Possible Anemia

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erinmtracy2
erinmtracy2 Posts: 6 Member
edited September 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
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
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Replies

  • CNG24
    CNG24 Posts: 432 Member
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    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
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
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    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.
  • MADgical72
    MADgical72 Posts: 81 Member
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    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
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    edited September 2018
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    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
    QPR1953 Posts: 13 Member
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    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
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    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
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    edited September 2018
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    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
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,680 Member
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    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
    Vune Posts: 672 Member
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    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
    fittocycle Posts: 825 Member
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    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
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    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
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    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
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
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    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
    Vune Posts: 672 Member
    edited September 2018
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    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
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,951 Member
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    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:

    119beb1d43c631660d8b86cecad892e9.png
    00f61895ccc3daf8ea9a70d6368f86ee.png
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,951 Member
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    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
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    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
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    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.

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