adhd & anemia?

[lemonspeaks]

hey all! Seeing if any of you also struggle with anemia alongside your adhd diagnosis. Last year I was diagnosed with anemia and it took months to level out. This fall I was finally diagnosed with ADHD, so my doctor had my vitals taken again. Sure enough, I’m anemic again. I’ve shifted my diet to include more veggies, fruits, eggs, seafood, and chicken. I’m also on Vyvanse for adhd. I’m surprised at how much these two things go hand in hand despite the treatment I’m receiving. Anyone else dealing with this??

[Gettingittogether]

No, didn't know of such a connection. I assume my iron levels are checked when I get blood labs as part of a checkup. But I will ask about this the next time I see my nurse practitioner, which will be in a month or so.

Appreciate the question. Don't have a direct response to you, but your question has increased my knowledge of ADHD. And look our bodies change as we get older. God, it's stunning how many areas of health ADHD correlates with and connects with. Stunning.

[J00lxp]

I have an Iron Deficiency but I am not anemic. My psychiatrist found this after I was diagnosed with ADHD. I have been on iron pills for a long time. Actually, I was told today that I needed to see Hematologist regarding iron infusions to get my Ferratin back up quickly because I can't seem to get my levels up and it has been too long. I don't know about a link with ADHD. ,

[BlessedLady]

It is common for women that are having periods to be anemic. Usually taking Iron supplements helps

[Happytiredbunny]

There are a few studies that show a link between iron deficiency and adhd… and a significant improvement in adhd symptoms when iron levels are up! My ferritin improved following adhd medication and I feel it is because my brain isn’t having to work as hard and therefore not using up my iron stores as quickly! My ferritin has dropped to 6 in the past and was never above 16/17 without medication, then I start adhd meds and it’s 32 on its own 🤷🏼‍♀️ I didn’t make the link/research until I was diagnosed with adhd about 18 months ago x

[HopelesslyExhausted]

I've always struggled with anemia. I didn't know these things were related.

[SerafinaDllRose]

OMG! It never occurred to me that there would be some sort of connection. I was severely anemic last year and even had a blood transfusion.

[G7BK]

Hi,

This may be unreleated, but, logically; protein is required to make red blood cells. and adhd folk on meds are hard pushed to get enough.

I use vyvanse and was loosing weight because i have a hectic scheduale. in the afternoon major fatigued. After speaking to a personal trainer who gave me the stats on the insane amount of protein we are all meant to eat - (just google it, its crazy), then logic states that if you are more hyperactive, if you take an amphetamine that raises your system to need more energy, then its arguably worth looking into how much protein you eat, a lack of protein would effect the blood for sure.

Protein is needed for more than just muscle decay, it makes hormones, it makes red blood cells, im not a dr but this is the general details.

All I can say is that now i take a proien shake in the morning (organic, vegiterian and the same amount of protein as a chicken breast) I no longer suffer from the afternoon fatigue, not just on the vyvanse but without it), i have a desk job not manual.

I think sometimes i get caught up in the science of it all and forget to think simply. if I burn more fuel from my metabolism being effected by meds or just rushing around, then I need to put the correct fuel back in, there will be health consequences.

This may not be your issue, but i think its worth noting for anyone on adhd meds + adhd in general. if 'normal' folk don't consume enough then us guys definitely don't .

Actually angers me a little that this isn't mentioned by professionals I've met and I had to become an exhausted rake before making the connection myself.

good luck with it

webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow....

[emiL1234]

maybe you are only anemic

[NYCmom2]

That’s an interesting and potential link to research! I certainly notice my child and I with ADHD require more protein throughout the day to feel good. I wonder if the stimulants, which suppress appetite, plays a role. I also wonder if the craving of sugar and carbohydrate rich foods, which produce fast and short term dopamine levels, plays a part.

[Girl_Who_Misses_Much]

How fascinating! I’ve struggled with mild anemia on and off since childhood. My bloodwork typically shows that I’m deficient in iron, but my levels have never been low enough that doctors were alarmed or insisted that I make dietary changes. I relate with what G7BK said. My self-care around food is lacking because of my ADHD, which leads to low protein intake. It may be that simple, but it also may have a more specific physiological connection that hasn’t been made yet! Good stuff!!

[SilverbackG]

Hi,

I am a Nutrition Scientist and Exercise Physiologist: trained in research. Anemia is the most common micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) deficiency in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2019, 29.9% of females between age 15-49 years have anemia.

ADHD statistics are not as clear.

The "ADDitude" website reports that a study in 2016 estimated adult ADHD at 2.8% of adults worldwide. As those of us with late, adult diagnosis know, the statistics are skewed by the fact that females are under diagnosed as children and as adults. Prior studies found that adult ADHD prevalence ranged between 2.5-4.4% in the United States. For adult men, 5.4% had a diagnosis, while only 3.2% of women.

I hypothesize that females that are in their childbearing years of life (age of menstruation up until the start of menopause) that have ADHD are at higher risk of anemia due to poor eating practices and potentially under eating relating to both ADHD symptoms and the use of medications for ADHD that decrease appetite.

To understand Iron as a micronutrient, and learn how to improve your daily food intake so you supply your body with the iron it needs:

(copy and paste this)

ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/I...

The symptoms of anemia are overwhelming. Without enough iron, your red blood cells cannot carry oxygen (in your blood) to all of your organs (even the brain) and your muscles are not able to function. Iron is also very important for your neurons to function well: due to its involvement in neurotransmitter production.

Even if you aren't into scientific research, I recommend you learn about "Google Scholar" for searching for high quality information about mental and physical health.

Example: You want to know about ADHD in females and Anemia

1. Type into google: "ADHD in females and Anemia"

If you hit the search button you will get a wide range of websites and maybe some studies. Typically you get a lot of junk, like "WebMD" and other generalized sites about health, plus lots of ads and pitches for supplements and cures. YUCK!

2. So instead add the words "scholarly articles" after what you are searching for...

You type in "ADHD in females and Anemia scholarly articles" and get links to actual research and discussions/papers written to about studies.

Like this one:

ADHD diagnosed women with iron deficiency

[sooshi2 in reply to SilverbackG]

That was VERY helpful!!

[lemonspeaks]

this was so helpful!