Low iron and lupus

[imzi]

Hi,

So the past few months and I mean about 4 months I have been feeling very dizzy, extremely fatigued and no energy, told my dr snd rheumy both responses ‘must be lupus’

Got my 2 weekly bloods done and my dr realises my haemaglobin has been dropping since August?!!! But has anyone bothered to tell me this NOPE or bothered to check my iron levels... NOPE!

I had an appointment at dermatology last month who have a procedure to do a full hormone blood test and iron...

Guess who calls me yesterday my gp saying I need to start iron tables ASAP as my levels are at 6 and the normal is 20..

I got sent home from work yesterday I was a mess I was just too tired to do anything and I just kept crying!

Anyways does lupus cause low iron? Will I have to take iron supplements for life?

[maye1]

I’d ask your physician what’s causing it for you. My iron and ferritin were both very low, but my Hgb was normal - different than your situation. Mine was due to absorption - raised levels with injections and went gluten free. Took a bit of time but it’s now stabilized just with diet.

Hope that helps and that you feel better soon!

[Chanpreet_Walia LUPUS UK]

Hi Imzi,

People with lupus are likely to become anaemic due to a poor production of red cells in the bone marrow, side-effects of medication as well as the common causes like bleeding, low iron or vitamin B12. To find out more have a read of our factsheet ‘LUPUS: and Blood Disorders’ here: lupusuk.org.uk/wp-content/u...

You may like to read our blog article on ‘managing fatigue’: lupusuk.org.uk/managing-fat...

Sometimes certain situations can be tough which is why talking to someone can help reduce any worries that you may have. If you would like someone to speak to, I can provide you with LUPUS UK contacts who you can chat with over the telephone. These contacts are volunteers who mostly have lupus themselves; they are not medically trained but are there to offer support and understanding. If you would like a contact to speak to, you can email me at [e-mail]