Anemia

[NightShade]

Last year I got sick with what I thought was the flu. After a month, I still wasn't feeling better. I noticed that when I bent over to pick something up, I would get shortness if breath. I also felt tired all the time and slept a lot. Then I noticed a pulsing in my left ear, which began to get louder and louder. It sounded like someone stomping on a hardwood floor in their socks. I could also feel my heart beating along with the pounding in my ear. I finally went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with severe anemia. The doctor told me if I hadn't come in when I did, I would have been dead in a couple of days. I had to have a blood transfusion, a colonoscopy, and an endoscopy. I had a slow leak somewhere, but they really didn't find much of anything. So, a year later, I am hearing a slight whooshing in my left ear...again. I hope it's nothing. I don't want to go through that nightmare again! So, it any of you experience those symptoms, get checked out for anemia. I am taking B12, C, Iron, Magnesium and D3. Good luck.

[EbonyEvans]

Please get checked. No point in looking out for the rest of us if you're not here to hear our updates. 💜

[NightShade in reply to EbonyEvans]

I should at least have my blood count checked. I feel good, though and I exercise 3 to4 times a week at the gym and at home. I really hate hospitals and especially needles!!

[Chungdak]

I think we both have same issue. I'm a peritoneal dialysis patient, but this year of April I was stated feel weak, systems are similar as you have. One morning my blood pressure was very low, I checked every hour for several times, it's getting worse, then I called dialysis nurse she told me go to ER, the doctor found that my hemoglobin is 7, and also blood pressure low as well. There Admitted me and also blood transfusion two days. Few months later sent me to test a colonoscopy and Endoscopy but nothing find out. Now every month has checking my hemoglobin. If you have any symptoms like same as before better see doctor soon is possible.

[NightShade in reply to Chungdak]

Thank you for your reply. I hope you're feeling better now. I will have my blood checked just to make sure everything is good. My blood count was a 3. The doctor said he didn't know how I was even walking around. But I do feel good now, except for the whooshing in my ears.

[humanbean]

If the doctors never found out why your anaemia became so severe, I would have thought that tests every couple of months would be necessary to check your levels. When it dropped to optimal after your transfusion/iron infusion or whatever it was you had, it would have been a good idea to start taking iron supplements in tablet form to maintain your levels. If you could find out the dose you need to keep your levels optimal then it will mean your health doesn't have to deteriorate every few months because you've become anaemic again.

[bluebug in reply to humanbean]

@humanbean I've been told my a couple of severely iron anaemic people that's the treatment they have even though in one case the cause of the anaemia is known.

They have to have blood tested at least every six months plus are on continual iron tablets.

In one case one of their GPs decided that the specialist advice about doing the blood test should be ignored, and as a result the person ended up having to have an emergency blood transfusion. The person probably would have needed intervention anyway but not via A&E.

[humanbean in reply to bluebug]

I take a small dose of ferrous fumarate 210mg to keep my iron levels up and it makes a huge difference to my health. I lose iron and ferritin very rapidly if I don't.

In my case I think the problem may be genetic. My iron binding capacity is always low in range or below range, no matter what the rest of my iron related measures are doing. Lots of females in the family on my mother's side are almost always suffering from anaemia, plus a couple of males as well.

Doctors see anaemia and low iron so often I think they get blasé about it and start to think it isn't serious.

[NightShade in reply to humanbean]

I did have tests done every month for about 4 months, but I really got tired of them sticking me with needles and taking my blood. Plus, I can't afford it. My insurance only covers part of the bill. I was put on iron supplements, vitamin C, and B12. I'm still taking these and I feel much better.

[NightShade]

Thank you for the info. I will check out the ferritin for sure. I'm not sure if it's genetics in my case, because my mom died 34 years ago and I lost track of her sisters. Stay well.