Low iron levels symptoms and conditions

I've been taking Yaz for about a year and a half. I also take lexapro to help even out extreme mood swings I would get (2 weeks before my period). For a while, probably the first year, I just felt more tired, which I thought was because of the lexapro. In the past 6 months though, I have been getting a stomach flu type illness every month, 3 days after I start my new pack of pills. I also have a very sensitive stomach and get sick easily. I recently lost 5 pounds (from 125 to 120) without making any lifestyle changes. Also, this year I've had low iron levels, and noticed my stools are black from time to time. I went to the doctor today to have my blood checked and also submitted stool samples. Could this all be from Yaz? I have been getting the flu (or flu like illness) way too much this year, and my boyfriend never catches it from me. I am worried about going off the medication because the yaz and lexapro have really controlled my mood swings, and my skin gets much worse without birth control. I'm just worried something more serious is going on here. I am 26 and a healthy eater, so I don't understand all the stomach problems! Does anyone else have these issues? Especially after starting a pack of pills (I feel fine the week of my period)...

This was posted by a doctor who is treating a group of girls who have been very ill since their vaccinations. I thought it would be helpful to those of you struggling with side-effects. I will pray for all of you.

1. Reduce exposure to food allergens, especially foods containing gluten. Gluten is known to cause damage to the nervous system (brain and nerves). Email me (******) and I will send you a list of foods that contain gluten. I do not bother to try to figure out food allergies (there are NO good allergy tests). Just restrict the diet to meat (chicken, turkey, lamb and fish), vegetables (no tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes), and homemade chicken broth.

2. Manage blood sugar levels by eating protein every 2 hours. This helps maintain proper levels of glucose in the blood. In women, this helps to reduce high testosterone levels and feeds the cells so they can function properly. Also, proper glucose levels are necessary for correct brain function. The brain only weighs 2-3 pounds but uses 1/3 of the body’s glucose. Without a healthy functioning brain there is nothing to orchestrate healing in the body.

3. Manage any anemic condition. There are many types of anemia. Iron anemia is only one type. NEVER take iron unless you know you have iron anemia. Low iron levels on a blood test do not mean you are iron anemic. Iron toxicity is very damaging; taking iron can cause tremendous inflammation as well as oxidative stress on the body. It is a must if you need it but detrimental if you don’t.

4. Reduce homocysteine levels to below 5. At levels above 5 there is the possibility of barrier breakdown. There is a gray area between 5 and 7. Levels absolutely have to be below 7 but I do not like to gamble so I choose to get them below 5.

5. Take care of ALL gut infections and these can be analyzed with stool tests. There are many different types of stool testing out there. The ones your traditional M.D. will order are not sufficient (we have had many patients show false negatives with these). The test I use in my office is by Metametrix Laboratory. It is DNA type testing and is the most sensitive test around.

6. You must fix the barriers. This can be done in different ways and is too complicated to explain here.

7. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day (Example: 120 pound person would need to drink 60 ounces or about 2 liters of water per day. Water does not include juice, soda, milk, etc.

The above list is not comprehensive, but it’s a good foundation. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to watch a child’s health decline due to a vaccination that a doctor recommends. If your child is suffering, my prayers are with you. Do not underestimate the power of prayer when it comes to healing. Healing cannot take place without the will of God.

May God bless you and your family with His power of healing.

I had a Mirena inserted October 2007. I had it removed in October 2008. I am SO GLAD I had it taken out!!!! When the device was in my body, I had instant weight gain. 5 pounds the first two weeks. Put on a total of 10 in about 3 months. I was working out liek a fiend!! I even did two a day cardio sessions for a month and did the Special K diet with it. Couldn't lose a pound. It was awful.

I had horrible acne. Not just on my face. On my scalp, my back, really gross on my neck. I even had occasional zits on my legs. AND I have DRY skin.

I had no sex drive. And just felt generally in a funk and had frequent headaches. I still had weird sludgy periods at irregular intervals. It just wasn't right. It was a grey mucky color. It was thick. I had never had a single yeast infection in my life until Mirena. I can't tell you how awful this thing is.

Since having it removed a little over a month ago, things have gone back to normal. My face cleared up in a week. I just feel better. I lost about 2 lbs. of water weight the first week. I have since lost another 3 that just slipped off (I cardio about 30 min. 5 times a week and lift weights 3 times a week, but that's not new. It is my routine with or without Mirena.). My husband even commented the other day how much healthier I looked.

DO NOT PUT THIS THING IN YOUR BODY!! My new GYN said to me, "If I won't do it to my wife, my mother & my sister, I won't do it to my clients." He doesn't recommend Mirena and won't use it except in very rare cases. He said if you have one you're unlikely to have your pap come back normal as long as it is in because of the strings. Really, don't listen to the sales pitch. These devices are high profit items for the Doctor's so that's why we women are getting the big sales pitch on them. Don't fall for it!!!

The only side effects I have noticed are moodiness and low iron levels. My mood changes constantly, and a Hallmark commercial is enough to make me cry. I don't feel depressed, and most of the time I am fine. My fiance and I get into arguments all the time over trivial things, and until now, I didn't want to blame it on hormones, but after reading others' posts, I definitely think Yasmin is the cause for it. I never used to be this sensitive over every little thing.

Regarding iron levels: Pre-Yasmin, my iron count was alway high. I regularly give blood, and had never had a problem until recently, and I have been told twice in the last few months that my iron count is too low to donate. I thought that it was because I wasn't getting enough iron-rich foods, and have even taked iron supplements occasionally to help with fatigue (I can't go to late movies anymore b/c I will fall asleep in the theater), but nothing seems to help.

I am getting married in May, and I am afraid if I go off of Yasmin now, it will mess with the regularity of my cycle, and I would rather not be on my period on my wedding day and on my honeymoon. I don't know if it would be better to wait it out (I have been planning on getting off birth control all together once we're married). Any advice?

Dear bitter RN!! Thank you so much for caring about me and everyone here so intensive!! It feels good not bo be alone with all that sh....

Well, my gyn said, everything was ok with my hormones. But I must admit, that I don't really believe him. It felt as if he wasn't sure himself, if really everything is ok with my hormone levels... He sounded so unsure... I think that hormonal things should better be done by an endocrinologist and not just a "simple" gyn... And if you're testosterone level with 0,6 already is "low", well, then what is mine with only 0,37?? Hmmmm... I'm getting so angry again about all that "gods in white"...... :-(

I'm sorry, but I can't read that part of the testresults behind the number of Testosterone. They sent it to me over fax and the part behind "ng/..." is totally unrecognizable.

But they even only sent me a handwritten protocol and not the original results from the laboratory. So I'm gonna call them again this evening and ask about sending me the original!! Also the normal lab ranges are missing on this protocol, so I can't say anyhow what those numbers would tell me....

As I found out over google my prolactine may be a bit high, but my gyn said, it was pretty fine. Hmmmm... I really don't trust in any doctor after my whole story any longer I fear!! So I'll really try to get those results completely and see, what I can find out by myself or with your help bitter RN!!

The blood was taken on day 3 or 4 of my cycle. My gyn told me to come to him within the first week of my period, which I did.

The fact about your iron levels sounds very interesting!! Another thing, which my gyn didn't want to believe in and therefore didn't test! I found out that the tiredness, weakness, breathlessness I was experiencing the last few weeks after my heavy period and that heavy cold are definitely symptoms of low iron levels!!! And another thing: My finger nails look totally unnormal, and that happened also since I've been getting my first period in August!! They are so soft and totally bend, it looks completely unnatural!!! And that's the way they looked ALWAYS (during the last years), when I was in such a bad constitution!!!

I definitely have to get to my family doctor to get that iron levels checked finally!!! And please all the other ladies: One little thing you should do also!!!

That sore mouth can also be a symptom of low iron levels (as well as for hormonal imbalances). And you may wonder: I HAD THAT DURING THE LAST WEEKS IN A VERY HEAVY WAY!! My tongue and mouth, especially the gum and teeth hurt so much somedays, that I thought I had something serious and should get to the dentist........ Sounds remarkable, doesn't it!???

Again to kim and dejay:

Everything that bitter RN wrote here is so right!! Reading it I felt as if I had written everything by myself!! And 5 weeks off Yasmin isn't really long I fear!! Even if you had been on it for only 3 weeks. So please stay strong and keep looking forward to the next months, there will be better times I swear, all it needs is TIME and PATIENCE, please believe us!!

And in a few weeks or months YOU will be posting here by yourself for many other women, that everyone who told you, you'll be better, was so right!! That's how it was for the last 2 years now (that's the time I've been coming here nearly EVERY day now!!)

Best wishes to all of you!!!!

Silke