'Just' anaemia?

[baddyfreckleface]

I am currently anaemic (I think the dr said 8) and on an iron supplement.
I went to give blood around a year ago and it was spotted then but I felt fine and didn't get round to going to the drs for about 6 months. (I am often a bit anaemic so just thought I would sort it myself).

When I had the blood tests I also had kidney and thyroid tests which came back 'borderline' and have to be retested in two months, once my iron level is up.

I have now felt crappy for about two months. Generally tired (although my two year old is a terrible sleeper so doesn't help), not able to concentrate, often dry eyes (my contact lenses get blurry), stomach ache, and off food/feeling sick. I have a nasty tast in my mouth quite often and have a very dry mouth esp at night.

I recently lost over a stone because if my lack of appetite. This has settled a little as I have been eating more gradually as (I think) my iron levels have come up and I have felt like eating more. (Although I am currently lying on my bed feeling crap again).

I have tried googling my symptoms but nothing seems to really fit. I am starting to think the eating thing is in my head (I have a sickness phobia). But I genuinely feel rubbish a lot of the time.

Does anyone recognise any of my symptoms or can someone point me in the right direction?

I went off food when I was anaemic just because I was so tired. The doctor finally tested my bloods when I remarked how comfortable the pavement looked for a nap

I'm finding that the prescribed iron tablets, in combination with this from Holland and Barrett is helping me more than just the iron does.

Yes, I think I could sleep anywhere (if dds let me!).

Thank you I will have a look at that Remus. I wasn't actually prescribed any iron as the dr said it was cheaper to buy my own. She also didn't recommend anything either so I am having a medicine with iron, b bits and vitamin c. I am taking the dose for pregnant women as is slightly higher.

Remus, do you mind ms asking what symptoms you had?

First off, I'm not a doctor and have NO medical knowledge. I imagine what you have is minor and treatable. I don't want to be dramatic or cause any unnecessary worry. But my mother in law had some of these symptoms and was fobbed off - they later found she had kidney cancer. If you are anaemic and losing weight the doctors (I believe) should be investigating why. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious, far more likely it's not. But I didn't want to ignore

Have you been properly investigated? If you are iron deficient with no obvious cause you should be referred for endoscopies - to look at the stomach and bowel.

Have they checked for other causes of anaemia Ie b12 , folate deficiency .

Not surprised you are feeling rubbish.

It doesn't matter whether that 8 figure is ferritin or haemoglobin, it is almost certainly below the reference range and in that case your GP should be referring you for an iron infusion and for the root cause to be identified and resolved.

With this level of deficiency, you are unlikely to get the results you need from over the counter preparations and there is a clear prescribing protocol in the guidelines.

As saltcaramel says, one of the causes of an anaemia is chronic kidney disease. Mine was caused by lengthy periods, but the NHS never made the connection and I endured years of feeling like you do.

Please don't let this lie.

Thank you to everyone. Caramel, I am so sorry for your poor Mil. I think if it is just anaemia then the cause is my own stupid fault as I don't eat red meat and haven't eaten well (lots of green veg etc) for a while now. But then I am not sure if that's the cause or a symptom really.

If I do have a normal sized meal I feel very full and bloated and can only usually manage one meal a day.

I have my next blood count test next week and then my thyroid and kidney function will be tested again a month later.

Do you think I should go back to the dr in the meantime or is she going to want to just wait for both results?

And thank you Rockin. I hope now you are diagnosed you are feeling some improvement

Anaemia demands a cause to be found: especially if your haemoglobin was 8.

Guidelines would suggest endoscopy/ colonoscopy - urgently infact, given your bloated feeling, anorexia and weight loss.

See a different doctor.

cks.nice.org.uk/anaemia-iron-deficiency

Symptoms were: exhaustion - eg getting half way on my walk to work and then being tempted to lie down under a bush for a while (I didn't but I often wanted to) / a feeling that my legs and arms were not working properly - at its worst I couldn't walk without swaying all overt the place as if drunk / tingling and cold hands and feet / lightheadedness and fainting fits / headaches - and yes to the funny taste in the mouth - at my worst I felt like I was being poisoned, either as if I'd drunk a whole bottle of vodka or that strange feeling you get when first pregnant.

Hi I have recently been diagnosed with anaemia. My ferritin (i think) was 7/8 and my B12 was something lower than it should be.

My symptoms were very similar to Remus but I also had racing heart, breathlessness and reaclly achey joints - walking up my stairs to the loo was like going on a mountsin hike. My hips and knees really hurt and I would be totally out of breath when I got to the top. My hair was also thinning.

I have been on B12 and Ferrous Sulphate for about 9 weeks now and due to get my bloods retested on Tuesday and results a week Monday.

I am feeling better than I was but still feel like I have aged alot (am 42 feelng olot older though).

I also have been getting abdominal pain which has been getting quite severe the past few weeks and starting to worry and affect me now - unable to ignore it and hope it will go away anymore.

I really hope you feel better soon, its bloody awful feeling like this. My teen DC have been fab over the summer but even today my 13yo commented on how I have not been right for quite a while now.

Oh I have breathlessness too - also knee/joint pains but I'd assumed that was just age!

Thank you sleepy that is an interesting link. I will ask the dr about it.

Yes Remus, I feel exactly like when I was pregnant in the early stages! Metallic taste and no energy, really grumpy and stressy. I am not fun to live with.

Doris - I think that iron supplements can be quite hard on your stomach and can cause constipation. Might be worth asking about an alternative that's gentler and see if that helps.

I have no medical training either, but can add my experience to the pile of anecdotal 'evidence'!

I'm anemic and have had very similar symptoms to you, baddy. What took me to the doctor was the thyroid problems/symptoms as well as poor concentration, poor memory etc. The tests came back with low thyroid and low iron. Similar to yours, probably, and my symptoms were getting worse. They couldn't give me an answer to why my iron levels were low. I asked for a hashimotos test, which is not usually done as 'not therapeutic' (no drugs prescribed, it doesnt affect treatment.) Had a lot of trouble getting it done but eventually did and yes, i have hashimotos. My symptoms continued and eventually I went back to the doctor and we got to the bottom of it, which was the hashimotos (an auto-immune disease which affects production/conversion of thyroid hormones) means my immune system uses up the iron my body converts from food and i need more. Also, I had been trying to get more actibe and this would also have used up extra iron. The doc doubled my dose and advised I take extra for exercise.

The auto immune diseases sound scary, but if I had to pick one it would be hashimotos or graves (both thyroid) as they are more treatable tham most. If a person has one of them, that can mean a suswptibility to develop others. So it is common tk have more than one auto immune dusease. One reason bring this up is that you mention having dry eyes...this can go with thyroid problems (and dry skin , hair etc) but you might want to read up on Sjorgen's syndome which is where the body stops producing (as much or any) saliva or tears.

Also, thyroid problems worsten in pregnancy and can cause some pretty serious problems. (I put the pre-eclampsia i had down to undiagnosed thyriod problems. They didn't know of the link then.)

Fishes, thank you that is all very interesting (I am of to google now as dd2 is not letting me sleep at the moment).
I also had pre eclampsia with dd1. I wasn't over weight which I know can be a factor. I have also been very prone to anaemia ever since I remember.

Sorry about all the terrible typos!

With hashimotos, there are bouts of hyperthyroidism, then hypothyroidism and it is easy to put it down to pregnancy hormones etc. Tests can catch a bout of hyperthyroidism (or in between either) and come back normal enough to be dismissed by a GP, in many people's experience. I wish I had understood this better, but of course brain fog clouded my judgement and I forgot! It took a lot to eventually go back and get tests again many years later.

I'd say, if you think thyroid autoimmunity may be causing your iron difficiency, and the doctor isn't saying there is something more obvious, that a hashimotos test is less invasive that other tests for other causes (and much cheaper) and you do want to know what is causing your anemia.

The studies for the link between thyroid problems and pre eclampsia were done in America, and i found a reference to an Italian case study in an abstract from a medical journal. Not enough to influence NICE guidelines, but in USA women are tested for endocrine efficiency in early pregnancy and given thyroxine if deemed low.

Just wanted to update.

I went back to the dr today and saw a different one. I said I was still feeling rubbish and now am constipated and just fed up basically. She said the iron I was taking was far too low and I was feeling so bad because I will still be very anaemic.
She felt my stomach and said she could feel that I was constipated but it didn't seem too bad.
She also took some blood to test for celiac disease.
I can't remember exactly what she said but one of the iron/blood levels was 6 and one was 8. (I have serious brain fog!) does anyone know what that means? She did explain it at the time

I now have really bad stomach cramps and diarrhoea (I had coffee - seems it helped!) but at least am hoping my stomach will feel better tomorrow!