Anemia Unresponsive to Iron

An anemia that is not responsive to iron may be a sign of digestion and / or absorption problems. The person may not be absorbing the supplemental iron due to a low amount of stomach acid. Also, many doctors may give iron for an anemia before considering its true cause. An anemia that is unresponsive to iron may be due to some other nutritiional defieciency, especially B12 and folic acid. Vitamin B12 required adequate stomach acid for its absorption. Zinc defieciency has been associated with hydrochlorhydri and should therefor be assessed.

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing.