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Anemia Board Index

My lab results yesterday shows that my iron saturation at 5% is quite low. I have been feeling like something that cat dragged in for a couple of years now but have only been minimally tested for iron with only CBCs in the past. My hematocrit and hemoglobin levels have been out of range for about a year but not enough to cause any concern. This week was the first time that anyone (a nurse at a doc-in-the-box; not my primary physician) thought to test my iron stores.

What I'm wondering is what are some important pointed questions that I should ask my PCP when I see him on Monday. Does this seem like anemia or iron deficiency... or are they one and the same? Is ferrous sulfate enough to correct these levels? Do I need to see a hematologist? I've always been concerned with my iron levels because my father passed away due to complications from untreated hemochromatosis but my doctors have always told me that my CBCs indicate that I don't have to worry about heriditary hemochromatosis. Kudos to the doc-in-the-box for testing me properly though! They told me that CBCs are only a small snapshot of what the real levels my iron might be, and not the whole picture. Can you think of any other questions that I should ask my PCP?

Below are the results from my blood work this week and a couple others from this past year, plus a bit of my health history:

[U]This week[/U]:

HGB = 11.5 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 11.7-15.5)
HCT = 34.8 [COLOR="red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 35.0-45.0)
RBC = 4.21 [COLOR="Green"]In Range[/COLOR](Range = 3.8-5.1)
MCV = 82.7 [COLOR="Green"]In Range[/COLOR](Range = 80.0-100.0)
MCH = 27.3 [COLOR="Green"]In Range[/COLOR] (Range = 27.0-33.0)
MCHC = 33.0 [COLOR="Green"]In Range[/COLOR] (Range = 32.0-36.0)
RDW = 17.8 [COLOR="Red"]High[/COLOR] (Range = 11.0-15.0)
[B]Total Iron = 24 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 40-175)
TIBC = 437 [COLOR="Green"]In Range[/COLOR] (Range = 250-450)
% Saturation = 5 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 15-50)[/B]

[U]6 months ago[/U]:

HGB = 8.8 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 12.0-16.0)
HCT = 27.6 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 37-47)
RBC = 3.59 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 4.2-5.4)
MCV = 76.9 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 81-101)
MCH = 24.4 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 26-34)
MCHC = 31.8 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 32-36)
RDW = 13.6 [COLOR="Green"]In Range[/COLOR] (Range = 11.5-14.5)

[U]7 months ago[/U]:

HGB = 10.0 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 11.5-15.2)
HCT = 29.9 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 33.5-45.2)
RBC = 3.67 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 3.84-5.04)
MCV = 81.4 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 82.0-99.0)
MCH = 27.2 [COLOR="Red"]Low[/COLOR] (Range = 27.4-33.0)
MCHC = 33.4 [COLOR="Green"]In Range[/COLOR] (Range = 31.6-35.5)
RDW = 12.3 [COLOR="Green"]In Range[/COLOR] (Range = 10.2-14.0)

[U]Health history[/U]:

Female, late 40's, have not entered menopause, not overweight, fairly active until as of late
Newly diagnosed w/ sleep apnea (using CPAP)
Newly diagnosed type II diabetes (diabetes under control) NO FAMILY HISTORY!
Kidney stones twice in the past two years
Undiagnosed joint pain and recent significant hair loss
Extreme fatigue
Medications: Metformin

Any comments would be so very appreciated. I'm feeling really lost about this iron stuff.:dizzy:
Hi there,
its really hard to know what all the abbrieveations are, i got a medical dictionary to help with that.
Esr basically shows up inflammation in the blood, i have a higher count due to rheumatoid arthritis, they also do a crp which is c-reactive protein again an indicator for inflammation, most rheumatoids, lupus sufferes have high readings when having a flare up.
I have had blood tests come back where im anemic and have shown hemochromatosis, I havent had any problems though. Like myself i have no family history of blood or immune :)system illnesses only me it seems, I do drink loads of cola, and coffee but again no difference or pattern to my flare ups.
Hair loss and thinning could be anemia, but also medication can affect that.
MCV is the mean cell volume, basically how big the red blood cells are, i have little ones, due to medication, the other ones MCH MCHC are related to size and shape of the cells HGb is the important one really followed by MCV as this is the anemia tests.
I would ask to see a blood specialist, just to put your mind at rest if any thing, and if it was an absorbtion or retaining iron problem, it could be vitamin b12 shots or just a change of diet or medications that could help, without the need for long term iron meds.
I was looking at your blood results and wondered why the mcv mchc etc had suddenly picked up, are you taking anything different now or have changed diet or anything?
I hope it all goes well for you goldie
best wishes.


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