Anemia

Chris Rice · 10-21-2008, 01:23 PM

I am anemic - not enough red blood cells is the issue - not terribly so but enough I feel the effects of it during hard exercise, climbing etc. First - I am seeing a doctor and having will be having some tests done but... This last weekend on a climbing trip, I talked to a good friend whose wife was pretty anemic with the same low red cell count issue. Her doctor found she was allergic to wheat and gluten - after 6 months off of those items - she has gone up three points on the scale, a significant improvement. Has anyone here had (or heard of) similar instances?

Any others ideas on red blood cell production - possible things I might do non drug treatment related while waiting to have tests done etc.

Craig Brown · 10-21-2008, 01:46 PM

When my sons Mom was pregnant she was anemic, which was rapidly normalized via drinking clorophyll. Guiness Stout is the English prescription for it.

Garrett Smith · 10-21-2008, 03:57 PM

You would do best in obtaining help by finding out whether it is a macrocytic or microcytic anemia.

If you wish, get a copy of the results and post them here, along with the "normal" ranges.

Yael Grauer · 10-21-2008, 04:46 PM

When I was anemic, I drank Floradix Iron and Herbs and ate red meat. That cured me.

Garrett Smith · 10-21-2008, 06:17 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaemia#Classification

In order to best treat an anemia, the type needs to be fleshed out.

I have a patient I highly suspect of being lead toxic, as no amount of iron, liver, or anything else has been able to fix it.

Chris Rice · 10-22-2008, 09:32 AM

Garret - what all blood work numbers would be helpful?

Garrett Smith · 10-22-2008, 11:02 AM

The CBC (complete blood count, aka "anemia panel") numbers. See the list here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complet..._count#Results

Chris Rice · 10-22-2008, 01:42 PM

I am 60 years old and do take Synthroid for hypothyroidism. This testing is better than the last one a year ago as I am now into the lower end of the range (I was outside by a over a point a year ago) but while better – it’s not where I would like it to be, especially for high altitude mountaineering. And thanks Garret.

WBC 3.8 4.0-11.0
RBC 4.34 3.8-5.8
HGB 13.1 12.8-16.8
HCT 38 37.7-49.7
MCV 87.6 83-103
MCH 30.2 26-34
MCHC 34.5 31-36.5
RDW 12.9 11.5-14.5
Platelet 205 150-440
Neutrophil 53.3 50-70
Lymphocyte 32.1 20-40
Monocyte 11.5 0-10
Eosinophil 2.6 0-6
Basophil 0.5 0-1

Sed Rate 19 0-10

TSH 1.28 .4 - 4
Total T4 8.3 4.5 - 16.1

Garrett Smith · 10-22-2008, 02:56 PM

According to your bloodwork, you aren't technically anemic anymore.

Continue doing what you have been doing, and don't donate blood anytime soon.

Your sed rate is elevated, you'll want to find out why that is (it is a marker of generalized inflammation in your system).