Possible Anemia

erinmtracy2

Hi all. I get pretty worried/ anxious about health related things! I fear the worst all the time. Anyway I recently had a physical and CBC showed slightly low hemoglobin 11.6 and lab range low cut off was 11.7. So they said I was off by a tenth of a point. My MCH and MCVC were slightly low, which I guess points to a mild iron deficiency. Anyway my Dr basically told me not to worry and just said retest in a month or two. I called back bc I was concerned but the nurse said I’m totally fine and I could take a multivitamin if I wanted. She was even laughing and like “oh don’t worry honey! You are healthy as a horse!” I want to take them serious and trust all is okay but I’m also like hmmmmm.
6 months ago I had extremely heavy cycles for about 4 months with lots of clotting so I started the BCP. Past 4 months my Cycles became more manageable... not light, but medium- moderate. Is this likely the cause? I don’t what to have to go down the road of investigating and medical testing. I don’t have endo or bowel issues. 35 yo female. Thanks

CNG24

Most women are iron deficient. I take an iron supplement and multivitamin as my iron is lower than yours. I havent been diagnosed with anemia and dont worry too much about it. I wouldn't think too much about it. Also. If you need more red meat, you'll get more iron in too and green veggies.

Maxxitt

Not a physician, but well versed in anemia due to recent health issues. Menstruation is the likely culprit for skating on the low end of normal. If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at nutrition intake with the goal of increasing absorbable iron. An internet search will lead you to food lists. "Heme" iron which is the most absorbable naturally comes from red meat, shell fish, poultry and certain scale-fish. "Non-heme" iron comes from plant sources. Iron is best absorbed when consumed together with food high in vitamin C, and absorption is hindered when consumed with food high in calcium & fiber. Don't let the "less absorption" food list derail your healthful intake - it will all come together. It can be difficult for women who are menstruating to consume sufficient iron in their diet, and so many women opt to take a multi-vitamin with iron, and to use cast-iron cookware when that's an option.

TavistockToad

If you're still concerned see another doctor for a second opinion?

But you say yourself that you get anxious about health related things so maybe think some more about that?

MADgical72

I was iron deficient and it took a couple of years to get it to normal. Yours in not much off and you should be fine taking an iron supplement. I find the one with vitamin c in it to be the easiest on my belly.

VUA21

For slightly low iron, there's a relatively cheap fix. A multivitamin with Iron, I take the Target brand that's the knock off of "One-A-Day".

There's nothing wrong with taking a supplement, because it's just that: a supplement to a mostly healthy diet.

QPR1953

Mine was low due to pneumonia and being unable to eat. I am a vegetarian anyway. I tried vitamins with added iron but had to stop taking them as I got severe constipation (never had it before or since). I have just tried to rely on nutrient rich foods since and have to say I feel fine.

nutmegoreo

Where I am they don't transfuse until you are either under 9 or symptomatic. Lowest I've seen is 6.7. Person was really waxy looking but still up and moving around okay (weak, but okay).

Not sure if that helps, but .1 off is generally manageable through diet.

singingflutelady

nutmegoreo wrote: »

Where I am they don't transfuse until you are either under 9 or symptomatic. Lowest I've seen is 6.7. Person was really waxy looking but still up and moving around okay (weak, but okay).

Not sure if that helps, but .1 off is generally manageable through diet.

In my province they don't transfuse until you hit 7. The lowest I have been that I know of was 6.2 but I didn't get my #s while in hospital and I did get transfusions so I was possibly lower.

spiriteagle99

I had low iron from running. It is quite common among female athletes. I take an iron supplement now and my ferritin levels went up to normal.

Vune

I'm chronically anemic due to medications, and I've spoken to my nephrologist at length about it. He promises me that a tenth of a point makes very little difference in the grand scheme of things. You're close enough by most standards, and you don't have other health indicators threatening to ruin that for you. Heavy menstruation and mild anemia go hand in hand. Eat your grape nuts and your leafy greens and get retested. Then go from there.

The treatments for serious anemia aren't fun, for the record. Blood transfusions, iron infusions, or biweekly injections. I've had 2 transfusions, and I'm allergic to the infusions. Now, I go to the hospital for the injections twice a month. The needle is tiny, but the medicine burns like Satan's hemorrhoids!

fittocycle

Did they happen to test your ferritin levels as well? If not, you might request they add it to your labs. Ferritin is kind of like your iron reserves (or your savings account at a bank). It could well be your ferritin has dropped too and an iron supplement would help restore it to normal levels.

I don't have any experience in the health care field but I can share with you my experience with low iron. For years I had normal hemoglobin or hemocrit levels while having all the symptoms of being anemic. I had to beg my doctor to test my ferritin level. When she did test it, it was extremely low. It took a good year of taking a prescription iron supplement and changes to my diet before I saw the levels move up.

As far as diet, try to pair an iron rich food with one high in vitamin C. The vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron better. For example, you could have a spinach salad with strawberries and mandarin oranges. Try to avoid soft drinks too.

Whatever you do, do not start taking iron supplements without checking with your doctor. Your doctor needs to closely monitor your iron levels. Too much iron can be dangerous.

singingflutelady

And my anemia was opposite. My ferritin was close to normal but my serum iron was undetectable. Yes my body is strange. I was actively bleeding at the time (I have Crohn's) but usually your body goes through your ferritin before your serum iron. I had many many iron infusions and blood transfusions but they didn't help much. The highest my hemoglobin went to that year was 8.2.

singingflutelady

Vune wrote: »

I'm chronically anemic due to medications, and I've spoken to my nephrologist at length about it. He promises me that a tenth of a point makes very little difference in the grand scheme of things. You're close enough by most standards, and you don't have other health indicators threatening to ruin that for you. Heavy menstruation and mild anemia go hand in hand. Eat your grape nuts and your leafy greens and get retested. Then go from there.

The treatments for serious anemia aren't fun, for the record. Blood transfusions, iron infusions, or biweekly injections. I've had 2 transfusions, and I'm allergic to the infusions. Now, I go to the hospital for the injections twice a month. The needle is tiny, but the medicine burns like Satan's hemorrhoids!

The most painful IV I have ever had is definitely potassium followed closely by sub q toradol (sp?), dilaudid and gravol. Major, major stinging! I had iron infusions so can't imagine how horrible the shot is.

emmamcgarity

I often have issues with iron. The multivitamin is a good idea. Adding green leafy vegetables will give you another boost. I also try to eat one cup of breakfast cereal daily for another boost in my nutrition stats

Vune

singingflutelady wrote: »

Vune wrote: »

I'm chronically anemic due to medications, and I've spoken to my nephrologist at length about it. He promises me that a tenth of a point makes very little difference in the grand scheme of things. You're close enough by most standards, and you don't have other health indicators threatening to ruin that for you. Heavy menstruation and mild anemia go hand in hand. Eat your grape nuts and your leafy greens and get retested. Then go from there.

The treatments for serious anemia aren't fun, for the record. Blood transfusions, iron infusions, or biweekly injections. I've had 2 transfusions, and I'm allergic to the infusions. Now, I go to the hospital for the injections twice a month. The needle is tiny, but the medicine burns like Satan's hemorrhoids!

The most painful IV I have ever had is definitely potassium followed closely by sub q toradol (sp?), dilaudid and gravol. Major, major stinging! I had iron infusions so can't imagine how horrible the shot is.

You have Crohn's, right? (Edit: Duh, just read your other reply.) I do not envy you. I honestly don't know much about the infusion, other than it makes me feel I have a ton of bricks on my chest. I have no idea how close the formulas are. And my ferritin levels now? About 100 points above "normal." It was over 600 ng/ml at one point! Mosquitoes don't touch me anymore. I'm no longer food!

kshama2001

I tend to anemia and my doctor was happy with my last lab results in which my HGB was 11.1. Of course, I have to work pretty hard to get there - almost 400% RDA between food and supplements.

I have very heavy periods and have liverwurst for lunch and steak for dinner during that time. It's hard to get iron from greens unless you are a volume eater. I think you have to eat about 7 cups of raw spinach to get the iron from 2 oz of liverwurst. Plus non-heme iron isn't as bioavailable.

Here are some comparisons I've done recently:

earlnabby

Before menopause I was always borderline, which is common in adult women. My doctor told me not to worry about it but I could pay better attention to iron rich foods.

I had an issue with gastric bleeding that sent my hemoglobin to 5.3 and my ferritin to 3. I ended up in the hospital to receive infusions which included 4 units of blood and 1 unit of IV iron plus lots of tests to see why (which is how they found the bleed). Since I got the gastric issue taken care of, my hemoglobin has typically tested between 13 and 14 which is normal for post-menopausal women.

Basically, if you feel good, don't worry about it. Having experienced low iron, I know how bad it makes you feel and you will know it if you had a problem.

kshama2001

earlnabby wrote: »

Before menopause I was always borderline, which is common in adult women. My doctor told me not to worry about it but I could pay better attention to iron rich foods.

I had an issue with gastric bleeding that sent my hemoglobin to 5.3 and my ferritin to 3. I ended up in the hospital to receive infusions which included 4 units of blood and 1 unit of IV iron plus lots of tests to see why (which is how they found the bleed). Since I got the gastric issue taken care of, my hemoglobin has typically tested between 13 and 14 which is normal for post-menopausal women.

Basically, if you feel good, don't worry about it. Having experienced low iron, I know how bad it makes you feel and you will know it if you had a problem.

I thought my problem was psychological - that I felt so bad because I hated my job and my life. I gave notice and prepared to move back to the state my family is in. Turned out I felt awful b/c of low iron. Still glad for the move though.

jgnatca

I suspect your heavy periods six months ago depleted your reserves. Adding a multivitamin with iron and some iron rich foods should help you bring it up.

You may also want to investigate how to reduce your anxiety. For peace of mind.

earlnabby

kshama2001 wrote: »

earlnabby wrote: »

Before menopause I was always borderline, which is common in adult women. My doctor told me not to worry about it but I could pay better attention to iron rich foods.

I had an issue with gastric bleeding that sent my hemoglobin to 5.3 and my ferritin to 3. I ended up in the hospital to receive infusions which included 4 units of blood and 1 unit of IV iron plus lots of tests to see why (which is how they found the bleed). Since I got the gastric issue taken care of, my hemoglobin has typically tested between 13 and 14 which is normal for post-menopausal women.

Basically, if you feel good, don't worry about it. Having experienced low iron, I know how bad it makes you feel and you will know it if you had a problem.

I thought my problem was psychological - that I felt so bad because I hated my job and my life. I gave notice and prepared to move back to the state my family is in. Turned out I felt awful b/c of low iron. Still glad for the move though.

Having to stop twice to catch my breath on a flight of stairs and not being able to keep my arms up long enough to shampoo my hair is a pretty good tip off that it wasn't psychological. People asking if you are all right because you almost faint in the grocery check out line is pretty obviously not psychological.

MADgical72

kshama2001 wrote: »

I thought my problem was psychological - that I felt so bad because I hated my job and my life. I gave notice and prepared to move back to the state my family is in. Turned out I felt awful b/c of low iron. Still glad for the move though.

I know exactly how you feel. I was so lethargic. I could wake up on time, was late for work a lot. Constantly feeling run down and everything took effort. That was about 6 years ago. It took so long to get my iron levels to normal. I am good for the past year and still need to take a supplement, but I feel so much better.

nancyvazquez7796

You might not believe this but my Ferritin is at a 4. Yes, I am on Iron Supplements. Eating a lot better. But I have had the issue for years...since my youth. But my culprit is, I rarely ear meat. The absence of Protein, therefore i am incorporaring it in my diet daily. The excessive bleeding can be a sign of Anemia, but in your case might not be. I agree with the persons who say a Multivitamin and Protein, eating right. I went to see a specialist in Iron Transfussion and he recommended a Diet change. Simply stated...eating Healthier.

MaggieGirl135

I think the recommendation from your doctor’s nurse of taking a multivitamin with iron is a solid one. Why don’t you do this until your next test, which is in just one or two months. If the next one comes back with good results and you continue to be concerned because it may be towards the low side, maybe at that point you may wish to consider seeing a clinical counselor to address any psychological concerns relating to your health.

xpander76

I have an iron injection every 12 weeks because my body doesn’t absorb iron-rich food properly . It’s like a wonder drug! I actually look forward to my injections because of the difference it makes to me! 😃

L1zardQueen

I had seriously heavy periods with anemia. Had endometrial ablation and my anemia disappeared.