Advice please on confusing problem.

[siskin]

I have top of range RBC in range Hb. and take ferrous sulphate for iron deficiency anaemia. I have top of range Vit B 12 when supplementing.

Low MCV & MCH.

I feel I have all the symptoms of pernicious anaemia.

Please can anyone suggest why I have lots of RBC's with low MCV & MCH?

[Hidden]

Not too sure on the low MCV and MCH.There is a check list on PAS website for PA.Take the test on there.If you feel you have all the symptoms get tested by your GP ASAP.Don't mess about as PA can be hell on earth.

[siskin in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for that, have GP appt. to morrow, will do test and take results with me.

[Hidden]

I can only think that your low MCV & MCH is caused by iron deficiency, that will make you feel horrid, iron and or B12 def all cause the same symptoms of anaemia. But I'm no expert, perhaps read up in:

labtestsonline.org.uk/

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

"Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is a measurement of the average size of your RBCs. The MCV is elevated when your RBCs are larger than normal (macrocytic), for example in anaemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency or folic acid deficiency. When the MCV is decreased, your RBCs are smaller than normal (microcytic), which may indicate iron deficiency anaemia, inflammation or occasionally thalassaemias. "

"Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) is a calculation of the amount of oxygen-carrying haemoglobin inside your RBCs. Since macrocytic RBCs are larger than either normal or microcytic RBCs, they would also tend to have higher MCH values. "

Kind regards,

Marre.

[siskin in reply to Hidden]

Marre, thank you for your help and the links. It is all so confusing, I seem to get one bit of the puzzle and then something else seems to negate the "bit" I thought I had understood

Regards.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

If you get tested do make sure that you get a copy of the results. There isn't a good test to identify B12 deficiency and there are enough documented cases of clinical deficiency when tests are coming back as 'normal' for recommendation in UK to be to treat on the basis of symptoms not test results.

[siskin]

Hi Gambit62 Will get a printout when results come through, have been to docs to day with a shopping list of tests, and go for tests to-morrow.

Thank you for your response.