Hi all, have been pale most of my life and felt overwhelmingly tired for sometime now

[seef]

Just got Total Blood Count test done privately for anemia and the results are as follows:

Rbc 3.71

Hgb 103

Hct 0.318

Iron 3.9 umol/l

Ferritin 7.1ng/ml

Esr 46

From what I understand from the research I have carried out is that I am iron deficient, be that from diet deficiency or poor absorption. How do I find out which one it is?

Can anyone advise/interpret results?

[helen_m]

Hi seef, did your test results have lab ranges next to them eg (20-50) ? That makes it easier to see if you are low. I'm afraid i don't know if your iron problem could be caused by malabsorption or diet deficiency. Are you vegetarian or vegan? Do you already take iron supplements? Your ferritin seems extremely low. X

[seef in reply to helen_m]

Thank you

I'm not a vegan and don't take any supplements at the most moment but will start today.

[Clazzy78]

Looks like you are anaemic. Iron deficient too. For women ferritin is between 20-200 nanograms per millilitre.

You need supplementation. I've used spatone an iron rich water before that is good and gentle. You could take what your doc offers but ferrous sulphate can make you very constipated. I always preferred ferrous glutamate. Or Styron is a liquid iron supplement.

Are you seeing your doc to discuss results?

Best wishes 💗

[seef in reply to Clazzy78]

Thank you

I was going to get supplements myself and start taking them today and then make an appt to see GP. I've read that GPs aren't very good at interpreting results as do not specialise in haematology, so wasn't too keen.

[Clazzy78 in reply to seef]

My daughter who is nearly 4 had a blood test a few weeks back to check for something else but she came back as anaemic. So she is on Sytron liquid. GP said if we tested most young children they would be deficient. To which I thought if that's the case why don't we supplement our children? I did breastfeed for 3 years too which apparently can cause anaemia too!!

Don't let them give you the cheap ferrous sulphate. They're awful. Ask for Sytron. It's easy to take and tastes ok. Or the spatone, not sure if that's available on prescription but you can get it from health food stores.

Best wishes 💗

[seef in reply to Clazzy78]

Thanks

I was going to get Floradix liquid, what do you think?

[Clazzy78 in reply to seef]

Yes that's a good one too. There are so many out there. It may not give you enough though. Tell your Gp what you are going to try, they may suggest something else, depending on how much you need to supplement with.

The only I'd say with something like floradix is that it is designed to maintain iron levels, and as you are iron deficient it may not work as well, as it may not have enough in to bring your levels up. Does that make sense?

💗

[seef in reply to Clazzy78]

Thanks yes that makes sense.

I am concerned about taking too much iron too, as that is also supposed to very bad for you. It's quite tricky to get the intake right without harming your insides on a long term basis.

[Clazzy78 in reply to seef]

Yes you're right. I hope you get it sorted. I was anaemic when I was pregnant with my twins. It was horrible. I was breathless, no appetite, I couldn't concentrate. I'd walk into a shop and walk around in a daze because I couldn't concentrate. I did feel better after iron supplements after about a week.

Best wishes 💗