, but he may need supplements or injections, depending on how low his levels were. I needed an iron infusion, hopefully he wont require that, I can promise that it's AWFUL!!

Good luck sorting it out

kgm0612 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 05:22 AM

I'm also NOT male, but have low iron. I cannot take iron pills, so I try to eat green leafy veggies and I take a Multi-Vitamin that does contain some iron.

Karen

catty · #5 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 05:27 AM

Thanks Ladies....

so I guess all those salads I keep putting on his plate lately and say "look kids Daddy eats all his greens and loves them" should help. Salad is not on the top of the list of favourite food he will roll his eyes when I say how good these spinish leaves are.....

He is off for some more testing soon to find out why his levels are low.

2high · #6 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 05:38 AM

Catty, this might help you a little

Its a list of some iron-rich foods, and the amount of iron per serve

Cereal, ready to eat, fortified
1 cup
1 to 16mg

Clams, canned
1/4 cup
11.2 mg

Beef liver, fried
3 oz
5.3 mg

Molasses, blackstrap
1 tablespoon
5.0 mg

Baked Beans
1 cup
5.0 mg

Oysters, cooked
1 oz
3.8 mg

Baked potato, with skin
1
2.8 mg

Soup, lentil and ham
1 cup
2.6 mg

Burrito, bean
1
2.5 mg

Soup, beef noodle
1 cup
2.4 mg

Rice, white, enriched
1 cup
2.3 mg

Poptart, fortified
1
2.2 mg

Ground beef, lean
3 oz
1.8 mg

Apricots, dried halves
10
1.7 mg

Spinach, frozen
1/2 cup (fresh=1 cup)
1.5 mg

Bread, whole wheat
1 slice
1.2 mg

Broccoli, fresh cooked
1/2 cup
0.7 mg

Egg
1
0.7 mg

Also, drinking a glass of orange juice with meals, or having SOMETHING high in Vit C, helps with Iron absorption.

Tea works as an iron blocker

jeggeman31 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 05:40 AM

Well lets break the cycle.

I am MALE and I don't have low iron. Now my Non Diabetic wife has very low Iron. And she is a Female

notme · #8 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 08:41 AM

Low iron for me was a huge problem and yes.....I am female. I was extremely low at one point and ended up with a transfusion. I ate lots of the right foods. Just lost more than I could consume.

I had a difficult time with all the ferrouos drugs. I finally found one that I could take called ferrous gluconate. Yes you read that right "gluconate", but it didn't effect my blood sugar. It also didn't require a stick a dynamite to be prescribed with it as a laxative.

Try and find ferrous gluconate if your husband cannot tollerate ferrous sulfate. It brough my iron levels close to what they should have been.

Dewey · #9 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 08:54 AM

I'm female, and have low iron. Like Katie, I had to have an infusion of iron infedryl via IV. It made me feel even more tired than when I started (only because they tried to speed up a four hour process, but it didn't work).

I now take herbal supplements of iron in addition to 325 mg of iron (once daily). Because I have hypothyroidism, I was told Not to take the iron tabs/supplements at the same time I take the Levoxyl, as it will affect the Levoxyl.

Katie is right about Vitamin C helping with iron absorption. Carwy's doctor told us this when Carwy underwent phlebotomies for excess iron in the blood.

(I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing that tea works as an iron blocker....I may tell Carwy to drink more, but then I like tea, so wouldn't be able to drink as much!)

lol

Raisin · #10 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 09:12 AM

Dewey,
I am a genetic carrier for hemochromotosis. Although I do not have the disorder, I have high iron levels. I give a pint of blood to the red cross about 1 time a year to keep the iron level in check. I do take a multivitamin each day (the ones that do not have iron in them). Related to Carwy, are you providing additional vitamin C to Carwy? If so, has it helped lower the iron level? Thanks.

Dewey · #11 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raisin

Dewey,
I am a genetic carrier for hemochromotosis. Although I do not have the disorder, I have high iron levels. I give a pint of blood to the red cross about 1 time a year to keep the iron level in check. I do take a multivitamin each day (the ones that do not have iron in them). Related to Carwy, are you providing additional vitamin C to Carwy? If so, has it helped lower the iron level? Thanks.

Hi Raisin,

No. Carwy absolutely loves orange juice, but his doctor told him Not to drink it because it actually helps the iron to absorb better (something which Carwy didn't need). He did say that once Carwy's ferritin & TIBC (total iron binding capacity) levels were within range, he could drink a little orange juice or have things with Vitamin C, but would still have to have levels checked on a regular basis. Hope this helps.