Anemia

[mochapie]

Does anyone know if a possible covid-19 infection could cause a person to have anemia afterward I have had high platelets in the 550 range or more for almost 5 years now and every other blood level is perfect however recently starting in August I have anemia I just re tested my blood last week and it got a little better but it is still there and now my hematologist wants to do a blood transfusion to put iron into me and explained that you can have an allergic reaction and a lot of people are itchy afterward.

she did initially give me iron pills ferrous sulfate which I hate because it's like say goodbye to going to the bathroom so I told her listen I never took the pills that you gave me I took a few of them and I hated them but you have to give me a chance to take these pills and maybe eat more red meat because I really don't want to do blood infusions of iron. does anyone know what that entails to get an infusion of iron and I just find it suspicious that I have anemia .

I am 46 my grandmother had it when she was maybe older than me but my mom does not have it and it just makes me wonder if I had the virus several months ago and this is an after effect of it. Thanks, Dana

[Eadaoin]

Hi mochapie I have had a raised platelet count similar to yours (occasionally higher) since diagnosis over 20 years ago and have been monitored ever since. From time to time my haemaglobin result was slightly low which meant my iron level was too = Iron deficiency anaemia. When this happens I am given an iron infusion. It’s very simple and not at all uncomfortable. A line is placed in your arm via a cannula and attached to a drip feed - you can read a book or chat to someone as the infusion slowly drips in. Takes about an hour. After a few days you feel the benefit especially being less tired. Hope this helps. It’s worth having it - beats taking iron pills. Also look for foods that are fortified with iron too. It all helps.

[mochapie in reply to Eadaoin]

Thank you for your help can I ask you once you get an infusion of iron do you have to go back and get another one or does that usually make the platelets between the 150 to 450 range where they're supposed to be and when you say since diagnosis 20 years ago can I ask are you actually diagnosed with an MPN because as of right now I've had raised platelets in the 550 to 580 range for about 5 years but I have not been diagnosed and I am negative for the gene mutation as of right now but she said if she can't bring my iron levels back to normal and if the platelets stay high then she does have to check me for an MPN that just because of the jak2 mutation was negative 5 years ago that could change now

[Eadaoin in reply to mochapie]

The low iron was diagnosed because of low red blood cells as there is a connection between iron and haemaglobin (red cells). My platelet count was never affected. Yes I was diagnosed with an MPN. I have Thrombocythemia and after all this time still do not have any of the mutations. My platelets vary mostly between 500+ and 600+ I have had both single infusion treatments which worked well but last time I had to go back for a second one. I have never had any reaction at all like itchiness after an infusion and I always feel better once the anaemia is sorted. Very best wishes. Keep your hopes high.

[mochapie in reply to Eadaoin]

Thank you for replying again and happy New Year .the strange thing about me is I don't have low red blood cells my red and my white blood cells are always in range it's my platelets that are always in the 550 range which is slightly elevated not crazy out of control for 5 years now.

but just recently my hemoglobin is a little low as well as some other levels like mchc and rdw and mcv, etc. so that's why I have been diagnosed with anemia but she's trying to rule out essential thrombocytosis or reactive thrombocytosis

can I ask you what is thrombocythemia and how does it affect your life because she wants to do the infusions on me or have me actually take the iron pills and eat more meat, beans ,Etc otherwise she's going to do a bone marrow biopsy which I definitely do not want under any circumstance to there for rule out thrombo cythemia.

is that a blood cancer that will lead to leukemia in the future? in the past six or seven years my hair has been thinning but I have felt great otherwise until recently I'm tired I'm a little pale and a little short of breath my blood pressure spiked out of nowhere in August and I just recently was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea I am also about a hundred pounds overweight so she is also hoping now that I have an apnea machine as of yesterday that that will hopefully help the anemia. I guess anemia has to do with oxygen levels too. I was jak2 negative 5 years ago and autoimmune diseases negative 2 years ago.

[Eadaoin in reply to mochapie]

I can only suggest you follow the guidance you are being given by your haematologist. A reliable source of information on Thrombocythemia and related issues can be found on the MPN website. A bone marrow biopsy can be uncomfortable but it’s worth going through it to get a diagnosis. Once you know that result you will have a much better chance of getting answers to all your questions. Best wishes.

[mochapie in reply to Eadaoin]

Thank you I appreciate all the responses so does that mean if I do the jak2 mutation test now again 5 and 1/2 years later if it comes back positive then I definitely have the thrombocytosis I'm very happy to hear you say that you can live a normal life with it as long as it doesn't progress into PV or fibrosis everything I read on this basically says this type of having a blood cancer where your platelets are high because your blood clots quickly makes me very nervous to have just been called back to work with this virus circulating and mutating out of control because for people like us that's blood clots quickly this virus is going to be horrible just horrible I'm actually wondering if I can get a letter from this hematologist that I shouldn't be at work right now. Wondering if a baby aspirin may help