Do I have Anemia? PLEASE HELP

C

chopper

New member
I am a 25 year old female. I weigh about 105 lbs. I have been experiencing a lot of headaches and nausea. I eat a lot for my size. I have more then 3 meals a day. The nausea and headache come abruptly and I have these weird hypoglycemic symptoms..where I feel light headed, blurred vision, sudden nausea, heart palpitations and a bad headache..keep in mind all of this happens out of no where. My doctor told me I was border line anemic. I'm not sure what's going on, but these are my lab values:
In May 2009:
WBC 7.8
RBC 4.17
HGB 11.8
MCV 83
MCH 28.2
MCHC 34.1
RDW 13.2
Platelet Count 279
Ferritin 6

Oct 29th 2009
WBC 6.7
RBC 4.84
HGB 11.0
Hematocrit 35.3
MCV 73
MCH 22.7
MCHC 31.2
RDW 16.0
Platelet Count 317
Ferritin 5

Nov 11th 2009
Iron: 9
Iron Binding: 463
Iron saturation: 2
WBC 6.5
RBC 4.36
HGB 9.8
HEMATOCRIT 32.0
MCV 73
MCH 22.5
MCHC 30.6
RDW 16.2
Platelet count 290

Nov 18th 2009
Ferritin 4
Folate 16.7

Dec 9th 2009
WBC 6.3
RBC 4.05
HGB 9.0
Hematocrit 29.5
MCV 73
MCH 22.2
MCHC 30.4
RDW 16.2
Platelet Count 360

All my other labs were within normal ranges that includes thyroid, chem 12 kidneys and liver etc. I've had a upper and lower endoscopy and they found nothing. Can someone please explain to me why my WBC is decreasing and my Platelet count is increasing..? And where am I bleeding from?? Am I just anemic? I don't have a period b/c I am on Depo Provera, but I've been spotting bright red blood for a day or two. It was very light. I've also been having unexpected nose bleeds about every 2 months. I'm on Iron pills..but am I missing something? PLEASE ADVISE :dizzy:
 
Pookie

You sound like you are in a panic. Relax. Anemia isn't something horrible and the Hemoglobin going up in number is a good thing unless it gets really high.
Usually a count of 11 - 16 for women is a good count.

I have heredity Thalaseemia Minor -- a constant form of anemia and my count is 8 -- when I was pregnant, my count got up to 11 and we were all happy.

being anemic is not life threatening and your reactions after eating isn't usually related to anything to do with anemia. Its more Thyroid -- even though you say your's checked out fine, migraines from stress, or food allergies which in itself causes a whole host of problems.

So calm down. As long as your count is up, I wouldn't think its a bleed from anywhere. Nose Bleeds can be from a broken vessel in the nose from blowing too hard or from headache pressure.

You are under doctor's care. My next visit would be to an allergist.

The blood isn't what's causing the vomiting and such as far as I can tell.

caringsister54
 
Yes you are anemic, but that can be caused by a lot of different things, most commonly is iron deficiency. Your ferritin/iron level is low, so it sounds like you need to increase the iron pills to 2 or 3 times a day, or a bigger strength. Give your doctor's office a call and ask if you can do that. Your platelets and white blood cells are considered within normal limits. Don't worry about them bouncing around the normal range, as levels in the body change normally day to day.

Also, increase the iron in your diet. Here's some good ways
"The best sources of iron include:

* Dried beans
* Dried fruits
* Eggs (especially egg yolks)
* Iron-fortified cereals
* Liver
* Lean red meat (especially beef)
* Oysters
* Poultry, dark red meat
* Salmon
* Tuna
* Whole grains

Reasonable amounts of iron are also found in lamb, pork, and shellfish.

Iron from vegetables, fruits, grains, and supplements is harder for the body to absorb.
If you mix some lean meat, fish, or poultry with beans or dark leafy greens at a meal, you can improve absorption of vegetable sources of iron up to three times. Foods rich in vitamin C also increase iron absorption.

Some foods reduce iron absorption. For example, commercial black or pekoe teas contain substances that bind to iron so it cannot be used by the body.
Side Effects

LOW IRON LEVELS

The human body stores some iron to replace any that is lost. However, low iron levels over a long period of time can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms include lack of energy, shortness of breath, headache, irritability, dizziness, or weight loss. "

quoted from:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002422.htm
 
Thank You. I called my doctor and asked if I could increase my iron. Although it is really hard on my stomach. She suggest a IV iron. I don't eat beef or any sort of seafood or pok. So that makes it harder, but I will keep everything else in mind. Thanks
 
to anyone who is anemic from Thalassemia Minor or Thalassemia Major

Be aware that your anemia is not Iron Deficit so don't overtake iron. Too much iron can cause damage to organs. You must always find out whether or not you are iron deficit before taking or eating additional foods that contain high level of iron.

When I was pregnant, I had to take the prenatal vitamins which contained higher doses of iron. I lost my eyelashes and hair from other places, and I didn't have to shave my underarms or legs for the entire time I was taking those vitamins.

Caring
 
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