Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Moisuc Alexandru on October 10, 2009 at 12:59pm

i had anemia all my life eaven when i was'nt diagnosed with alopecia at evry medical exam i had anemia.i haven't done any tests in the last year but i probably still have anemia.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Montoya Grant on October 10, 2009 at 1:05pm

Hi,

Yeah just like Moisuc Alexnadru I was born anemic so having alopecia had nothing to do with me being anemic. I am SUPPOSE to take the Iron pills but I just can't get down with all the side effect, but i will have to eventually because it will impact me negatively later on down the road if i dont.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Me on October 10, 2009 at 9:50pm

I've had scarring alopecia (due to Lupus), for about 4 1/2 years now. I also have anemia and underactive thyroid. When my alopecia began, I started taking Levoxyl for the thyroid. I was not aware of the anemia at that time. About a year and a half after I was losing my hair I was diagnosed with anemia (Ferritin levels were 1.9). I attempted to take iron tablets for about 6 months and I got too sick in the stomach to tolerate the iron tabs. My doctor started giving me Venofer I.V. treatments which brought my levels up to 11. But, within 6 months I needed another round of the Venofer. I have been continuing my treatments every 3-6 months. During all this time, never have I had any hair regrowth during this time of getting Venofer. My hemotologist believes my monthly blood loss has been contributing to the anemia. So, this coming Tuesday I will be getting an ablation proceedure as well as a D&C and the removal of a fybroid on my uterus. So I am expecting the excessive bleeding to stop and therefore improve the anemia. I am curious as to what will happen if and when this anemia improves in the upcoming months. I am secretly hoping that I will see hair popping up if the anemia improves, but again, I won't be holding my breath either:) I will post in the upcoming months if I see any difference. Because the type of alopecia I have is scarring, I'm not sure if I even would see anything, but you never know.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Me on January 15, 2014 at 12:55am

Just about 5 years later....lol, I am giving an update. After having an Ablation I slowly saw my levels return to normal about 4 years ago and have stayed normal since I get my period once a year or less. My thyroid levels are normal and pretty much have remained normal with proper dosages. I do receive a monthly B-12 shot as I was diagnosed with pernicious anemia and I was told I will require them for life. First of all I should say that I do wear a full lace bonded prosthesis. And with the scarring alopecia, I do shave down what little hair patches I have. I have noticed since straightening out a lot of my health issues, I have seen areas of regrowth all over my head where I definitely was completely bald. It certainly is not dense enough to grow my hair out, but HEY IT'S SOMETHING, LOL! I look at it for amusement value only and don't expect to grow a full head of hair anytime soon! I don't know what part anemia has played in my alopecia, but maybe if you have a suspicion that you may have anemia look into getting it treated or even checked if you suspect it may be playing a part in your issues and treating it early. Before I was diagnosed, I actually went over a year eating a 7 pound bag of ice a day!!!!! The ladies at the local store used to ask me why I buy ice every day, when I told them I eat it...... their faces were priceless! I had no clue I was suffering from pica. (A craving for non food items caused  by an iron deficiency). SO ladies if you have unusual cravings, please have your iron levels checked!!! BTW, I can't even stand eating a single ice cube, I can't even stand ice in my drinks on a hot day. Your body is a mysterious thing! Good luck ladies:)

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dominique Cleopatra on October 10, 2009 at 11:26pm

Hi Jen,

How are you?
Being Vegan I thought I might have low iron so I started eating spinach almost everyday--Fresh spinach in salad (leafy greens are a great non-meat source of iron) My AA did seem to improve after I added that and lots of beans to my diet for protein. I got blood work done but my dr. is "holding my results hostage" until my next appt. Is there any way I can make her tell me sooner, I really don't want to wait to find out. It is MY Body!!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carolyn Ferrie on October 11, 2009 at 8:45am

HI ,
I have had pernacious anemia every since I can remember, I take B12 shots every month and have been for as long as I can remember, and I only developed alopecia areata , at least thats what they told me it was, back in April 2009.Thats when I lost all my hair, clumps at a time until it was all gone,but back in August I started having regrowth and its been growing every since , no patches either , just full growth all around my head, and its now about 2 inches long and filling in day by day, not enough to leave my wig off yet, because I find it cold where its not thick enough yet to keep my head warm I guess, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that its coming back to stay, even though I have it in the back of my mind that it may come back and lose again.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Me on October 11, 2009 at 10:26pm

I would just call the office and ask for the levels. I have several Doctors and I have never had any problems getting the results over the phone. Sometimes I may have had to wait a day or so, but they still gave me them. Good Luck!!!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Georgie on October 11, 2009 at 11:38pm

I'm also anemic. In March my ferritin level was 4 and now I'm at 13. I'm currently taking Energizing Iron with Eleuthero. It's a heme iron from beef liver....my body was not absorbing plant derived iron at all. This website did a good job explaining iron supplements to me: http://www.bellybytes.com/nourish/iron.html and the Energizing Iron was on the list.

Iron (and b12) has helped me most with eliminating fatigue. But I'm sure it's related to the overall picture of health.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Krista Schmidt on October 12, 2009 at 12:48am

I noticed my first bald spot in September 08. I have no idea what my iron levels were at the time, because I hadn't been to the doctor in 10 years or so. We moved to another state in October, so I decided to go to the Dr. My iron levels were low enough that he had me taking a multi with iron. Long story short, my iron levels plummeted and I had to take 3 (!!) iron supplement pills along with the multi each day. Finally, they are back up, which is good because I can't take the side effects any longer.

I have what I *think* might be hair coming in, but I am not sure. It started off white and fuzzy but is now darker. My derm said that 80% of people with AA will regrow within a year. Not sure if I believe that, but if it is true and I do regrow, I will always wonder if the iron had something to do with it.

• ▶ Reply