Help Anaemia dizziness and fainting

[Rainbowdrops2021]

Hi, I’m in need of some advice. Will try and cut a long story short but basically I started feeling really unwell about 8 months ago. I was diagnosed with collagenous microscopic colitis and put on a 10 week corse of steroids, since then however I have been feeling really dizzy and have fainted a few times. I went back to the doctors and they took bloods which showed that since June my haemoglobin levels have dropped from 135 to 91, they’ve put me on three 210mg of ferrous fumarate a day but I am feeling so awful I keep thinking I’m going to pass out again on the school run, I can hear my heart beating constantly in my ear and I’ve been sleeping so much. Is there any thing else I can do or take to feel better quicker? I honestly don’t feel safe walking with my children on my own incase I pass out.

Bumping

You need to ask for a iron infusion. I get them all the time due to severe anemia caused by stage 4 endo and chronic auto immune disease. It can be done on a day unit and only takes about an hour. Tell your GP your symptoms mean you are unable to care for your children safely as they are often reluctant to offer this.

@Redannie118 Thank you. I’m not sure how willing they will be to do this, they did mention infusions but said I should try tablets first. They will probably think I’m being a bit impatient but I’ll give them a call and try my luck.

Tablets take 3 months to work properly. Tell the doc you cant wait that long as it will put your children at risk. The good thing is, once youve had 1 infusion its much easier to get more if needed.

I am often flabbergasted at the reluctance of the NHS and GPs to offer simple treatments that are cost effective in the long run. Iron infusions are one of them. I am temporarily in the EU and here, the protocol is if your Haemoglobin falls to a certain (very low) level you are given ferrinject (iron infusion) and a transfusion if necessary too. I had it and was feeling absolutely wonderful after three weeks. Caused by GI bleed. Nasty horrible feeling being anaemic like that.

Another one is the conscious sedation issue for colonoscopy and endoscopy etc. Given as standard here unless contra indicated. Reading some posts here it seems (I could be wrong) that the assumption is you will have the procedures without sedation unless you demand it. Is that right?

Some won’t agree but if you’re feeling this awful I would get yourself to A and E and see if they can give you an infusion. This exact scenario happened to my Mum (we both have long term anaemia) and that’s the only way she could get treatment. (I take 210mg every day long term, if it becomes acute again I increase this to 3 times a day). It’s actually really dangerous if your iron is very low to the point of fainting so you won’t be wasting anyones time.

Thank you everyone, I think it’s been particularly bad this week because I had my period and it seems to have made the dizziness 10 times worse. I’ve had to be signed off for a week because I usually work nights and I’m just exhausted, can’t walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath. I think I’ll give it one more week and if there’s no improvement with the iron tablets I’ll request infusions. I really don’t think they will do it but hey if you don’t as you don’t get.