Hi there , please can someone tell me what MCV is in a blood test as apparently mine is low. I had the flu and complications of ear and sinus infection arose out of it and vertigo . I was given a nasal spray which made my vocal cords larynx gland are very swollen . I lost my voice which is thankfully coming back . I was given an antibiotic of erithromycin two weeks ago . I am still very poorly five weeks on sleep all the time . Please can anyone offer some advice ? I am singing tutor so have had to take time off !
Many thanks 😊
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Angie56
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Thank you so much for your reply . I might need to speak to my doctor as receptionist said that nothing was being done about it . I am so exhausted I sleep all the time I cannot get over this flu and have constant ear throat infections .
I'd also note that in people with low levels of vitamin B12, you often see the opposite - high MCV. In someone with BOTH iron deficiency AND low B12, you sometimes see mid-range MCV as the two effects cancel each other out. At that point, Red cell Distribution Width (RDW) can help to identify an issue.
But my point is more that if your MCV is low and you ALSO have low B12, then your iron levels might be worse than the low MCV alone suggests.
I had a thyroid scan a month ago as I have had constant swollen lymph glands though it’s being monitored for a year . I am taking b12 tablets and vitamin d and folate . I am wondering is it my haemoglobin that is low or ferritin or folate ? I will have to ring the doctor as I am dizzy weak and brain fog is awful . I didn’t think the full flu would make me ill for so long .
Real flu is awful. I have been very lucky but when I did have it, I was wiped out for a long time. Started to get better in a week or so, but then struggled for many weeks.
Do you have any other iron-related test results? You certainly need that to be checked. It is not a simple subject - despite the dismissive attitude that appears so common. I feel woefully ignorant, I'm afraid.
Thanks so much helvella . I was tested for CRP it was normal. I haven’t had any further tests since having the flu apart from FBC which shows the low HCV I always seem to be anaemic . Hopefully my doctor will prescribe iron . I just want to get back to normal and I don’t want another antibiotic . I’m on three now antibiotic ear drops.
I’m taking minavex it’s a wee tonic it has vitamin c in it so maybe I will take them both together . I’m hoping if I take two ferrous fumurate a day for a week it builds my energy levels though laryngitis is different . I’m really run down doc said that though not sure what I’m low in .
Thank you so much for all your advice and support Helleva .
I have to say, you wasted your money when you bought it, however much it cost. The amounts of vitamins in it are tiny and have almost no chance of ever doing you any good. If you need vitamin C, for example, a minimum dose that might help is 1000mg, but lots of people take a lot more. The tonic you are taking contains 17.5mg.
I’m hoping if I take two ferrous fumurate a day for a week it builds my energy levels though laryngitis is different .
I'm afraid that you have a completely wrong idea about how quickly the body can absorb iron. Taking a few iron pills over the course of a week will have no long-term effect on your iron levels.
For someone who is truly deficient in iron, depending on how well they absorb it, they will almost certainly need to take iron pills with a decent amount of iron in them for four - six months. If they absorb iron poorly it could take 12 months, 18 months, maybe even 2 years to get their iron levels up to anywhere near optimal.
Having said that, your ferritin level three months ago was already over the range, and it is unlikely to have dropped significantly in three months unless you have some other health problems going on.
I'm really not sure what your doctor thinks he is treating (I haven't read all your posts).
There is a condition called Anaemia of Chronic Disease (or Chronic Inflammation) in which the body stores as much iron as possible to keep it out of harm's way. It keeps the iron away from any inflammation or infection, and serum iron levels can become very low in cases of Anaemia of Chronic Disease. Any iron absorbed through the diet or via supplements ends up stored in ferritin. That is the purpose of ferritin - it stores iron for the body to release as and when it is needed. The fact that your ferritin is already over the range suggests that your body is trying to keep iron in ferritin while (probably) keeping your serum iron and haemoglobin low. (You haven't given a result for serum iron and haemoglobin so I can't be sure of any of this, I'm only guessing.)
The thing is, chucking more iron at the problem is not the way to fix it. There is clearly some inflammation or an infection going on somewhere and it needs to be found. I know this is easier said than done, but your doctor shouldn't just ignore it.
It could be the flu and laryngitis you've had that is causing all your problems. But I don't know the time line of all your problems, so I can't say.
Thanks so much for your reply . I didn’t realise that minavex wasn’t a good tonic as I would try anything . I was taking floradix before that though it didn’t work either ...
My doc told me my bloods were low though didn’t say which one and it’s not haemoglobin as it’s 11 I think .
I took the flu five weeks ago and been so unwell since with vertigo and laryngitis, I am a singing tutor so really worried about my health and voice . My doc says it’s a virus and no magic pill and I’m just run down . I have been given 305mg of ferrous fumurate to take for a month .
Thanks I really appreciate your advice . I watched the medical medium and trying celery juice but can’t digest it at all.
A haemoglobin level of 11 is most likely either very low in range or under the range, so it suggests you have anaemia of some kind.
The fact that your ferritin three months ago was over the range, and assuming it still is over the range, suggests that you are showing signs of ACD (Anaemia of Chronic Disease).
However, to be absolutely sure you would need to get various things tested at the same time, not weeks or months apart - ferritin, serum iron, and transferrin saturation would be a good start, haemoglobin would be good too.
Have you asked your surgery (ask at reception, you don't need to see a doctor) for a copy of your blood test results, including the reference ranges, for the last few months? At least a year's worth would be helpful, but two year's worth would be even better. Don't accept hand-written or verbal results because there is too much risk of mistakes, ask for a printout from your records directly.
You have the alternative of asking for access online if your surgery has this set up. You would need to ask for "enhanced access" to see blood test results. If you ever ask about getting access to information from your medical records then you will need proof of identity.
Regarding the medical medium, I wouldn't trust anyone who gets their medical advice from invisible people. The man is just a quack.
I will ask if I can get ferritin , folate, iron serum checked human bean . I saw my endocrinologist five weeks ago and he said I was run down and my b12 needed to be higher and my folate .
I had a thyroid scan done as well nothing showed up just being monitored for a year as constant swollen lymph nodes and ear infections .
Thank you so much I appreciate all your advice so much .
A friend told me there is a virus going around that attacks the vocal cords as she lost her voice for a month but it can’t back . I didn’t realise laryngitis would be so painful or exhausting .
Yeah, my husband has the flu or a similar viral infection at the moment and it seems to be quite bad. He's very unwell, although he doesn't have laryngitis (yet). He's a terrible patient, and sometimes I struggle to be sympathetic.
Regarding your iron, what you should ask for is an iron panel. I don't know what your chances are of getting one. It is possible to get an iron panel done, without involving a doctor, just pricking your finger and sending the blood sample back to the lab.
Aw so sorry to hear your husband is sick it certainly is a rough Flu , hope he feels better soon .
I did get the CRP done on my bloods and it was normal though will ask for those others once I feel well enough . If I could just get my voice back and get out and about again I could look into those tests .
I don't know enough about iron levels to comment here. But I DO know about Glandular Fever and its ability to hide in the body and come out again when you get run down. My GP thought it was quite 'normal ' for me to have recurring bouts even 40 years after the initial infection. I also read that there is s close correlation between GF and FM in later life.
Did you have GF when younger? Or could you have caught it from one of your students? (I imagine the close proximity of singing classes is a great way of contracting infections).
Good luck with finding a good supply of Vitimin C and Zinc!
Thank you so much for your kind reply. That is awful that glandular fever symptoms came back again years later. I hope you are keeping well now.
I have never had Glandular fever though I’m killed with ear infections. Yes teaching is quite close so I seem to be prone to pick up everything which I guess means I’m run down . I am going back to see my doc tomorrow as my lymph nodes on one side keep causing ear infections and sore throat .
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