Need Help! How to deal with anemia on the trail?!

[el gran boludo]

Hey all,
My mom and I have been planning a 2012 NOBO thruhike starting March 14th, however we just got a bit of bad news that she is anemic and needs to get that under control before we start in March 14th. Even then, it puts her in the difficult position of having to keep that under control while on the trail. I'm asking for any and all advice on how to deal with both those issues (getting rid of anemia and keeping it under control while on the trail)! We greatly appreciate any help from everyone, especially people who have dealt with it themselves. If we can't get this fixed before our start, her thruhike dreams may be over before we even start, and I know that strikes a cord with every past present and potential thruhiker on here. Thanks in advance for all your help, and I hope we both see you all out there on the trail this year!

Thanks,
Chris

[julianhiking]

Hey el gran boludo,

as I'm sure you already know there are different causes of anaemia - each of them requires a different treatment. To get any useful advice on this you need to post what kind of anaemia your mother is suffering from.
In most cases I don't see why your mother shouldn't walk the AT - because the treatment its quite easy. Your doctor should be able to tell you exactly what kind of control is needed if she will be fit to go - so my advice is to talk to him/her about it.

Hoping to see you on the trail!
Best wishes from Germany

[redheadedhiker674]

Iron supplements or eat iron enriched foods. Something as simple as a tablespoon of molasses a day could work. That's what I did.

[rocketsocks]

You could use a small carabiner(to save weight)and attach it to your mom somehow,then with a say 10 feet piece of cordage hook it to your self.That way if she takes a hike in wee hours you would know.:Dseriously,take what you read here with a grain of salt.check with your doctor(have to say that though,pretty sure you've already done that?)Iron supplements need to be monitored,especially with men....can cause heart complications.People that take a lot of anti-inflammatories such as on the trail,for various aches and pains can become Anemic and feel very slowed down with no energy.good luck to you and your mom,hoping you get that figured out.Foot note;(When first saw the heading I thought it said Amnesiac.)Peace :)

[RockDoc]

Your concern is justified. Last April/May I walked 500 miles in 4 weeks and ended in Damascus for Trail Days. The day I arrived they had the quite a large health service setup, offering analysis of blood, etc. So I had blood drawn and came back in a few hours and discussed the results with a nurse. She said it looked really good except for anemia, which she said is typical of long distance hikers. So if you already are anemic you might be at a higher risk and should perhaps discuss this with a doctor.

[Amanita]

Having never been anemic in my life(prior to that point), I somehow managed to develop iron deficiency in less than three weeks hiking on the AT. So if rockdoc's claim is true, then I have come up with a totally non scientific I am not a doctor and do not play one on TV theory.

1. Hikers intake less iron. Red meat is heavy, a grain based diet low in leafy greens and fresh fruit (vitamin C helps to absorb iron) is common on the AT.

2. Getting fit takes iron. When you go from couch potato to walking 10-20 miles a day your body wants to build muscle and make lots of red blood cells to bring oxygen to that muscle. Since you're not taking in much iron, there's not enough to go around.

So if my theory is correct, then getting in shape OFF the trail with use of iron supplements and lots of iron rich food would help to prevent a sudden deficit on the trail. But as others have said, you should probably talk to a real doctor.

[Feral Bill]

Hey all,
My mom and I have been planning a 2012 NOBO thruhike starting March 14th, however we just got a bit of bad news that she is anemic and needs to get that under control before we start in March 14th. Even then, it puts her in the difficult position of having to keep that under control while on the trail. I'm asking for any and all advice on how to deal with both those issues (getting rid of anemia and keeping it under control while on the trail)! We greatly appreciate any help from everyone, especially people who have dealt with it themselves. If we can't get this fixed before our start, her thruhike dreams may be over before we even start, and I know that strikes a cord with every past present and potential thruhiker on here. Thanks in advance for all your help, and I hope we both see you all out there on the trail this year!

Thanks,
Chris See a qualified medical doctor, not a bunch of hiking enthusiasts, few of whom have any medical training.

[Blissful]

I certainly hope they have figured out WHY she's anemic - and to get a Drs ok.

[Annabellewc]

i have anemia also! i just take an iron tablet every morning, it takes about a week for them to kick in.

[T-Rx]

Sorry to hear about your mother's anemia. Please seek medical advice on how to deal with this issue. Anemia can be caused by many different things and you must know the type of anemia and it's cause in order to effectively treat it.

[Odd Man Out]

I like to cook lentils when hiking - they are high in iron. They cook quickly (faster than other legumes), but rather bland. Bring lots of spices (curry is good).

[Spokes]

See a qualified medical doctor, not a bunch of hiking enthusiasts, few of whom have any medical training.


Amen to that. I was about to say sprinkle some extra brown sugar in her oatmeal each morning followed by a bottle of Ensure Plus.......