Beta Thalassemia Minor & Supplements

Three years ago, I had a blood test done due to fatigue and found out that I had low levels of Vitamin D and beta thalassemia minor. I did not know anything about thalassemia and was a bit surprised about the low levels of vitamin D. The doctor told me to supplement with some vitamin D and not to worry about thalassemia.

Last spring, I had another blood test done which reconfirmed beta thalassemia minor. My current doctor told me to supplement with folic acid and not to worry about thalassemia as there are no symptoms for thalassemia minors. However, this doctor informed me that it is important for me to test my future spouse for thalassemia as two thalassemia carriers have a 25% chance of having a thalassemia major offspring.

This time I was a bit concerned after hearing about the pregnancy issue. I have always been very active and competitive, enjoyed various sports, dance, and I workout regularly. However, I have noticed in the past year that it takes longer for me to recover from my workouts, I have been feeling tired and I scar easily from small cuts and wounds. Without at least 7 - 8 hours of sleep, I find myself lacking motivation to go to class or workout. It is a constant mental battle and I always have to pump myself up or listen to high energy music.

I wanted to find more information about thalassemia and I found thalassemiapatientsandfriends.com. This forum has been very informative and helpful. After reading through the forum, I have gained a better understanding of the symptoms related to thalassemia. I joined this forum to learn and share my experience with thalassemia in hopes of someone else benefiting from the information that I share here.

After reading through the forum, I ordered the following supplements which I will be taking and keeping track of how I feel after supplementation.

For those of you interested, here are the supplements I have ordered:

Wheat Grass Tablets: http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-Organic-Tablets-200-Count/dp/B0010Y6QBC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Multivitamin: http://www.amazon.com/Alive-Potency-Added-Multivitamin-tablets/dp/B0009F3ROC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Nitric Oxide Supplement: http://www.amazon.com/Cardio~Juvenate-Cardio-Rejuvenation-Fitness-Formula/dp/B004QF7JAE


I have been experiencing knee pain and inflammation for a few months so I ordered a fish oil supplement to help with the inflammation.
For anyone interested in the fish oil supplement, here is the link.

http://www.amazon.com/Flameout-Inflammation-Scavenger-90-Softgels/dp/B000X3Z2MU

I hope you find this post helpful and feel free to comment or ask any questions.

Best,

Manjit

Hi Manjit,

I am new to this site and am glad to be able to discuss these topics with others who are like me.  My experience is very similar to yours - I have beta thalassemia minor and I strive to keep a balanced and healthy lifestyle, but find that I am often fatigued and this gets in the way of my workouts because 1) it's hard to find the motivation when I feel so tired, and 2) I feel like it is impossible to condition my body to cardio exercises. 

I often feel to embarrassed to run or partake in cardio classes at the gym because I become very out of breath and my face gets very red. Even after developing a consistent gym routine of exercising 4/5 days a week, I found myself having to abandon a step class within the first 10 minutes because I could not handle how out of breath I was! It was so embarrassing to have to leave the class, especially because I was working so hard for months and it just made me look like I was completely out of shape and just quit the workout.  Before that experience, I tried to condition myself to become a runner/jogger but even after tracking my speed and distance over the course of 2 months of running 3 times a week, I was never able to improve my stamina and would run out of breath within 30-45 seconds, so would have to slow down to a walk until I could run again.

I eat very healthy and cook everyday to avoid takeout and junk foods. I also have a healthy BMI and am in the proper range for my height and weight. I'm wondering if other thal. beta minor people out there are having the same issue…. 

Cheers,
Pam