easy bruising?

[Zoe Girl]

I had a very itchy thigh and dry skin today. I kept on rubbing and scratching and when I went to the bathroom later I saw that I was bruised from it! I am thinking about emailing my DR and seeing if I can get my iron checked at the lab. I am off and on about taking my iron supplements but have been exhausted easily and tend to be low in general. I even took a half day off work today from cramps and exhaustion,

[lessisbest]

A hemoglobin test is a good place to start, but they don't always tell the whole story, such as how much iron is circulating in your system deep inside your muscles, not just the blood level. The blood level can be "normal" but the muscles are low in iron. And different people apparently need different amounts of iron - it's not a one-amount-fits-all. Be sure to rule out internal bleeding, or other problems as a cause. Why not increase your intake of iron-rich foods if you are prone to iron deficiency, which most women of child-bearing age are? Fatigue can also be associated with low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia).

Switch to buckwheat instead of rice - it has 4x more iron than rice, as well as a rich source of biologically available protein. When you do consume foods high in iron, be sure to also include some kind of citrus or other food high in vitamin C since it aids in the up-take of the iron.

Add molasses to your diet on a regular basis and use it as a sweetener in drinks - like molasses milk as a substitute for chocolate milk (or use non-dairy milk, if you like). Molasses is important is you are on a meatless diet. Those of use who practice home food storage are always advised to store a lot of molasses in case of a food emergency. This is especially true if meat isn't available in an emergency situation, since molasses can be a quick supplement for iron.

Be sure to study the different kinds of iron - "nonheme" and "heme". The heme iron in meat is six times more absorbable than nonheme iron. When you consume a mixed meal containing both types of iron, the heme iron increases the amount of nonheme iron that can be absorbed. As an example from a study - the amount of iron absorbed from corn doubled when it was eaten with fish or beef. The same thing happens when you add vitamin C to a mixed meal. Adding 60 milligrams of vitamin C (the amount in 1/2-cup of orange juice) to a meal of rice more than tripled iron absorption. If you can add some fruits or vegetables high in vitamin C with each meal, you can actually triple the absorption of iron in your diet.

You can also supplement with chlorophyll, and I do that by growing and juicing wheatgrass (or other similar grains grown into grass). FYI - as long as you cut the wheatgrass before it is 8-inches tall, there is no gluten in it, for anyone concerned with gluten-intolerance issues. Just don't eat the seeds. I also grow sprouts and micro-greens, especially in the winter, so I have good sources of foods rich in chlorophyll and vitamin C. There is little food value in vegetables from the store because you can never get them when they are fresh-picked.

[Zoe Girl]

Thank you, lots of good ideas. I tend to get low iron and have even during my hippy momma days so I knew some of these but lots of good new ideas to me. I have struggled with vitamin C since I found I don't tolerate any fructose, but am doing lemon water every morning and I can eat oranges as well. I eat a lot of peppers and spinach as well, in my morning egg scramble a few times a week. I am totally getting molasses, that seems like an easy addition. I know my dad has never been able to donate blood and I haven't either so it seems to be common with us.

Wow I was tired, shortest post ever yesterday!

[Rogar]

Blood thinners can cause a person to bruise easier than normal. That includes over the counter things like aspirin and turmeric and maybe more that I'm not familiar with, plus some prescription drugs.

[rodeosweetheart]

Please have it checked, Zoe, as there are some serious things associated with easy bruising, and why not get it checked out for peace of mind?

[Zoe Girl]

You read my mind, I called the DR office and can go in anytime to get blood drawn. I had at least 2 times in my life where this was very serious. One was with my first child and bleeding at her birth. The other time I was done with breastfeeding and stopped the prenatal vitamins. Dang! I thought I had fibromyalgia my body hurt so much. I had to take double the iron for a month before going to the regular supplement level.

I am doing some work and then going to the Dr office today.

[rodeosweetheart]

Cool!

[Zoe Girl]

I had the test, am trying to eat now. I feel even more like crap than I have now that I am home and resting. And I am thinking about all the symptoms that have been building up. I feel queasy and dizzy, and really unfocused. Basically all the same things as stress but if I could feel better that would be great. I am starting right now to eat some kale with quinoa, then I got beef and am making tacos later. That is the only way I can eat beef but I think I need to make every meal about iron, can't hurt.

[Gardnr]

I bruise easily. Always have (I'm 54). My hemoglobin is fine. My iron is fine. My platelets are fine. Talked to my doc (I'm an RN). I simply bruise easily. Some of us do. It does not necessarily mean you have a health problem.

Be careful with iron. You can have too high and that leads to other problems (some people have to give blood frequently to bring it down).

[Zoe Girl]

Thanks grdnr, I think the bruising with other things has me wanting it checked. I have never had easy bruising before but I am 49 now and things change. But there are things like total tiredness as well and a regular upset stomach that I put off to a stressful job with long hours and now I am not quite so sure. I have also had a lot more of the heart racing issue and some shortness of breath which seems to be other things but also on the anemia list. So I am doing food (added molasses to my morning oatmeal, but couldn't quite drop the tea which can affect absorption) and one iron pill a day like I have done for most of my life, and if the test comes back okay then I will see my doc about tiredness and general not feeling well.

[freshstart]

I was gonna say platelet check, too. I would tell the doc you are taking iron, too much iron in your blood can be harmful. That's one supplement I would not take more than the recommended daily dose without running it by my doc.

[Zoe Girl]

The time I was very low, it was a long time ago but I recall the DR telling me I had enough red blood cells but they were deformed with low iron (fuzzy memory on that) I needed to take double the amount for one month then we re-checked and I went to the regular amount. I would only do that with DR support. As I recall that was with less than 6 months of no vitamins so it happened fast.

[Zoe Girl]

So my iron is normal from what I can tell on the test. They show you what is a normal range and everything was within that range. I guess I am glad that I am not off on my diet, I consider that I choose really healthy foods and so I am glad I don't need to make major diet adjustments. However my stomach hurts! It hurt a lot of the weekend and so I am not sure that it would be stress related, unless I felt stressed all weekend. I didn't feel emotionally like I was stressed all weekend, big jobs to do yes but not overly stressed. It hurts again this morning. I ate very healthy, no sweets, regular meals, lots of veggies with fish and quinoa. So I just don't know, I am going to make a DR appointment. I am in perimenopause for sure, I hear about being emotional and weight gain and hot flashes, but chronic stomach pain. Argh, I have a stupid high deductible plan and several years ago I had my stomach checked out a couple times so I want to avoid the big deal tests, like the anemia test they show nothing is wrong. So I am left with stomach pain and easy bruising that didn't happen before. And it seems likely that even with regular meditation and medication for my brain issues that it is from that area, that is usually what I hear.

Feeling a bit frustrated this morning,

[freshstart]

I'm glad the tests were good. I've heard of digestion problems and periods of cramping with peri and menopause but not outright abdominal pain.

I'm going today to find out about NYS health insurance, the company I want to stick with has a deductible of almost 5k before it kicks in and over $500 a month, but is the network that has all my docs. Starting this whole mess over with a new team of docs I really think is not a good idea. I think I'm sticking with Cobra that will cover me all next year. Those high deductible plans seem dangerous to me. IMHO, of course you will delay treatment if at all possible knowing you have to pay full price for so long. So when the person finally goes, it costs way more than if they had gotten checked in the beginning and they have become much sicker.

[Zoe Girl]

I talked to the nurse which was great, I was happy that I don't need to do a diet overhaul. So I asked her about the stomach issue and she said it was fine to try acid reducer medicine for a couple weeks to see what happens, but if I seem to need it daily then to come in and get a checukp. We also talked about how many body changes there are for perimenopause! OMG, I was glad to have that validated by a nurse of about the same age, apparently stomach distress is common. I thought it meant I couldn't eat as many foods of certain categories not that I would spend a weekend day in stomach pain.

Freshstart, This is the issue of healthcare forever! I know that was the case when I was younger and had lower quality insurance. Now I work for a huge school district, my insurance is basically paid, but the plan I am offered is a high deductible. Before the next enrollment period I am going to shop around and see if I can do better with the amount the district gives me for benefits. There is one helpful medicine that I don't take because it costs $140 a month but I will still never reach my deductible to have it paid for in a year.

[Rachel]

Zoe, did your tests include a platelet check? I hope you feel better soon.