Doctors first said I had ‎Iron-deficiency anemia. Turns out....

...that I actually have alpha thalassemia trait. This is a scenario I'm sure many on this site have gone through.

Hi Guys I'm new to this forum. I'm 23 and after a few years trying to find out why I always feel tired throughout the day, My GP said I had a blood condition that shouldn't show symptoms. After research on this site (you guys are great btw) I've finally realised why I feel the way I do and took a blood test. I don't have the finer details yet but I was told I am particularly low on Vitamin D and B12. I was first told I was deficient in iron but taking supplements did not help me at all. My knees have also began to feel weak and brittle which makes me feel like an old man at my age. I also suffer from lower back pain from a prior bike accident which isn't going away.

I've bought l methylfolate (instead of harmful folic acid), Vitamin D3, B100 complex and Vitamin E supplements to try give myself more energy to avoid afternoon naps. My diet is mainly eggs, bread, fish, chicken, meat, white rice, pasta and fast food maybe twice a week.

I am due for another check-up and I explained to the receptionist about some new discoveries in thalassemia (special thanks to Andy). I explained how minor sufferers can actually show symptoms and I was told to bring in some research at my next appointment. Any ideas on what to bring in? Any other tips on diet or anything else?

Liquid Swords,

It's usually beating your head against the wall to bring thal minor up with doctors. At thalpal, we have heard the same stories over and over from both alpha and beta thal minors, literally from thousands of people, so we have no doubts about it, but most doctors will see no more than a few thal minors during all their years of practice, so they don't hear the same thing repeated and therefore will have no background on thal minor to guide them.

The main thing about diet is to concentrate on eating a nutritious diet that avoids junk food and limits processed foods. Nutrition and exercise are really all you can do to help yourself. Fresh fruit and vegetables are very important parts of the diet. You want to give yourself the nutrients required to build red blood cells (B complex, folate, magnesium) and the antioxidants to help protect your RBC's from the damage that comes with oxidation as the RBC's break down.

Almost every alpha thal minor I talk to has been told they're iron deficient. The math of odds says this is impossible. I no longer believe it when an alpha thal is diagnosed as iron deficient. Every single text about thalassemia points out that iron should not routinely be given to alpha thals and I am very hesitant to accept tests stating iron deficiency in alpha thals. There is something being missed in the testing. If you have a healthy diet, iron deficiency should not be an issue.