Question for everyone. For a little over a year, my husband has been suffering from iron deficiency anemia that hasn't responded very well to ever-increasing doses of supplements (he's tried many varieties). His PCP has been following him for it, but once all the rest of the blood work, endoscopy, and colonoscopy came back clean, he told him it might just be due to systemic inflammation, likely due to his weight. He's lost just over 100 lbs now since his VSG in May with about 80 still to lose. While his numbers are still low, everything is steadily improving. He saw his PCP this morning who thinks that likely confirms the anemia-from-inflammation-from-obesity theory. Has anyone else had this problem or seen a similar improvement after WLS? I'd never heard of either of these phenomena before, but they both certainly make sense.

Hi  

I have not experienced and or heard of this but did a search on our site and here is a link to other threads/members talking about anemia-from-inflammation-from-obesity 

http://www.obesityhelp.com/search/action,search_oh/?q=anemia -from-inflammation-from-obesity&cx=000946886326336472648%3Ae -vpeg4uyxw&cof=FORID%3A9

I never had an "anemia from inflammation" diagnosis when obese but I was diagnosed as "anemic".

Here was my experience:

1) As an obese pre-op, I took ferritin sulfate and ate a ton of green smoothies with spinach. Under this protocol I was sometimes good enough to give blood, other times anemic

2) Post-op in the one year after surgery: Got smarter, took carbonyl iron for 6 months.  Surgeons office called me up and told me to quit taking it. My iron was too high. They told me this condition frequently resolves itself following surgery and as weight stabilizes and they dont know "Why".  I followed directions. Was t

3) One year, 8 months post op at about the same time my PCOS started to act up again I was developing !NECK! hair- The red cross wouldnt take my blood because my hematocrit was too low. So I worked in 3 carbonyl iron pills a day as I was "borderline"

4) Today-One year, 11 months and 20 days- i take carbonyl iron just 3 times per week and the red cross took my blood

Very interesting info, thanks! Mine has always been low too but is steadily improving. No one ever thought it was a problem though because I was always just barely above the cutoff for anemia. I may try to get the hubs to switch to carbonyl iron too.

I don't want an answer, but you need to know the answer to this question..Is his blood type A+?   Here is my experience and thoughts...ie things to try, and reasoning... 

      I had an open surgery 20 years ago, a pre-cursor to the ones that are doing now. It was effective, for me. Have always had intermittent gastritis, but was undiagnosed, until 5 years post op. Before surgery my H and H's were mid normal range. at the 5 year post op..they dropped to .."so low the Dr would not inform me before blood was given, for fear of throwing me into shock" two Units PRBC's brought my hgb up to 9..so something around 5-6?   By this time my surgeon had retired because of health issues and I was taken care of by another surgeon who understood the procedure done,(familiar with initial surgeon, and his work).After a series of questions, and using my bloodwork/evidence, He explained that key digestive enzymes and intrinsic factor were missing from my system...Large amounts of  gas with sulfur and  rotton smells. He said it was secondary to the surgery and gastric irritation...(put me on prevacid 30 mg 2 x a day x 7 days then daily for four weeks.) I asked him if there were foods that had what I needed? He said the intrinsic factor is only available, in liver or a pill. So I went home and began eating an 1- 1 and 1/2 oz of liver patties twice a day for 6 weeks.I had repeat blood work and my Hgb,was up to just above 10...He asked what i had done to bring it up... I told him and he said .."that'd do it!". 

     I made chicken liver patties.(Make like salmon)..recipe, one lb. chicken liver soaked,in sal****er, washed.chicken seasoning, to your preference, light or heavy, garlic and onion powder, to your taste... 3 eggs, 2 large scoops of (20-25 Gm each).. your choice protein mix, and flour to thicken.. add everything but flour to chopping device, (vitamix, blender, whatever..).blend well, liquify.. pour in bowl, mix with enough flour to drop like pancakes, in iron skillet sprayed with Pam by tablespoons, press center a little thinner.. cook til well brown and flip and repeat... depending on size patties are made eat one or two twice a day.I fully prepare the entire batch and  then divide into single servings and place in snack bags and put in freezer until I am ready for them...a full pound of liver made this way will give 6-10 days(12-20 servings) of liver, depending on the amount eaten for a meal..and depending on how many people you have helping you eat them, My daughter loved the things!

    For people who have a gastritis, it is  one evidence of low/ too few pro-biotics and enzymes being produced and available. rotten egg smell is one evidence of enzyme depletion.. I have some herbs I use,( Rabbit tobacco, 10 leaves steeped 15 min as a tea) that when I use, reverse the lactose intolerance, and then I can eat yogurt to replace cultures of the gut.   Hope these tips help you...If you have any questions just drop me a note back...

   I use a buffalo or calf liver extract..to get the intrinsic factor naturally .and to maintain iron levels without gastric upset...the bottle says 6 capsules, I usually use 2 or 3 on a day...  Pregnancy vitamins are available that have the intrinsic factor, (the one they gave me once was huge, produced for walgreens), and there is a smallish capsule with intrinsic factor, called Foltrin, it is now available in generic, so is not expensive. I was on one BID for about a year...now because of gastric intolerance i use a "some of all of the above" apporach, alternating...I eat liver some days, I take foltrin on  the next day and bufffalo liver capsules next, in rotation. I have less gastric upset that way...(The Feso4, carb. Iron, just gave me a bellyache and diarrhea).

MY blood type is A+

It's a heredity predisposition thing... something about people with A+ have certain enzyme restriction naturally.I got a book, called something like, "eating to your blood type"...specific to each Type.. It said for people with A+, to avoid /and or limit the nightshade plants, the common ones are peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. I have found as long as I am careful, I can eat those things maybe 2-3x a week. I just space them out.It pointed out that if there is a food you crave, it is probably one of the foods to avoid...That was spot on for me as well.bell pepper and potatoes, I can eat at any meal..tomatoes, i use for seasoning,flavor and color in certain dishes, so they are not a problem..My hubby is A+, and is allergic to Bell Peppers in natural form, but they can be roasted and pickled in garlic sauce, and no problem.

Good question. He doesn't have any idea what his blood type is.

I was not anemic before RNY, got thin, and my iron dropped. I can't absorb it orally. 

I get periodic iron infusions now. Last one was 2 years ago. So far so good.