I've had anemia since pregnancy.. when I was pregnant they told me to take iron.. which I did but I had VERY bad constipation. I ended up stopping it. I was tired 24/7, my heart raced and felt like it skipped once in a while, I was out of breath constantly, I can't concentrate, weak etc.. it's also hard to remember things. I still have all these symtoms but the heart beat and breath are gone thank God! Well, the last time when my son was two months (now 7 months) they checked for anemia again and it came back 8.1 what does that mean? Is that bad still? It's so hard getting up with my son in the morning and everything. It might just be worth it to take the pills again. I wonder if my anemia is getting better or worse.

An 8.1 is pretty low, no wonder you fell awful! Normal Hgl scores for woman are 11-15. Thats not a big window so even a point or 2 below normal can make you feel really tired and out of breath. DEFINITELY take your iron!! Ask your doctor or pharmacist for other types of iron that may have less of an impact on your GI system. Pregnancy, childbirth and nursing all drain the body of iron as do your monthly cycles. Now that you have a baby you really need to keep your energy up!! Keep checking back with your doctor to make sure your body is absorbing the iron and your blood levels go up. If you don't respond to the oral iron you may have to see other specialists who can help. Trust me on this one--you don't want to go there if you don't have to!! I ended up with IV iron and had some wicked allergic reactions that just about took me out!!!

I've had anemia since pregnancy.. when I was pregnant they told me to take iron.. which I did but I had VERY bad constipation. I ended up stopping it. I was tired 24/7, my heart raced and felt like it skipped once in a while, I was out of breath constantly, I can't concentrate, weak etc.. it's also hard to remember things. I still have all these symtoms but the heart beat and breath are gone thank God! Well, the last time when my son was two months (now 7 months) they checked for anemia again and it came back 8.1 what does that mean? Is that bad still? It's so hard getting up with my son in the morning and everything. It might just be worth it to take the pills again. I wonder if my anemia is getting better or worse. 8.1 is enough to make you very tired. It is lower than it should be with ranges from 11.0 -16 being normal range. If you decide to take the iron again, make sure you drink a lot of fluids and eat foods that will control constipation. Leafy vegetables and fruits will help. Try to avoid eating/drinking milk based products with the iron. Calcium is important to get but it has to be taken or eaten at another time rather than with the iron.