Anemia Support Group
Anemia (or anaemia), which literally means "without blood," is a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. This results in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to the tissues, and this causes hypoxia; since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences.
I'm new to the group and anaemia but would really appreciate some advise please.
I got diagnosed with Anemia last month (ferritin levels of 6) and didn't realise quite how poorly I had been getting over time. I'm really struggling to find a balance at the moment with exercise and seem to be getting it wrong no matter what I try. I'm a novice triathlete and love to be out there doing something so sitting still just doesn't feel right but i'm not sure what, if any, damage i'm doing by exercising, can any offer any advise?
People have said to me to take a few months off of training but even taking a couple of days off feels like torture, I need to keep my mind happy as well as my body so am just not sure what the limits are.
I got diagnosed with Anemia last month (ferritin levels of 6) and didn't realise quite how poorly I had been getting over time. I'm really struggling to find a balance at the moment with exercise and seem to be getting it wrong no matter what I try. I'm a novice triathlete and love to be out there doing something so sitting still just doesn't feel right but i'm not sure what, if any, damage i'm doing by exercising, can any offer any advise?
People have said to me to take a few months off of training but even taking a couple of days off feels like torture, I need to keep my mind happy as well as my body so am just not sure what the limits are.
nullc
Hi. Congratulations on working towards triathlons. Don't stop exercising. Just understand it will be slower and harder. That's what we love to hear, right? :) I run a couple marathons a year and completed a half ironman 2 weeks ago. My ferritin was 7. I get iron infusions every 6 months and like timing it with important events but unfortunately just the timing wasn't good for this one. My next infusion is this week so my levels are at their lowest. I had quietly commented my training had held up pretty good until about 3 or 4 weeks out and then it's like it dropped off a cliff. On a bike ride all the sudden it was like my legs were just empty. No strength. Particularly with any incline. Same on the runs. I use a heart rate monitor and it helps a great deal to exercise only hard enough to keep my heart rate in the 130s to very low 140s. Any higher and I won't make it. Unfortunately, I have to run so slow to keep it there. But there's no other way. Anyway, exercise is mandatory by any means necessary. No reason to take time off. Just work within your current parameters. Do only what you can do. Monitor and track it. Find a good zone. Keep going.
jennylechat
Hi. I have been wondering the same thing, and am also new to the group as of today. I WISH I could exercise as I have been very athletic and it helps me both to gain weight and also helps my mental and general health. My Ferritin is undetectable and all my other levels are very very skewed. I find that I cannot do much, much less exercise. I am having an iron infusion in the next week and really hope this will help. I did have an infusion last year, and it did not help at all, unfortunately. For some reason, my body is just not absorbing iron. I'm not a doctor, but I would personally be very careful as I have heard from other friends and research that it can cause harmful affects to the heart. My advice would be to talk to your hematologist. Good luck. :)
TriedOfBeingTired
I exercise daily and vigoursly instead of spending time with family and friends and doing other things I enjoy. I only have energy for work and exercise so the rest of my life does not exist. I wish I had a better answer for you.
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