Anemia, hysteroscopy, getting those iron levels up

[Stretch]

I’ve always had slightly low iron, last few months I’ve been having heavy periods and feeling quite frankly awful.

Had bloods taken and iron levels were 87 which is apparently low. Started taking iron supplements. I was scheduled a hysteroscopy under GA for this coming Friday and had another blood test. This came back at 79!

The nurse said normally they’d not perform the procedure if your levels are under 100 but as I’m so anemic this counts as urgent.

The information from the hospital is quite scarce really. I had another test Thursday for cross matching (?) for a transfusion. Is this in case I need the blood or are they going to transfuse anyway?

Are there any dangers with a GA and being so anemic? Nurse said it’s “severe anemia “ and is there any other ways I can get it up quickly.

Already taking iron. Orange juice. Eating iron rich foods?

thanks.

It’s not clear from your post when the blood test with the hb of 79 was, but to give you a sense of how quickly (or not) it improves on iron supplements, it took me two weeks to get my hb from 95 to 105. I was told that I’d need a transfusion for my hysterectomy if my hb stayed under 100. But I’m not sure if the risk is to do with the GA? I thought it was more to do with possible blood loss during the procedure?

Thank you. Sorry the 79 was from 18th September which I found out about on 21st September

I suppose I hadn’t really thought of having any blood loss during the procedure. Not like regular invasive surgery.

Can i ask why you need a GA for a hysteroscopy? I had it without so much as an asprin as do most people. Im not being snarky at all, its just as you levels are so low would it not be safer to you to have just a local rather than a general?

I dont know about a blood transfusion, but I used to have several iron infusions a year for severe anemia, and its about 2 weeks before your HG rises .

Hi @Stretch
Try Chlorella powder, you can add Spirulina powder too, both from Holland and Barrett. Mix in some water.
15g of Chlorella (which is about 1 and half table spoon) has the equivalent of 5 bags of spinach. Also, try eating some lentils, that's also good. Hope you feel better xx

OP is having an hysteroscopy, not hysterectomy. I don't remember much bleeding from my hysteroscopy, though I couldn't have told it apart from my usual bleeding anyway.

If the risk is the GA, it may be possible to have a spinal anaesthetic instead? That's what I had.

Im having a GA because of other reasons, SA related. Plus smears are painful and unsuccessful sometimes.

Thanks Summer I’ll give them a try. Ready to try anything tbh.

That’s how I am, bleeding regularly throughout the month.
I wasn’t offered a spinal, just outpatient and then after a chat with my gp they advised GA

OP, you’d be better off taking advice from the team looking after you. It’s not really clear if the numbers you’re referring to are serum iron/ferritin/haemoglobin.

there’s a balance of risk and benefit for each procedure that’s different for each patient. The slightly higher risk of anaesthetising someone who’s anaemic (if you are anaemic) may be worth it if it diagnoses/fixes the problem that’s causing the anaemia (we regularly anaesthetise anaemic people for this reason). Or the two issues may not have so much to do with each other/ there may be other medical issues that make the anaemia more problematic in which case there may be benefit in trying to optimise things first - only your team can advise you where the balance lies.

Hi thanks. The numbers are Hemoglobin. I get what you’re saying , the team I’m under are lovely but not very forthcoming with information. I’ve just been told to take iron supplements and had to have blood taken for the transfusion.