Low bloodcount/anemia

I have been LFRW for two and a half years now. At the moment I'm in Thailand and since I arrived I have just become more and more tired. I went to the doctors and it turns out that I have anemia (low number of red bloodcells). I don't know why and I don't know what to do about it.

One and a half month ago I got nervesymptoms of B12 deficiency and have been taking 5000 mcg. hydroxocobalamin ever since. The symptoms went away but then I became dissy and very weak a week after I got to Thailand. I cannot get the bloodtest results on B12, ion and folicacid untill the 5th of january so untill then I need some good advice. I started taking Krauterblut  which is a herb extract with natural ion.

The last couple of days I have felt forced to eat some tunar tatar and raw salmon in order to be able to stand on my feet. I cant find dried fruit or raw nuts without salt, and my stomac really does not like too much meat.

I normally make 3 liters of green smoothies every day but I don't have my blender with me and the salat here is pale and less nutritious. 

I'm pretty desperate for some good advice so that I can enjoy my stay here.

Louise

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Replies

  • Karl, thank you for your concern but it's safe to say the Louise is eating enough as I know her well and seen what amounts she eats. There's really no need to worry. 

    She will be changing her position so she can stay away from the mold and see if that's the weak link in her current situation.

  • It is very kind that you want to help out, but I think we solved the problem already. I moved out of the room today and I allready feel better this evening.

    And just for the record:

    -I ate fish two or three times, not because I binge, crawed it or wanted it, but because I was desperate and felt I had to do something to try and get better.

    -I get enough calories and I weigh what I should for my height

    -The recommendations I give for calories is how I translated what Doug writes in his book into some general terms. Please just kindly correct me if I got it wrong instead and tell me how you think calories should be for the varius types of people?? (And I still don't know why this thread ends up beeing about calories all the time).

    - The amount in the smoothie is for the total of 3 litres and I make them quite thick.

    - I did answer the question about calories

    - The 2500-3000 calories are when I'm not ill of course. These days I've clearly been too darn tired to do anything!

    I get the feeling that what you really want to do is to find little things to hang your hat on and have a go at, and not a truely keen interest in helping. So i kindly request that you give me no more help.

    • The place where we live can be a key factor in health. The mold theory is very reasonable. I have had pretty weird and repeated experiencies involving weight and well being issues and bed place. Do you know geobiology? It is another link that we shouldn't reject.

  • Hi Guys

    Again thanks for all your answers. Jacob I actually think you are spot on with the qustion about mold. I never thought you could get animia from that but I looked it up and it turns out that you can. And yes it is in my room/ bathroom here in Thailand. I didn't reach to it in the same way as I did in my own house back home so I didn't think it was the cause of the problem. I must be more allergic than I realise and maybe this is a different type of mold but I sure have a lot of the symptoms. Here are the symptoms that I found online and I have put a yes after those that I have had the last week:

    Symptoms of mold allergies include:

    Sneezing - yes

    Chronic cough - (no but I have to clear my throat all the time and today a lady offered me coughmedicine)

    Runny nose - yes in the mornings

    Nasal congestion - no

    Itchy, watery and red eyes - yes

    Skin rashes and hives - yes

    Sinus headaches. - occational headaces

    Reduced lung capacity and difficulty breathing - no

    Toxic mold symptoms:

    Coughing up blood - no

    Nose bleeds - the lining in my nose has changed and there was a bit of blood when I blev it

    Dizziness - yes

    Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. - I feel a bit sick sometimes

    Chest congestion - no

    Difficulty breathing - no

    Anemia - yes

    Skin rashes - yes

    Forgetfulness and memory loss - yes

    Pulmonary hemorrhage - no

    Death - I think I'm still alive ;)

    Toxic mold (Stachybotys):

    Black mold or toxic mold contamination has been in the news for several years. Black mold is extremely toxic and can be deadly, especially to children with mold allergies. Toxic mold has become almost epidemic in southern U.S. homes where foam board was used as wall insulation with no air space to let walls breathe. Wallboard, sheetrock or cellulose insulation can act as wicks for any floodwater or unrepaired water leaks. After black mold begins in homes or buildings, mold spores are continuously released by the mold clusters. Microscopic mold spores quickly become airborne and travel throughout the air conditioning and heating systems. A mold infested home creates a lethal environment for anyone predisposed to allergies. Many times the only method to rid a structure of toxic mold is with a bulldozer and trucks to haul off the debris. [Stachybotys is NOT the green mold found on bread or cheese and will not have a musty odor.]


    I will try to move room today but the problem is that all the bungalows here have it and I just moved from another hotel because of mold. Otherwise I will just have to sleep outside or something. 

    I don't have enough energy right now to answer all the questions but I'm in no way afraid of calories. I stuff down as much as I can eat of all kinds of fruit all day. Some days I get more than 3000 and sometimes 2500. It depends on my activity level and I'm not very active at the moment. I put about 300g of leafy geens in my 3 liters of smoothies along with about 12-14 bananas of medium size (dont have a scale here but I would guess about 90-100 calories each). If I you think I look ill or malnurised it might be because I used to be really really really ill. So actually it is amazing that I look this good and I think it takes time befor I will look super healthy. Compared to how I looked when I was really ill a few years ago I look amasing now. (The beforepicture was taken just before I got ill).

    I'm pretty sure my problems are moldrelated because my symptoms only started a short time  after I moved into this bungalow and In the evenings when I have been away from the room for many hours I feel better. That would also explain why I fell I'm in detox some time.


    Merry x-mas to everyone celebrating today

    Louise



  • Hey

    Understanding what the cause is, will be important in determining the recommendations. Do you have any other information at present other than the fact that you have anaemia? Did you get your full blood count results off your doctor or did they just tell you you're anaemic? FBC results can give a bit of a clue aboout what the cause of anaemia might be, but it won't give any real certainty until at least the B12, Fe and B9 results come back in Jan.

    How long have you been in thailand? What does a typical day look like for you? You said you normally have 3 litres of green smoothie but this means very little, since for some people a one litre green smoothie means 3 bananas, 2 cups of spinach and loads of water at worst, or juice at best (since it gives more calories).Yet for others, it might mean no liquid at all, but 12 bananas and 250g spinach.Quantity of food is important rather than vague information, because otherwise we have no idea what might be causing your anaemia.

    Please give us an idea about what your intake was like before you went to thailand and what it looks like now. The more information you give, the better. For example

    1400g bananas is better than 14 bananas, since some bananas weigh considerably less than others. But 14 small bananas (6 inch or less) is better than 14 bananas.

    250g spinach is better than a bunch of spinach. However 10 cups spinach is better than "greens".

    Suffice it to say, the main cause of anaemia is not inadequate consumption of b12, iron or b9 necessarily, but undereating, since we break down red blood cells and haemoglobin for its protein, in order to turn it into sugar, when we undereat. When this occurs regularly, the body is triggered to slow down production of red blood cells and haemoglobin to conserve protein synthesis. Someone can become anaemic within a couple of weeks of undereating, whereas it would take longer for this to occur with simple insufficient nutrient intakes from b12, iron or b9. 

    Take care

    Adam x

  • Normal results vary, but in general are:

    • Male: 13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL
    • Female: 12.1 to 15.1 gm/dL

     

    Note: gm/dL = grams per deciliter

     

    Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

     

    The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens.

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003645.htm

     

    Hello Susanna! What you think of is g/L (gram per liter).

     

     

    • Hi Jacob - Thanks.

      They apparently use another way of messuring it than in Scandinavia. I guess my hemoglobin is just below what is normal, so that is why I can still stand I guess. I do crash every now and then and the energylevels depend very much on what I eat.

      • I've had HBC 7.2 gm/dL in my past and worked 14 hours a day. I felt tired and had to rest now and then, but I don't think I would call it "crash" and it didn't depend on what I ate. 

        You mentioned you got exposed to mold before. Do you live someplace where it could be small amounts of mold in your house now?

  • Thanks for all your kind suggestions. This morning I still feel very weak and tired. My stomac is bloted from the meat and I feel in detox. I slept about 9 1/2 hours last night and I feel like sleeping even more. I didn't take the B12 yesterday or today.

    This is what my bloodtest said:

    WBC (White blood cell count) 4.7 and it should be between 5-10, but the doctor said it was ok

    Lymph 1.5  - 32% (lymphosytes)

    Mid 0.3  - 5.5 %

    Gran 2.9  - 62.5 %

    HGB (hemoglobin I guess)  11.6

    RBC (red bloodcells) 4.04

    HCT (Hematocrit) 34.5% (Too low - it should be between 37-49)

    MCV 85.6 fL

    MCH 28.7 pg

    MCHC 33.6 g/dL

    RDW-CV 14.6% (Too high)

    RDW-SD 46.7 fL

    PLT  244

    MPV 7.9 fL

    PDW 15.7 fL

    POT 0.192% (guess I smoke too little pot ;)

    If anyone knows how to read them maybe they can see something the doctor missed. I have no clue myself.

    Merry x-mas to everyone who celebrates tonight.

    • WBC (White blood cell count) 4.7 and it should be between 5-10, but the doctor said it was ok

      It's normal for those that don't eat high amounts of cooked food to have low WBC, sometimes my nurses even ask me if I take immune suppressing medicines. ;)

       

      HCT (Hematocrit) 34.5% (Too low - it should be between 37-49)

      A low hematocrit is referred to as being anemic. There are many reasons for anemia. Some of the more common reasons are loss of blood (traumatic injury, surgery, bleeding colon cancer), nutritional deficiency (ironvitamin B12folate).

      http://www.medicinenet.com/hematocrit/page2.htm

       

      But it's a very minor malnutrition and it's probably just a small deficiency of iron that you have. 

       

      RDW-CV 14.6% (Too high)

      The RDW is often increased in:

      • B12 and Pernicious anemia
      • Folic acid anemia
      • Iron deficiency anemia combined with other anemia
      • Hemolytic anemia
      • Transfusions
      • Sideroblastic anemia
      • Alcohol abuse
      • Various less common and hereditary anemias

      http://www.drkaslow.com/html/blood_cell_counts.html

       

       

      HGB (hemoglobin I guess)  11.6


      You don't have a mayor deficiency and shouldn't feel extremely sick because of this. It is a malnutrition so check your:

      - Iron levels (both the long-term and short-term iron levels)

      - Cobalamin levels

      - Folate

      - D-vitamin (just in case if you feel tired from this)

       

      Merry x-mas to everyone who celebrates tonight.

      Tally ho! Xoxox :) 

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