For the first time in 10 years as a vegetarian...[blood test]

[jAded]

I finally got a blood test today. The results should be in next week.

I'm scared!

[lirpa1]

good luck! :D

[Leo SunShine]

Good Luck!
Is there something in particular that they are looking for?

[jAded]

Iron. I've been feeling really lethargic and just gross the past month or so.

And high cholestrol runs in my family so even though I'm young I want to watch that.

[lirpa1]

probably iron and that, my partners mom works at a blood donation place, and they test the blood before taking it.. and some vegetarians cant donate because of low iron and a few other bits... so they give out brochures on foods that raise certain things in the blood and make u healthier

[jAded]

Oh yeah and the doc wants to keep an eye on my B12.

So pretty much everything!

[lirpa1]

Oh cool, let us know how it goes! I should get some done after my first year I guess

[Beachbnny]

I didn't start getting my blood tested until at least 3 years in (had no insurance) and have come out perfectly every time since. I'm sure you'll be fine but it's so good you're checkin :)

[Amira]

We have the Channel 9 Health Fair here in Colorado every spring. For about $35.00 you can have a complete blood workup and all the other tests such as blood pressure are free. It is a great service and I go almost every year. Everyone is welcome.

I was getting a new doctor and I took my latest 3 blood tests in to her. I told her I was a vegetarian and she said she could tell because my blood tests were so good. Low cholesteral (sp), trigliserides (sp), and all other indicators were very good.

You might be suprised how good your blood test come out and low iron is easily fixed with suppliments and diet.

[animallover7249]

I've never had blood work done just because I was a vegetarian. I've had it done when I got a new doctor and check ups....it came out fine.

[jAded]

Oh blood tests are free here, at least with my doctor who bulk-bills. Mum always does really well on them except for when her body wasn't using vitamin D properly. But she's a health nut and though I eat a lot of a good stuff, I counteract it with the bad stuff too.

[tweedyfrog]

A female vegetarian is often anemic, she loses blood every month and it is hard to replenish the iron lost. before I finished that time of my life, (menopausal now) I needed to take iron every day, but not now thank goodness. If your feeling tired chances are that's what it is.

[Nickle00]

I have to get blood tests every few months (I'm hypothyroid) so they always check my B12, Iron, etc. because they know I'm veg. My results always come back beautifully!! I'm sure you have nothing to worry about :) Good Luck! Peace & Love!

[jAded]

Thanks guys!

They called me today and left a voicemail telling me to call back to arrange a time to discuss my results. I got really nervous thinking there was something majorly wrong and called back and they said it was nothing urgent but I have low iron (surprise surprise) and low vitamin D. So I'm going in tomorrow to discuss and I guess they'll tell me what supplements to get, changes to make to my diet, etc.

[Elanor]

Well. . . ?

How are you?

[jAded]

Good! I've been put on iron supplements, been told not to worry about the vit D and even though my B12 was in the healthy range it was still slightly low and, when I told the doc I've been feeling lethargic, he gave me a shot to boost it a little. Everything else was fine :)

[sally429]

hmm I have never really had just a overall blood workup. I have had tests here and there for particular things but I don't think they were checking for anything else. Maybe I should. I am very lethargic myself...but that was even before I went Veg. Problem is...I pass out every time I get blood work, with out fail. I dunno why.

[Fyvel]

A female vegetarian is often anemic, she loses blood every month and it is hard to replenish the iron lost. before I finished that time of my life, (menopausal now) I needed to take iron every day, but not now thank goodness. If your feeling tired chances are that's what it is.

Lots of women are anemic because of their menstrual cycles whether they're veg or not. I was quite anemic as a teenager before I went veg. I've been vegetarian since 15-16 (I'm 29 now) and vegan for the past... 3 or 4 years now (I've lost track). I can't remember the last time I've had low iron on a blood test (and I donate blood a couple of times a year) AND I have ulcerative colitis which can cause significant blood loss (and was for a while). Of course I eat a much healthier diet now than I did before.


Thanks guys!

They called me today and left a voicemail telling me to call back to arrange a time to discuss my results. I got really nervous thinking there was something majorly wrong and called back and they said it was nothing urgent but I have low iron (surprise surprise) and low vitamin D. So I'm going in tomorrow to discuss and I guess they'll tell me what supplements to get, changes to make to my diet, etc.


Good! I've been put on iron supplements, been told not to worry about the vit D and even though my B12 was in the healthy range it was still slightly low and, when I told the doc I've been feeling lethargic, he gave me a shot to boost it a little. Everything else was fine :)

Here (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm) is a list of vegetarian sources of iron in the diet. Check it out and try to incorporate more of these foods into your diet. Supplements are very helpful in reversing a deficiency but unless you want to be taking them permanently you may want to look at dietary ways of upping your iron intake :)

As for the low vitamin D, I wouldn't be so quick to brush it off. Research is showing that it's very important in the prevention of many diseases. You can try to get a little more sunlight (but may be difficult for you at this time of year depending on where you live), or take a vitamin D2 supplement (D3 isn't veg*n). (And to put it in perspective: I take a vit D supplement and I live in southern Florida).

For low B12, a sublingual supplement usually works very well. Take one a day for a little while (to boost your levels) and then taper it off to once a week or so. Many people have low B12 regardless of their diet (yes, even meat eaters, especially as they age). You may not be getting enough in your diet but it's also possible that you don't absorb it very well.

[Elanor]

Good! I've been put on iron supplements, been told not to worry about the vit D and even though my B12 was in the healthy range it was still slightly low and, when I told the doc I've been feeling lethargic, he gave me a shot to boost it a little. Everything else was fine :)

Good. What a relief for you, as you sounded a bit worried at first. So the doc didn't give you a hard time about your diet?

[Smurfbabe]

I'm getting a full medical tomorrow by some 'natural' healers tomorrow. They do all sort of stuff, most of which I can't pronounce. Things like Live and Dry Blood Analysis, Constitutional Iridology and Biological Terrain Assessment. I'll let you know how it goes, I'm fairly sure I have a major hormone imbalance which would explain why I'm tired and miserable all the time and have terrible skin. Hopefully they can shed some light!

[Doktormartini]

Vegan for a little over 2 years...never had blood work done. I feel fine but who knows...I should get it done sometime!

[jAded]

I was told not to worry about vit D as everyone comes back as being low this time of the year. I've been getting heaps of sun since though as it's finally getting warmer. Maybe I'll take supplements in winter.

Thanks for the list of iron-rich food. I'm generally pretty knowledgeable on what I *should* be eating, just plain lazy about actually doing it at times. I'm going to continue taking my synthetic supplement until it runs out then switch over a liquid herbal one when I get my stores back up, which is safer to take over the long-term.

Smurfbabe, what's a "natural healer"? Haha make sure they're legit!

[Indian Summer]

I was told not to worry about vit D as everyone comes back as being low this time of the year. I've been getting heaps of sun since though as it's finally getting warmer. Maybe I'll take supplements in winter.
Regarding vitamin D, it depends where you are in the world. If you're as far north as e.g. the UK, then the winter sun is no help for vitamin D synthesis. (Too low in the sky for the beneficial UV rays too penetrate the atmosphere.) The fact that everyone else is low doesn't mean you should be low too. I take supplements myself, and I think other veg*ns here should too. On the other hand, if you're in Australia (as it says in your profile), then I would think the sunshine issue would instead be too much and too strong rather than too little and too weak.

Anyway, I'm rambling.