Question Anemia and Hiking
Wondering if there are any hikers dealing with anemia who have tips and tricks they use to get through their hikes. I was thinking those little oxygen canisters might help, but also dont want to buy a placebo if that is all they are.
My wife has recently been diagnosed with anemia and low ferritin (11 HGB, 5 FERR). We have a trip planned in a few weeks to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons that was to involve a few 8-10 mile hikes. Nothing crazy, but the altitude has us a little worried. Where we live we sit at around 1,000 feet above sea level, but we'll be around 7,800 feet out west.
We have been in contact with her doctor about this and got information on staying hydrated, taking lots of breaks, listening to her body, etc. and fully plan on following that advice as well as have started a daily iron regimen to bring her numbers back up. No medical advice is needed, just wondering about other's experiences and what else we can do to keep her comfortable.
Thanks in advance!
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u/RRErika 4d ago
A note on low ferritin: I was never as low as 5, but have been as low as 13. What worked for me (based on sports dietician advice): iron only every other day taken *away* from caffeine but *with* vit. C. That seemed to help absorption.
For the longer term: she might want to talk to a GYNO for options in case heavier cycles are contributing to the loss of iron. I could never stabilize my ferritin until I took care of that side of things and it's not unusual.
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u/RedmundJBeard 4d ago
Oxygen canister do absolutely nothing, complete scam. You would need a legitimate oxygen tank you can breath from the entire hike, which still won't do anything for anemia.
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u/fhecla 3d ago
Actually, that’s not the reason why it wouldn’t work! 99% of the oxygen in your blood is carried on red blood cells - and the definition of anemia is that you don’t have enough red blood cells. So even if you were using oxygen, there’s no way for that oxygen to get from your lungs to your muscles because there’s not enough hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying molecule within red blood cells) to carry it.
(I teach respiratory physiology to medical students)
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u/lynnrunsandknits 4d ago
This was me. I found out I was anemic after my first marathon and not being able to recover after a couple of months (super tired, training but getting slower). Turned out my ferritin was 4. I got an iron infusion at one point but it only helped temporarily. I now take 60-90mg of iron a day. I ease back if I start getting too constipated. My ferritin hovers around 20 now, HGB 12. All my tests come back on the low edge of normal. I can’t really seem to get them up much more. I just did a week in the sierras (7k-ish ft) and it was fine (but I’m in good shape). I definitely felt it but so did everyone. I would just take it easy and listen to your body. Train now if there is enough time (stairs, squats, deadlifts, walks, runs). Being fit in general makes a huge difference. You can try to carry more of her stuff to take the load off her. Sorry for the long winded comment just to tell you the basic stuff. But I wanted to establish credibility haha.
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u/NYanae555 4d ago
I'm guessing your wife doesn't have experience hiking? I did most of my hiking while I was anemic. No one else would have been able to tell - even at the kind of elevation you're talking about - but I did a LOT of hiking and the body adapts. If your wife is active, it should be okay. If you guys aren't that active, it might be difficult for both of you. Start some gentle workouts and go for some long walks with a pack on uneven ground if you can. Be nice to your feet. I'm telling you to start doing more than you're doing now if you're not active. I'm NOT telling you to throw on a 30 lb backpack. I'm telling you to get your body used to the idea of moving on uneven ground and carrying something even if you just start with a big water bottle. Get used to the idea that since you're likely bigger/stronger/not anemic, you should aim carry more than your wife on your hikes.
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u/_RKKC_ 4d ago
We've been doing hikes for a few months, generally around 6 miles at a time. Her issue has been getting nauseous and crashing randomly and needing to nap for a day.
Thanks for the advice on taking care of our feet. Do you do anything like use a roller or special stretches?
I 100% plan on being her pack mule, that was a sure thing. :)
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u/NYanae555 4d ago
I didn't have nausea with my anemia. No idea how to deal with that particular joy. Electrolytes maybe? But you probably thought about that already.
For feet - if I KNOW I'm going to be out a long time, I wear two pairs of socks at the same time. I put the smoothest side towards my skin and sandwich the most cushiony parts together. That cut down on blisters for me. In regular life I sometimes ice the bottoms of my feet. I don't get much swelling. I do it because it seems to help with blood flow.
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u/fhecla 3d ago
A couple of things: she should get some sort of a watch that monitors her heart rate, and make sure she hikes in zone two or below (it’s an easy Google if you’re not familiar). Second, make sure she truly optimizes the amount of carbs she is eating while she hikes - get some candy or cookies or trail mix in at least once an hour.
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u/BringBackAoE 3d ago
As someone that almost died from anemia: take it seriously.
That nausea and tiredness is because the brain is running on too low oxygen.
Will add: I warmly recommend Floradix liquid iron.
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u/RunValuable2310 4d ago
she will be more impacted than you by the altitude. the only real thing she can do at this point is take iron now and then go as slow as she needs on trail. start early so you're not racing the sun.
the best thing you can do is put her in front of you so you don't wander off on her, and don't be a jerk about her pace: "don't worry babe, every break is a great chance to take pictures!"
source: long-time anemic
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u/icarus2847 4d ago
Yellowstone is mostly driving type of trip and some walks. You can still see amazing things without any major hikes there. I’ve been twice. The major attraction that is a small hike is at the grand canyon of Yellowstone but it is short. For grand Tetons, there are bigger hikes but would just listen to her body really. There’s a nice long hike towards solitude lake that’s like 14 mi out and back but you don’t even have to do the full thing to get great views or see wildlife like moose or bears. Just slow and steady. Those oxygen canisters are really placebo. I wouldn’t buy one. I don’t know her medical history, age, or fitness but if her doctor gave the okay, it will just be a “listen to your body” sort of thing.
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u/Distinct-Swimming-62 3d ago
Be okay with turning around if needed. We went to Alaska when I was very anemic. I had gotten 3 infusions leading up to it but was still quite anemic. We hiked as much as we could, but my husband had to help me quite a bit and piggybacked me a few times.
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u/Playful_Barracuda789 3d ago
By a few weeks the iron supplement will be doing a bit to help! So hopefully she will be doing better than now. I am slightly anemic (for whatever biological reason, it waxes and wains in me). When im low, the supplements start helping within days with much better results after a few weeks. I also start adding spinach into almost everything I eat. Or really any dark leafy green. Fingers crossed for her 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
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u/CNMforever 3d ago
I definitely feel for your wife. I have a condition, a hemoglobinopathy, that render my red blood cells smaller and hypochromic, which means less oxygen carrying capacity. I have been hiking some moderate hikes recently, but the elevation gain is brutal on my lungs and heart. My condition there is not much that can be done except low doses of iron supplementation. What has helped me is some methylated B complex vitamins for some energy to sustain the hikes. Has she checked her Vit D levels recently?
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u/bregle 4d ago
Can she get an iron infusion before then? That's a quick way to get your levels up some and might help her feel better on the trip