Results???

[MrsO2510]

Hi,

I've being through the mill about healthwise and wondered if anyone had had similar experiences?

In June I was told I was anemic but oral iron didn't work. By July I had a chest infection that needed two lots of antibiotics. By August I had caught viral meningitis, end of September chest infection came back and I've now had five lots antibiotics but still not cleared. Had an iron infusion last month as stored iron had gone down to 6%. Now my bloods are showing iron is 12,white blood cells 6.7, pallet count 323, red cell count 4.6, red blood cell distribution width 19.6% basophil count below low reference, plasma viscosity at 1.85 mPas, serum inorganic phosphate 0.75, serum c reactive protein level 4.8mg serum folate level 3.1ng

Symptoms: recurrent chest infection, severe fatigue, bloated stomach, headaches, confusion...

Jacqui

[Ktululady]

Just want to point out that only one type of iron works for me. Bisglycinate or gluconate, the others the doctors have given me don't work, and they give me gluconate now.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Although this forum has anaemia in its title the underlying condition is actually an absorption problem in the gut that particularly affects vitamin B12 leading to a type of anaemia (macrocytic) in which red blood cells are larger and rounder than they should be. Folate deficiency can also do this. Iron based anaemias tend to make your red cells smaller (microcytic).

just had a look at the full list of blood results you posted on TUK

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

please be aware that heavy periods can actually be a sign of an iron anaemia so it may be that they are not the underlying cause but are making the condition worse and worse.

your folate levels are low, your B12 levels are in the grey range and your RDW is high.

The RDW being raised suggests that you may have a mix of microcytic and and macrocytic anaemias going on.

unless your diet is poor in folate, low folate suggests and absorption problem. This makes it likely that you will also have poor B12 and iron absorption.

The measures for B12 show two different ways of measuring B12 and the results are pretty similar when adjusted and the variation is within the variation that you could see in measuring the same sample twice.

KimberinUS makes suggestion about investigating absorption problems such as h pylori, PA, SIBO on the TUK post and I'd definitely second that.

[MrsO2510 in reply to Gambit62]

Thanks so much I see GP on Wednesday- hopefully the vitamin S results will be back too and I will finally be able to get somewhere x