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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Haemoglobin of 3 - how bad is this?

100 replies

Bloodless · 26/05/2019 14:34

Been called in to see Dr during the week so I’ll know more then.

Don’t think I’m loosing blood internally or anything like that (I feel far too well, although tired) - I think I just have bad blood. Think the best it’s ever been is borderline.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bloodless · 26/05/2019 17:58

I think I have only ever heard Dr refer to haemoglobin on what must be the old scale (as in seems to be a division of 10), unless we work on old measurements here? NI.

Maybe I’ve heard wrong, maybe receptionist said wrong. Who knows, I don’t think I’m gonna kick the bucket any time soon. Will update you all once I have my appointment on Tuesday.

I do know the last time it was low (I think it was maybe 4.6 - definitely 4 something anyway), the same GP sent me to a&e because I had tachycardia, they done bloods there & told me I was mildly anemic. Give me a glass of water and sent me home feeling like a twat, GP was horrified & then put me on iron. She said I was missing 4 pints of blood, but subsequent stool tests showed no blood loss that way.

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 26/05/2019 18:10

@Bloodless I think the ultimate lesson of this thread is that you need to be a lot more engaged in your healthcare!

You do need to know exactly what the number was and what it is measuring, exactly how bad it is, what the treatment is, what the follow up is, how this will be stopped from happening again.

And if this means you doing something - you can still be vegetarian but really researching iron-rich foods for example then do it.

Reallybadidea · 26/05/2019 18:10

I'm sorry, I'm still cynical. It's a newspaper report based on her mum's interview. I notice there was nothing in it from any of the doctors involved.

Youngandfree · 26/05/2019 18:12

@Reallybadidea they didn’t make it up 😂 there’s medical journals written about her too! Maybe they would be of more interest?

Sleephead1 · 26/05/2019 18:23

I'm a receptionist we are not allowed to read the levels out as we are not medically qualified. Could you go to out of hours if in the same trust they should be able to see your results on ice. Some one I work with had a ferritin of 5 and was referred under 2ww urgently she was older though so no periods to blame for levels

Namenic · 26/05/2019 18:24

I would advise going to a&e to get blood level check today. You might feel silly but it is better that than you suffer the consequences of v low hb (can cause heart attack etc). Bring as much info as you can (old letters etc) and reading material and phone charger. I Took my child to a&e for swallowing perfume from a diffuser and another time for wheezing for a viral infection (which ended up being alright) but I know it was the right thing as they could have deteriorated. I am a (junior) doctor and this is what i’d Advise a parent

ichifanny · 26/05/2019 19:11

4.6 in old money isn’t mildly anaemic OP you would be considered seriously unstable at an hb of anything under about 70 certainly not sent away on iron tablets I think you may be confusing ferritin levels even without frank blood loss we would treat any low hb under 70 as a medical emergency .

AndOutComeTheBoobs · 26/05/2019 19:16

Ithey wouldn't have just given you iron tablets with a level of 4*

And 4 isn't mildly anemic either.

I'm intrigued as to what has gone on and what the results are!

Original poster
Bloodless · 26/05/2019 19:19

Thanks all 🤗 I shall update on Tuesday xx

OP posts:
bobbypinseverywhere · 26/05/2019 19:26

im a GP - even if its 30 / equivalent of old money 3 - your gp would have sent you to a&e. i think you've got the numbers mixed up.

HasThisSoddingNameGoneToo · 26/05/2019 19:35

I was anaemic due to heavy periods and my GP was very calm about it, even when I kept feeling exhausted, dizzy and breathless.

Eventually I rang the NHS line and the doctor there sent me straight to A&E for a blood test. I very dramatically told the nurse the numbers I'd heard s my last blood test - 40 - and she looked 🤔 and said, "Are you sure? I've seen patients with a RBC of 40 and they were white as a sheet."

I assured that I was near death, but smothered in fake tan. She gave me a text straight away and it was 104.

I felt like a twat BUT nobody minded my coming in there. OP - I'd go for a blood test if I were you. Or have you got that Patient app (maybe not a NI thing) that connects to your GP surgery and records your test results?

Kennehora · 26/05/2019 19:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CottonSock · 26/05/2019 19:43

I'm aneamic and my GP receptionist will not read out any results over the phone. I have to ask for a print out, or gp calls if it's bad. For this very reason! I felt like shit when my ferritin was 6 and hb 112.

Schuyler · 26/05/2019 19:46

I think you’ve misunderstood, presenting at A&E with a haemoglobin of 4.6 or 46 is not “mildly anaemic”. Being sent home and given oral iron supplements would not have helped. Perhaps you are talking about ferritin.

You would be really poorly if you were ‘missing’ 4 pints of blood!

Trebla · 26/05/2019 19:50

Since I've been pg, my ferritin is constantly less than 6. I'm breathless and tired. Haemaglobin is within normal range.
Iron levels are odd.

Call GP and ask for clarification.

HappyHammy · 26/05/2019 19:55

The receptionist shouldnt call with blood.results. it really pisses me off when this happens. We were given scan results by.admin staff that missed a vital piece of diagnosis. I would call back or ring 111 for.ooh doctor to look at your results and double check what they are. I wouldnt leave it till Tuesday but you don't seem too worried.

Mendips · 26/05/2019 20:00

I used to work in a haematology dept. I agree this sounds odd - below 5.5 and they would be immediately admitting for transfusion. I never saw an HB of 3 in all the time I worked there (and saw many abnormal blood profiles)

MyNameIsArthur · 26/05/2019 20:08

My haemoglobin went down to 6.8 and I had chest pains, I could hardly get up the stairs and I looked grey. I had to have transfusions.

Trixibell79 · 26/05/2019 20:15

This doesn’t make sense at all. It must be your ferritin (iron stores) the receptionist was reading out. There is no way any GP would slow a Hb if 3 to wait. I’ve worked in hospital and now been a GP for 10 years, I’ve never seen one lower than 4 g/dl in GP land. Hope you feel better soon op

Trixibell79 · 26/05/2019 20:16

*say not slow!

Captaindobbin · 26/05/2019 20:25

I have been prescribed iron supplements with a hb of 104! So yours can’t be 3 and they’ve done nothing so far! Hope you get it sorted.
I also had iron when pregnant when it was hovering around 108 close to birth. I’m shocked at all these people who have had their levels under 10. You must have felt seriously rough.

MyNameIsArthur · 26/05/2019 20:32

Hi Captain I think it's to do with a change in the measurement. My hb was 68 but it can also be shown as 6.8. So your hb of 104 can be shown as 10.4

Pomfluff · 26/05/2019 20:44

I had a ferritin level of 7 during my 3rd trimester and felt totally fine. It was only picked up in a blood test for something else and I was put on iron tablets (which tbh I didn’t really take because of awful constipation side effect). The levels became normal 4 months post partum and I honestly would not have known a difference.

Steriodskeepingmealive · 26/05/2019 20:47

Mine was 64, and the hospital doc wasn’t happy to leave me till my transfusion started. Hell I’ve been transfused at 75.

If you are been left by your GP with a HB of 30 this would be seen as neglect.
Itruelyy hope you’ve misunderstood what you’ve been told.

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