Severely anaemic

[difficultpickle]

Tried to give blood recently and was told I was too anaemic. Went to GP and blood test there showed I was even more anaemic than the blood donor machine had showed. Had tests for B12 deficiency and coeliac disease. Both negative. Latest test shows I am still severely anaemic and also have low folic acid. Doctor wants to arrange an urgent referral for a camera up my arse.

What could it be? I feel quite weak and feeble which of course is the anaemia. Very very loose bottom stuff which has been going on for some months (I take immodium if I know I am going to be out all day without easy access to loos -sorry probably tmi). I'm not losing weight and no history of bowel problems in my family.

Would I be correct in thinking it may be Crohn's disease, if anything? I eat healthily, drink moderately, haven't done any real exercise in a while because of weak/feebleness/laziness. I told doctor I'd rather not have the camera stuff but she was insistent.

Sounds like the doc is thinking in terms of some form of inflammatory bowel disease.

However, if you are really not keen on the camera at this stage, it would be very useful as a starting point to ask for the your blood test results and the ranges to see if the doc was correct in saying they were OK.

Many of us have been caught out by this. For example, your B12 needs to be at least 500 to be ?good? and may need to be a lot higher to be ?optimal?

Have you had a full iron panel done, including ferritin? That?s another one that doctors can be ambivalent about, but ferritin needs to be above 70 and preferably above 90 to be optimal, but many of us are deficient.

D

I haven't seen the full results (today's consultation was by phone). I did ask about B12 before the first blood test and the results from that were definitely not an issue (my googling made me wonder if I had pernicious anaemia). She tested liver function and loads of other stuff that all came back fine. She asked how much alcohol I drank (about a bottle of wine a week some weeks and nothing other weeks).

I don't fancy a camera if there is other stuff that can be done first but I suppose it would give a definitive answer. I had an endoscopy when I was pregnant as I had severe morning sickness. The consultant told me he'd make me better (thinking I had a hernia) and when he got the results he was rather embarrassed to tell me there was nothing he could do to make me better! Fortunately that problem resolved itself once I'd given birth.

I'm sorry, you must have the camera, it's the only way to be sure what's going on. I don't want to frighten you but the first sign of my mum's bowel cancer was anaemia, and the cancer was diagnosed by the camera. No family history, and no weight loss.

Because she didn't delay it was caught at an early stage and she's made a full recovery. If she'd delayed because of the idignity/discomfort of the camera it might have been too late. And if it's something else then you'll know and be able to deal with it, but please, please go and get the camera up your bum asap.

I'm really sorry to have posted this, and increased your anxiety, and I'm sure it will be something else (perhaps a polyp?) but get it checked.

Treble no problem at all about posting your mum's experience. It is helpful to know that. I had always assumed I'd be losing weight if it was something like cancer. I was a bit concerned when I asked the doctor how long it would take to get a referral. She said it would be within 2 weeks as she was marking it urgent. I agree that it is better to find out what is going on (hopefully nothing).

Of course I should add I'm very pleased your mum made a full recovery and that is another reason to ensure if I have anything like that the sooner it is diagnosed the better the outcome will be.

Good to get it out of the way asap, and if it is they'll remove it while they're at it and that should be that. Fingers crossed for a quick appointment, post if you want hand-holding.

sorry, meant if it is a polyp they'll remove it.

I'm surprised your doctor is sending you for a colonscopy as the first port of call, as there are many reasons why you could be anaemic.
Plus you said they did a endoscopy when you were pregnant when you were being sick a lot?
I had severe sickness all through pregnancy, which was put down to hyperemesis. I had severe burning reflux before pregnancy (and of course during) because I have a hiatus hernia and past stomach ulcer.

Maybe they are just being safe as you say you have diarrhoea,

Do you need a blood transfusion? Because when my levels were severe I had to have blood transfusions.
When they've been more closer to borderline and I've had IV cosmofer iron infusion.

Reenypip I was bringing up blood when I was being sick whilst pregnant, hence they thought it was a hernia. Not sure what would be worse - a colonscopy or a blood transfusion!

I brought up blood too which at that time they put down to being so sick so often bursting blood vessel in oesophagus.

I've had both colposcopy and blood transfusion.
For me, I'm extremely difficult to get a line in, so I usually require a central line in neck or one in groin, which is more uncomfortable than a normal line in your arm/hand. That itself having a central line is much more of a faff than one in the arm.

Otherwise a line in arm and sitting back while they put blood through I would prefer than having the colposcopy (if I had to choose between them)