I have a GP appt this afternoon... Anaemia related.

[HopelesslyHopeful87]

I have a longstanding issue of being anaemic and suffer from multiple symptoms but also may crossover into other things.

I'm trying to be one of those women that go into appointments knowing what I want and what to ask for because I'm fed up of my symptoms being overlooked and passed off as 'anxiety'. I do have a history of anxiety and also have a clinical diagnosis of OCD so I feel like everytime I present with palpitations etc they just fob me off.

I'm looking for some advice on what blood tests need to be ordered to fully investigate so I can advocate for myself clearly and without getting upset with my frustration.

I had iron infusions during my pregnancy in 2021 as I am very intolerant to oral iron supplements and they make me very ill. I then had a PPH when baby was born and everything they replaced in my iron stores went on the floor and I was never followed up or given any further replacement. Baby is now 18 months old.

I presented to the nurse for my depo jab this morning and due to heavy bleeding and me looking very pale, she suggested booking appt to discuss further so I have one booked this afternoon.

My symptoms are:

-Always cold. Literally always. Heating can be on 28 all day and I won't feel it.
-Palpitations.
-Breathlessness.
-Hair loss. This has been particularly severe over the past 6 months and I would say my hair is 30% thinner than it was previously.
-Paleness. I look dead without makeup and everyone comments on this.
-Inside my eyelids are almost white not red.

I had an episode of chest pain extending into my arms about 4 months ago associated with really struggling to take a full breath. I presented to UTC for a check up and ECG was normal and they said it was probably anxiety.

Can this be a sx of anaemia?

Should I be asking for thyroid checks as well? Any advice is greatly appreciated I just want to be able to advocate for myself instead of feeling undermined all the time.

Have you had your thyroid checked?

Well just to throw a spanner in the works... Clotting factor has just returned quite abnormal. Advised further tests re von willebrand and haemophilia screening. Wasn't expecting that.

Ask to be referred to a gastroenterologist and for them to prescribe you with Ferracru.

Tell them you cannot function. I had to more or less collapse on the floor of the doctor's office to get an iron infusion when pregnant with twins. It was transformative for me. Make a fuss.

Your ferritin level may well be the culprit, you are iron deficient (without anemia).

I'm a bit on the same boat as you, with a ferritin level of 8 and was anemic until recently, but oral iron has brought me back into the reference range, but not addressed the ferritin (and I can't continue on oral iron as it plays havoc with me).

I've had 2 private infusions before, as this keeps on happening, but they are prohibitively expensive (circa £800 a pop), so I recently asked if I could have one done on the NHS - they won't give me one as I've had a reaction to it in the past (even though it wasn't true anaphylaxis but something called a Fishbane reaction, which was successfully avoided when I received prophylactic hydrocortisone beforehand), I suspect it's just an excuse.

Your symptoms are very similar to mine, both when I'm anemic, and when I "just" have low ferritin.

Crikey that is expensive in the private sector.

I have a feeling I will end up referred to somewhere anyway re this clotting issue so will see what they say. My son is having specialist surgery next week so not really time to kick up a fuss at the moment but at least one abnormal result will be kicking something off.