Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Blood test results - AIBU, can anyone confirm my thoughts?

32 replies

user231563854 · 05/09/2023 12:38

AIBU to think that my GP should consider I may have anemia?

My ferritin is 21
My mean cell volume is 80
My mean cell concentration is 25.7

I've been feeling so tired and awful, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, tingles in my body, increased anxiety and a few other things too.

The report itself states the MCV and MCC are below range - but "no further action" is required.

To be able to get an appointment to discuss this will be hard work, shall I just take some iron tablets instead?

OP posts:
AngryLegend · 05/09/2023 12:54

What's your full blood count?

AngryLegend · 05/09/2023 12:55

What's your HGB?

Original poster
user231563854 · 05/09/2023 12:59

Red blood count was 5.41 (slightly above range)

OP posts:
Zanatdy · 05/09/2023 13:01

Ferritin is low, they will probably prescribe iron. Mine was around 15 I think and I was prescribed iron. I was going dizzy, feeling really lethargic. My daughter had similar symptoms when hers was 8. There’s a good group on FB called ‘the iron protocol’

MinnieMouse0 · 05/09/2023 13:03

Sounds more like B12 deficiency, get levels checked if you haven’t already. There’s no harm in taking iron and B12 tablets in the meantime.

Original poster
user231563854 · 05/09/2023 13:06

My B12 was 451 which seems mid range?

I know someone may mention thyroid - TSH was 1.4 which seems OK.

Vitamin D was 42, I'm usually around 28/29 so I assume the sun has helped rise that since the winter.

OP posts:
AngryLegend · 05/09/2023 13:09

What was your Haemaglobin is what I'm trying to find out.

hashbrownsandwich · 05/09/2023 13:10

Do you drink alcohol?
There's many reasons for mean cell volume and concentration.

AnnaMagnani · 05/09/2023 13:11

Go and buy some iron tablets, you only need one a day.

The normal range for ferritin is historic, from when we thought it just sat there storing iron, and wasn't important unless you were anaemic. We now know that ferritin actually does lots of jobs in your body as well as storing iron and if it's low, you feel crap long before anaemia starts.

Original poster
user231563854 · 05/09/2023 13:12

AngryLegend · 05/09/2023 13:09

What was your Haemaglobin is what I'm trying to find out.

Sorry, is that the concentration? If so it was 139

OP posts:
Original poster
user231563854 · 05/09/2023 13:14

Just for reference, I know these levels were below range on my last test, around 15m ago - not sure about the ferritin and can't access my previous records due to the pending NHS update

OP posts:
ShadyPaws · 05/09/2023 13:18

I would look to increase vitamin D as well
Mine is 66, up from 9 in 2020 and I take 4000IU daily
My folate and iron is low so I've started these

Blood test results - AIBU, can anyone confirm my thoughts?
AngryLegend · 05/09/2023 13:18

That's a good number .

Anemia isn't the issue.

Original poster
user231563854 · 05/09/2023 13:19

hashbrownsandwich · 05/09/2023 13:10

Do you drink alcohol?
There's many reasons for mean cell volume and concentration.

No, I don't drink any alcohol

OP posts:
CharlotteUnaNatalieThompson · 05/09/2023 13:24

Getting an appointment might be "hard work" but it means you'll get advice from someone with full knowledge of your medical history and therefore able to give you decent advice rather than from randomers on the net most of whom will have no medical training

Babybeanbee · 05/09/2023 13:31

@ShadyPaws Sorry to be an arse but I’d probably say to think about dropping to 1000units daily as there is a risk of toxicity with vitamin D and that’s the general accepted safe limit. Just food for thought

Greybeardy · 05/09/2023 13:35

whats your haemoglobin? You can’t tell if you’re anaemic without it. A lowish ferritin and MCV suggest iron deficiency. How relevant that is will depend on why the tests were being done in the first place.

PoshPineapple · 05/09/2023 13:36

Do you have your hematocrit level (would have been done as part of a full blood count)?

ShadyPaws · 05/09/2023 13:51

Babybeanbee · 05/09/2023 13:31

@ShadyPaws Sorry to be an arse but I’d probably say to think about dropping to 1000units daily as there is a risk of toxicity with vitamin D and that’s the general accepted safe limit. Just food for thought

My doctor has said it's fine. I was on a course of 30,000IU weekly, the highest amount they said was safe is 4000IU daily
If I take 1000 then I become deficient again

Efacsen · 05/09/2023 14:56

Babybeanbee · 05/09/2023 13:31

@ShadyPaws Sorry to be an arse but I’d probably say to think about dropping to 1000units daily as there is a risk of toxicity with vitamin D and that’s the general accepted safe limit. Just food for thought

I'm afraid this isn't actually true

My GP has recently prescribed me 4000 iu for 3 months

Difficult as it is to see my GP she still gives better advice than Mumsnet

Theordinary · 05/09/2023 15:15

You can have iron deficiency anaemia with low ferritin and have a completely normal Hb! 21 is low enough for you to be feeling quite shit.

FelicityBennett · 05/09/2023 15:21

You have a normal haemoglobin so are not anaemic. Anaemia refers to the amount of haemoglobin you have in your blood
your ferritin level is towards the bottom of the range. It is not technically out of the the range of the british labs but you may feel better to take an iron supplement

FelicityBennett · 05/09/2023 15:22

You can have low iron stores without anaemia as the body will maintain your haemoglobin as much as it can

Greybeardy · 05/09/2023 15:28

Theordinary · 05/09/2023 15:15

You can have iron deficiency anaemia with low ferritin and have a completely normal Hb! 21 is low enough for you to be feeling quite shit.

a normal haemoglobin means you’re not anaemic, but you can still be iron deficient and symptomatic without being anaemic. While a ferritin of 21 is low enough to make some people feel rough, it’s also high enough that some of us would feel amazing and that’s why context is important.

Babybeanbee · 05/09/2023 15:29

@Efacsen not like it’s my job or anything 🙄 1000 is general maintenance dose though individual circumstances apply of course. 4000iu for 3 months isn’t that. Though to be fair I wouldn’t be taking your advice over mumsnet either. So there we are.