Anemia and Ileostomy: Any Advice?

Yet again I have low ferritin and low hemoglobin, my doctor says it may be because of having an ileostomy. Was wondering if anyone else has this problem. I try so hard to eat healthy foods from all food groups. I do find a lot of what I eat comes out how I have chewed it up though.

Hi Flutterbye,

From what I've read about low ferritin and low hemoglobin, it has to do with low iron. So what about increasing your green leafy vegetables? How about adding some kale or spinach to your diet? Olives and mulberries are high in iron as well. Do a quick search on the net and you will find some wonderful food sources where you can get more iron in your diet. A delicious cold smoothie is great in the summer time and you don't even have to chew!

I've noticed certain things cause my bowel to bleed: artificial sweeteners, certain foods, some medications. Notice if there is blood in your stool or dark stools and look out for patterns of antagonists that may be causing issues. If you are losing lots of blood, that is bad news and you need good gastro doctor advice.

I too, have had this problem since my surgery over 20 years ago. It turns out that I no longer absorb dietary iron due to the surgery. I have to have routine blood tests and iron infusions about once every 9 months. I visit the hematologist about every 3-4 months to stay on top of things. I now am able to determine when I am getting low and can head off the serious symptoms. My suggestion is to find a good hematologist!

I had my ileostomy in 2005. Just this past week, my doctor told me that I was a little anemic, which he believed was due to low iron. Anemic means that I'm not producing enough hemoglobin. He also indicated that this is a common problem for folks that have had an ileostomy. So at this point, I'm waiting for what action he wants me to take to get these vitals back into the normal areas. I'm not recommending any action here, but you may want to discuss this with your doctor. Good luck, wish you the best.

Try supplemented protein. I use to eat peanut butter protein bars. A lot of the powders are soy and it's a bean, too much gas. But it took me a whole year to get my hemoglobins at a point for my fistula removal, which was in the ileostomy area. I was knicked in surgery so I couldn't take in enough proteins. Also, I was scared of eating and was hooked on the pain pills, so you need to eat enough to get better. My surgeon told me that this wasn't the time to count my calories or to be on a diet and that I can eat a bowl of veggies, but to be a rabbit at the time...

Ensure has helped me. Drink one each day. Sometimes more (if I do not feel like eating.)