Hypothyroidism and anaemia

[Holly99]

How does the thyroid cause anaemia and how much of an impact can it have. My GP has referred me for an urgent investigation because of my low haemoglobin and hasn't said it could be linked to my thyroid. As you can imagine I'm quite anxious.

[seekinganswers6]

I'm not sure what the connection is, but also watching this space (also hypothyroid and anemic!). I have, however, read that hypothyroidism may cause hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood), which I also have. My guess with hypothyroidism and anemia is the stomach-gut connection. Many people with hypothyroidism have digestive issues and if they can't digest food properly, that means that nutrients (like iron) won't be absorbed into the bloodstream from the gut

Have a read also about parietal cell antibodies and ask to be tested for these. Parietal cells are epithelial cells in the stomach that secrete hydrochloric acid for digestion and intrinsic factor, which is necessary to absorb Vitamin B12, which is in turn essential for absorption if iron. If there are elevated parietal cell antibodies in the blood, this may signal that these cells are under attack by the immune system, so cannot do their job properly. Vitamin B12 supplements or infections could help, if Vitamin B12 is too low.

Another issue, also linked to digestion, is consuming substances that disrupt iron absorption at the same time as iron-containing food. For example, drinking a cup of tea after a meal. Tea contains tannins and other substances that prevent absorption of iron. Or taking a calcium supplement or eating calcium-containing products at the same time as iron.

Finally, to aid digestion, you may consider using some apple cider vinegar or citric acid (e g. from a lemon) with your meals (vitamin C in the lemon would also help with iron absorption!). An alternative could be to supplement (safely!) with Betaine HCl (which should only be taken after a meal and should not be taken by someone with a stomach ulcer). It is basically like hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach, so should aid with digestion if there are low stomach acid issues (which is quite common with hypothyroidism, especially in Hashimoto Thyroiditis).

Good luck! And do let us know how you get on!

[Glynisrose]

The thyroid does NOT cause aneamia.