Scared.. text from gp. Tell me I'm being silly

[TTCbaby2x]

Went for bloods on Friday, text first thing today from GP to ring and make a routine appointment to discuss results. Appointment is today over the phone. Don't know when they will ring. My anxiety is through the roof and my mind is doing over time. Waiting for the call seems like a lifetime. Tell me I'm being silly and overthinking! 😩😩

Do you have the NHS app? If so, you can see the test results there, and then put them into Google to interpret them. I do that all the time, mainly because I'm super nosey. Good luck, drs call you in all the time, I was called in just for low iron once... Try not to worry x

Gosh that sounds absolutely terrifying. I am so glad it was glandular fever and not more but so scary. **

OP - I hope you are okay. Have gone through the thread but not seen an update. Hopefully it's because it was good news and you feel reassured but if you do need to reach out, I'm sure lots of us will be around to give you a hand hold if needed.

Mine has been low vitamin d or low iron

for urgent you know. My doctor rang me and told me to go straight to haematology
My dad had an ambulance sent with the GP also banging on his door as he had lost so much blood he needed two transfusions

Thank you so much everyone for all the reassuring messages, they really helped me 🥰

Turns out my iron is low and I need medication for it. PHEW!! I know I was being silly and over thinking and as I said that is a bad trait about me but you all really made me feel that bit better while I waited for the call. They didn't call until the end of the day so I am sorry for not updating sooner!!

Thank you all again xx

Same for me, what number was your ferritin? I have to take tablets for 5 months, the side effects can be unpleasant just to warn you (nausea, heartburn, constipation, diarrhoea)

The worst part is the waiting. In an ideal world, a GP noting something adverse on test results would just contact the patient directly to discuss or delegate to a practice nurse. Instead, it's a phone call from a receptionist to make an appointment for a doctor to talk to the patient - and that appointment tends to be days away, just to prolong the agony.

Few people welcome unexpected calls from their GP surgery.

Great news OP 💐

I'm so glad it's nothing to worry about too much OP, and I hope that some doctors/receptionists have read this thread and have the foresight to put a bit more detail into these kinds of texts.

Thanks for the update @TTCbaby2x - that's really good to hear (well, not ideal, but you know what I mean...). It should be something that can be easily controlled and they're onto it properly now.

Every good wish to you. x

Have you Tried floradix? No side effects, just a funky taste. Can't be taken within an hour or two of a cuppa though. Works a dream! I cannot take the pills, just awful.

I work in drs surgery, we mostly bring patients in face to face to discuss blood results, so I wouldn’t worry much about a telephone call …
sure all is fine.

I haven't no, does it still work as the iron dose is so low compared to the prescribed ones? 15mg as opposed to 210mg.

I know you've had your results. I have my bloods taken often. Several times I've had a call from a doctor saying I have to go straight to A&E to be admitted. This can be within hours of the test. Some results take longer. I've even had them want to send an ambulance, which I refuse. If it's an emergency they move very quickly. With me I usually nèed blood transfusions.

Glad it was nothing serious. I felt like a new woman after taking iron tablets for a few weeks and had relatively few side effects, hopefully it's the same for you (and that was from a ferritin of 2.8, so pretty low!)

@TTCbaby2x you will find the stuff they prescribe is very hard to absorb and digest. I had to try about 7 different tablets before giving up and buying my own as the NHS won't provide the better types. Liposomal iron is excellent, no side effects at all. Take it with liposomal vitamin c and you'll absorb it better.

Me too - my Ferritin was 8. How about you? @Tink3rbell30

I started the tablets last Wednesday. I had some stomach pain over the weekend but it wasn't too bad. Oh, and very dark and smelly poo.
I was surprised as I have not had this issue before.

It could be about diet. You have to be careful what you eat after a gallbladder removal

Mine was 10. I've had the same plus nausea and heartburn. I skip a day sometimes, going to be a very long 5 months.

Just for future - I had blood test results earlier this week. But I looked on the NHS app early last week and they were all there for me to read.

That's a relief OP.
If something like that happens again, try not to worry so much. They said book a "routine appointment" and I'm sure they phrased it like that so as not to cause anxiety. If it had been something more serious they'd have handled it differently.

Sounds very much like me. I imagine the side effects will settle as your body gets used to it. I have improved in the last two days (apart from the poo which I can live with). How long have you been on it.
Also, what were your symptoms before starting? I was actually being tested for something else which was fine. I am aware now that I have very cold hands, am always tired, irritable and always look knackered. But I thought that was just stress.

Ours just text us if there is something amiss on a blood test and ask us to rebook another test.

If you're anemic you need to see a gynecologist about fibroids now, before they get worse if you have them.

Iron supplements can only stay in your system the day you put them in, if you take Vitamin C at the same time, you can hold onto the iron a bit longer..

Since July. I was extremely tired, hair coming out in clumps and generally feeling unwell. I also have stomach issues which I've been referred for so not a great combo. I hope yours improves soon.