Same routine day in and day out...help please?

[ShoppingQueen]

I'm really sad tonight and could use some support/advice. Because of my appearance (refer to my other thread if you wanna know more) and my low iron, I took a semester off school. My appearance was still not ready and my iron was still not up so I had to take another semester off. I'm very worried about taking iron supplements due to the side effects so I haven't taken any. Plus I can't swallow pills (or at least haven't tried since I was a lot younger). My doctor recommended Flintstones chewables with iron but I could only take a bite. It was nasty and I spit it out. And then had a panic attack cause of my anxiety. So a pharmacist recommended slow release iron which is a small round pill and less likely to cause side effects but I'm still very anxious about it and nervous to take it. There is no way I could handle iron infusions so that's not an option.

So I just stay where I'm at in the same boat. I used to have so much energy and would love to go out and do things. Now all I like to do is sleep, watch movies/tv or lay in the bed/couch on my phone. It's been like this for an entire year. I don't get to go out and interact with people my own age. I just stay at home and the only places I get to go is to the grocery store or to the bookstore to look around. I've become very anxious and depressed as a result. And even more so since it gets dark earlier now. I sleep very late and don't get up until like 2-3pm so I don't really see the sun. If I don't get my iron up, I'm gonna be in this same boat for years and years and things will never change. Please help! :'(

[zombiemeth]

Hi, i just read your other story you wrote before..

Why do you have low iron? is it because ur having heavy menstrual cycle or because you dont eat enough iron? anemia is really annoying.. you get really dizzy and lightheaded, headaches, short of breath, pale (referring to your other story) etc.. you probably know the symptoms i know.. Why don't you try Tot'hema? I used to mix it with fruit juice and eat some candy after and I wont even taste it.. its only for a month and you'll be fine.


I'm sort of feel the same as you.. I dont go out much because i dont have a job or continued school, so the main reasons I go out is for groceries and for the gym (only 3days a week because I have a mitral valve prolapse and can't do extreme training). Have you ever tried going to a psychiatrist? I went once but i hate taking anti-depressants cause they make me feel all sluggish and I hate that. I'm really energetic and I dont have friends to go out with.. sucks. I hope you will feel better soon!

[JonsDragonEyes]

Hey there ShoppingQueen. I think zomebiemeth has an awesome idea.

And if that doesn't work maybe you could go back to trying those Flintstone vitamins again. Maybe this time when you go to take one you could smash one up until it's like a fine powder and then mix it with a big spoonful of chocolate ice cream !! Or any other of your favorite flavor ice cream could work just as well if you don't like the chocolate. That should cover the taste of it pretty well. And it gives you a good excuse to eat junk food too. ha ha

Let us know which one works okay

Love and Hugs !!!

[emily67]

i thought this thread was somewhere. i was looking for it to reply to.

yeah i can relate.

my life reminds me of the movie ground hod day (the commedy movie where the guy relives the same day over and over again?)

that's my life in a nutshell

[ShoppingQueen]

My iron is low due to years of having my period and not eating enough iron in my diet. Thanks for your iron supplement recommendation but because of my anxiety, I can only take very popular brands for kids that I am familiar with like Flintstones.

Great suggestion about putting it in food! Unfortunately it didn't work :/ I tried applesauce, not ice cream. But it tasted really gross. I originally tried the orange flavor that was horrible but a couple weeks ago, I tried the grape. I take grape liquid Advil so I figured it might not be that bad. It actually wasn't that bad, I played with it in my mouth for a couple minutes and then spit it out cause I was too nervous to swallow it. The taste wasn't anywhere close to as bad as the orange. But I still wanted it out of my mouth so I ate a couple spoonfuls of chocolate ice cream and then brushed really well. I could still taste it very slightly and it went away soon. I felt nauseous a couple hours later but I'm assuming that was unrelated since I didn't even swallow it.

In a couple days (after my period is over), I'm going to try the grape Flintstones again. I'm going to start off with just half 3 times a week and see how I do. I'm assuming the amount I tasted last time by moving it back and forth in my mouth is how much I would taste it by actually chewing and swallowing it? It won't be any worse right? I'm also just really nervous about side effects or that it's going to make me throw up. I have a really bad fear of that. And I'm also worried about taking it with the right amount of food. It says it can cause an upset stomach if taken by itself but when I get really nervous, I don't like to have a lot of food on my stomach. I'm hoping a grilled cheese and apple or even a couple pieces of toast and an apple is enough to start out with until my nerves calm down. I'm also worried about taking it while I'm on this kind of sleep schedule and eating breakfast at 3, lunch at 6, and dinner at 9:30. I assume that wouldn't affect it? I have a lot of anxiety.

I saw one psychiatrist, actually she might have been a psychologist and I didn't like her. She looked stoic the whole time and didn't laugh or smile. She also said lots of rude remarks to me and basically that my anxiety is so bad, therapy won't work for me. I'm planning on seeing a different one soon if things don't start improving.

I was looking through old pictures of myself tonight and I'm pretty sure that my hairline has also receeded some from the low iron/thinning. My forehead used to be smaller and my face looked so healthy and had a glow. My blonde hair was so pretty :'( I just now realized I have a heart-shaped face. I never knew that. Are things gonna get better? Am I gonna get my hair and glow back?

[JonsDragonEyes]

Please don't worry ShoppingQueen somehow everything is going to be okay, you'll see.

( big hugs )

The last time I remember Flintstones... and oh Lord I think I'm getting old ha ha... they were those little crunchy - like chewables and they did have this funky sweet , sour combination taste.

Do you know they make gummy vitamins now ? And yep I looked them up for you they make them in the Flinstone's too.

I've tried gummy ones before and they are soft and super sweet. They really taste a lot lot like gummy candy. More like candy than vitamins for sure !!

Maybe you could try those kind if you haven't yet ???

[Nebulochin]

Hello shopping queen. I can relate about the aversion to pills as I'm the same way. Some suggestions I have would be to increase the amount of salt you use, if any, add nuts and fish into your diet along with some more meat. Dark leafy vegetables such as spinach and fruits such as raisins and apricots are also rich in iron.

Being Anemic myself this is the route I have taken vs swallowing the iron pills prescribed to me. Pigs feet and hamhocks are also great for your skin. I normally cook them in with pinto beans and jalepenos. It makes for an excellent bean soup and beans are also another iron rich food.

Your skin will improve with your iron intake as many have said. If your still worried about being pale you may try staying up and outside long enough to see a sunrise and admire it's beauty. The sun also helps with skin complexion.

[ShoppingQueen]

Thanks guys! Although Flintstones gummies would be great, they don't make any that have iron. So that's not an option unfortunately.

I appreciate the food suggestions but my doctor has told me it's not possible to get my iron back up through food as low as mine is. I'm a very picky eater too so that doesn't help.