Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Pernicious Anaemia

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    3

    Default Pernicious Anaemia

    I was diagnosed last year after after many years of veganism.
    The specialist was very kind to me....very supportive of veganism....in fact telling me that ther was no problem with me continuing as a vegan as long as I also kept up my treatment.
    He explained to me that some vegans can live a lifetime without incident, but some have problems..."we are all different" as he remarked.
    Disappointingly, whenever I've mentioned this on facebook, I've either been described as a troll, because 'real vegans' don't get pernicious anaemia, therefore I must be a 'fake'....or else been targeted by people trying to sell me colour therapy, spirulina or recommending that I relocate from Scotland to Los Angeles.
    Pernicious Anaemia, in my limited personal experience, seems to elicit an amazing amount of anger from vegans.....a kind of religious denial.....a furious denial that it is even possible.

  2. #2
    baffled harpy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    6,655

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    I don't think it's anything to do with diet, pernicious anaemia, is it? I thought it was an absorption problem that anyone could get. So I can't see why people would get annoyed Glad you have a diagnosis and treatment anyway.

  3. #3
    fortified twinkle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Midlands, UK
    Posts
    1,763

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    Quote harpy View Post
    I don't think it's anything to do with diet, pernicious anaemia, is it? I thought it was an absorption problem that anyone could get. So I can't see why people would get annoyed Glad you have a diagnosis and treatment anyway.
    Yeah. You could always send people to the BBC health website, which sums it up like this: "Pernicious anaemia develops when the body becomes unable to absorb vitamin B12 properly from food. Normally a protein known as intrinsic factor, which is made in the stomach, attaches to vitamin B12 and carries through the intestinal wall into the blood stream. However in pernicious anaemia, the stomach cells that produce intrinsic factor become damaged, vitamin B12 is no longer absorbed and a deficiency develops, leading to anaemia."

    Glad you're getting some treatment, hope you feel better soon

  4. #4
    Cacique's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    146

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    I agree with everyone else, as I don't think veganism itself would cause it. I've been reading a lot on veganism lately and trying to find issues like this, things that would keep people from going vegan. The only thing I've found that can make veganism challenging would be severe allergies and chron's disease, yet I've read of someone who alleviated her chron's with a well planned vegan diet.

    I'm sorry that you have this condition, and that so many people have been called a troll by so many. I would suggest you simply continue the treatment and see how it goes, if they recommend any diet changes, ask what nutrients you need instead of what foods to eat. I have yet to find a nutrient that cannot be acquired through plant sources.

    Good luck!

  5. #5
    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Europe
    Posts
    4,830

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    Quote harpy View Post
    I don't think it's anything to do with diet, pernicious anaemia, is it? I thought it was an absorption problem that anyone could get. So I can't see why people would get annoyed
    I've read conflicting theories about this. Some insist that it is not related to diet, others say that may be the outcome of a B12 deficiency - and some old articles claim that this can be dealt with in a proper way with as little as 1 mcg B12 daily. Whatever it is that causes Pernicious Anaemia: of course vegans may have it as well, even if would not be related to diet.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    I am studying medical coding, pathophysiology, anatomy and physiology, and other medical courses in college as part of a health information management major. Interestingly, in my ICD-9-CM official coding book there is actually a medical diagnosis code for "vegan's anemia". It falls under the subcategory of "other vitamin B12 deficiency anemia" diagnosis code 281.1 and is listed under this subcategory along with other descriptions that fall under 281.1 such as "vitamin b12 (dietary), due to selective vitamin b12 malabsorption with proteinuria, and syndromes: Imerslund's and Imerslund-Grasbeck". So apparently vitamin b12 deficiency can be due to dietary reasons as well as malabsorption and other reasons. Also, pernicious anemia is a separate diagnosis code of 281.0 and includes Addison's anemia, Biermer's anemia, congenital pernicious, and congenital intrinsic factor deficiency. So pernicious anemia is not specifically linked to or associated with veganism or even dietary deficiency according to government medical guidelines. It is a separate type of anemia.

    I completely understand where you are coming from (speaking to the OP). Although I do not have anemia, any time I get a cold or another problem, I have learned to be very quiet about it lest I am accused of getting sick due to my veganism. Everything seems to be blamed on it by omnivores. And then there are the vegans for health reasons that think the vegan diet is the cure all perfect diet for everything and if you get sick you arent doing something right. I think this attitude does more to hurt the cause of veganism than help it because the outrageous claims that vegans never get sick or never get diseases and are all thin fit long living healthy people is untrue and makes omnivores distrust us even more. I believe veganism is healthier in some ways and is better for our environment and more ethical but I also believe vegans can still get sick like everyone else. No human is immortal as far as I know. I think compassion is an important practice in living as a vegan also.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    Thanks for these thoughtful replies.
    My specialist mentioned that he'd treated a number of vegans who went vegan in their teens and early 20's and developed PA in their 50s...which is me to a T.
    However, I also had an Aunt (she passed away in the 1990s) who had PA in the 1960s and was a meat eater, so yes, it's obviously true that all sections of society get all illnesses in varying degrees.
    Robin...your comment re withholding info to prevent judgement chimes very strongly with my own experience of veganism over the last 10 years.
    In the 1980s it was fun and a wonderful time for exploration...now it seems that one wrong move and some angry, red-faced man is screaming 'MURDERER' at you.
    I fact I grew tired of my local vegan group, who seemed obsessed with point-scoring and trick questions, rather than any genuine dialogue.
    Veganism sometimes seems to attract a certain type of person with a religious fervour who might be better suited to joining the Westboro Church than figuring out how we can lovingly help our planet and Mother Nature.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    55

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    I've been Vegan for 6 years and Ovo-Lacto-Vegetarian for 2 years before that.
    I have never had problems with B12, as far as I have read this type of anemia doesn't HAVE to do with diet.
    My friend is Vegetarian and has no problems with B12 her sister pretty much lives off of meat and cheese and has to have B12 transfusions.

    I used to be really low in iron because of endometreosis but when I told people I had iron problems they all attacked me with anti-veganism comments.
    I now have a really awesomely high amount of iron since my endometreosis has been a little better controlled.
    So don't let people insult you.
    If the Doctor said your diet was fine then it's obvious it doesn't mean it was your Vegan diet.
    For other Vegans to turn on you is just wrong because every Vegan knows that no matter your sickness it has to do with Veganism in omnis' eyes.
    How about research the condition before judging you.

    Goodluck on your treatment!! =D

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    It's funny how I always read in vegan forums that vegans feel put on the spot or even attacked by carnies....I can't remember ever actually experiencing that at all....instead I feel under pressure from other vegans, constantly taking me to task about the brand name of my trainers, the ingredients of my soap, the history of my humous sandwich, the rabbit skin glue that holds my guitar together....things that carnies know nothing about and give even less of a toss about, which belies the idea of carnie haters....they really know nothing about this subject...certainly not enough to comprehensively rubbish me, which many vegans seem to take great pleasure in...quoting endless statistics to prove some macho point.
    To be frank, the conversation on facebook re vegan animal experiments being justified as long as the person doing the experiment was vegan and the experiment benefited veganism almost ended my connection with the lifestyle....I responded and was shot down as 'romantic' and 'old fashioned'.....wow....I'm so happy that I'm romantic and old-fashioned....a world where vegans are performing animal experiments with no sense of irony is not one that I wish to take part in.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    55

    Default Re: Pernicious Anaemia

    What the hell?
    Those Vegans are seriously deluded if they think it is okay to test on animals because they are Vegan.
    I think about the only animal testing I've done is used my shampoos and conditioner on my dog, rat, cat.
    That's because I love my animals and want the best for them and pet ones seems to be shitty quality and smell like chemicals.
    I only use natural products anyway so it is unlikely that he would have an issue with the product haha.
    Maybe that is a little un-vegan of me..

    But I do agree that Vegans tend to attack other Vegans..
    Though I have been more attacked by omnis, also more abusively.
    Vegans should help other Vegans not make it harder for them.
    Besides it's so hard to know about what is used to make certain products sometimes.

    Also I never knew that about guitars, is that like that with all of them??

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •