MommaJ, you know that’s why many people don’t want to disclose any kind of a psychological condition, because they know they will be stigmatized and not taken seriously.
As for looking up the old blood tests, my physician actually did that to see the trend and then I also looked at it as well.
The purpose of me posting about this was to get people’s honest opinions on what they would do if they were in this situation and I did get some great advice from people who I thank very much.
I think whether I am a hypochondriac or not is irrelevant when my physician tells me that anemia can not be caused by anything serious and is just recommending the supplements without first trying to get to the bottom of the issue.
I definitely compare past and current blood tests - I like to keep track of trends and what’s going on with my body. I don’t know anything about OP, but I think it’s unnecessarily harsh @MommaJ.
If my iron levels were below the norm, I would try to figure out the cause too. I don’t think anything about this is unusual.
My 13 year old son had this and had to take iron tablets for 4 months to get his levels back up . He was very tired with the low iron. What his doctor recommended was to take the pills for 4 months and then have the levels rechecked. HOWEVER if he wasn’t starting to feel better after taking the pills after 1 month then we should bring him back in so they could run other tests to make sure there wasn’t an underling cause for his low iron other than not eating enough food with iron and the fact he was growing. So if it were me I would take the pills and if you don’t feel some improvement after a month then look into it.
You can also get some cast iron pans (not the coated kind - just plain cast iron) and use them daily. This is a time-tested way to increase the iron in your diet.
I don’t know if this has been mentioned yet, but reduced hemoglobin could be a cause of your insomnia and general fatigue. Less hemoglobin leads to less oxygen circulating leading to fatigue and sleep issues. Do you ever have restless leg syndrome? Also a side effect. In addition to a good multivitamin, I’d follow your doctors advice and add some iron supplements. I personally like Spring Valley’s 65 mg, and loathe the liquid iron supplements.
Anemia isn’t typically “caused” by something, much less anything serious. Which is why your doctor is ‘simply’ recommending an increase in iron. Humans aren’t perfectly designed and imbalances do happen, which is why we take the steps to correct them. Especially when it comes to anemia, it can simply be a self-powered cycle: you don’t get enough iron in your food, your hemoglobin levels go down, causing your body to be able to produce less rbc, lowering hb levels, and so on and so forth. If you don’t eat iron-rich meat very often, you might just be suffering from a dietary imbalance; remember, your body absorbs heme iron better than non-heme iron. Avoid calcium and other calcium-rich products when ingesting iron, as it blocks absorption, but Vitamin C helps absorption.
Also, because of your anxiety, you likely also have a hormonal imbalance which could be affecting productions. You really need to follow your doctor’s orders with these regiments and go in for a monthly or quarterly check up to check your levels again instead of assuming your doctor is either apathetic or incompetent by not checking for some likely non-existent underlying condition.
Whenever I read the “if you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras” quotation in regards to medicine, I’m reminded that sheer luck led to my zebra diagnosis (I had a chondrosarcoma, a cancer that affects roughly 800 Americans a year, most of them far older than I was).
The OP is worried about her hemoglobin–fortunately, there are really very few causes of slightly reduced hemoglobin. If you have internal bleeding (or even severe menstrual periods), it generally goes far lower than the minor reduction described. For a minor reduction, dietary treatment and tincture of time is indeed indicated.
Your doctor knows more about your medical history than a bunch of strangers posting replies here. Sometimes, a supplement will fix a nutrient deficency problem easier and faster than trying to run every possible invasive test to come to the conclusion that a supplement is needed. It is possible that you just do not get enough dietary iron, or maybe your meds interfere with nutrient absorption. Make sure your primary doc is aware of all medications and supplements you are taking.
I think insurance companies are pressuring physicians to just prescribe not analyze.
I’ve had osteoporosis since I was 50, no risk factors except being female.
I was very puzzled by it, ( the lack of risk factors)but neither my rheumatologist or internist was interested in investigating, I suppose because it wouldn’t change treatment, which was to take vitamin D & calcium.
A mild deficiency, really isn’t unusual in of itself.
If it was ongoing, and getting worse despite attempts to correct it, then you could start looking at what is the cause.
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,20798655_4,00.html
I’d start keeping track of eating patterns, taking supplement/ cooking w cast iron, and get rechecked in a few months.
Really appreciate all the thoughtful responses. Making a list for myself to get the cast iron pans and I like the recommendation of checking in with my doctor after a month if no improvement.
For those of you who use cast iron pans for cooking, I read somewhere that it may not be ok for adult males though… do you cook in it for your whole family?
I also checked my multivitamin (Rainbow Light for Women) and am noticing that it only contains 6mg (33% of RDA) of Iron (as Amino Acid Chelate) so I am thinking I will probably switch to a One a Day which contains 100% of RDA. Since calcium seems to block absorption but is usually included in multivitamins, would it be ok to take the multivitamin that contains both? I used to take One a Day for years and then decided to switch to a more “natural” vitamin and didn’t pay much attention to the iron content.
Just keep in mind that packaged vitamins are not necessarily as well-absorbed as nutrients from foods. That’s not to say, don’t take vitamins, but make sure to also get iron-rich foods, like spinach and others.
Hey OP, I am going to concur with the advice to give it a month and see if it resolves with you taking supplements and watching your diet. It sounds like that is the way to go. Does taking steps to change your situation help you feel more empowered and in control? Can you focus on that?
I am sympathetic. I had a health surprise a few years ago. My doc assured me it was probably nothing (and she was right), but I couldn’t help but jump to the worst case scenario in my mind and had a six week wait to find out it was something benign. To manage my anxiety (and I am not clinical, or at least I don’t think so!) I exercised, talked to friends who had had this problem, did some research without becoming obsessive, and bought a few very expensive bottles of wine. I figured if my days were numbered, I could have a glass of great wine every night before bed!
OP - Many cases of anemia have no apparent causes, especially if the anemia is mild (as in your case). I have documented mild anemia that has lasted for at least 40 years. My doctors have looked for horses and zebras and no etiology has ever been determined. I don’t even think about it any more (unless I go to a new doctor who looks at some blood work and says “Did you know…”)
At one time I did worry about it, but now I realize that was time I wasted. I’m not saying YOUR worry is a waste of time or that all cases of anemia are benign - just saying that you shouldn’t let yourself get consumed by it. Don’t read the internet too much. And your doctor seems to be doing his job just fine.
By the way - there are lots of things that interfere with the absorption of iron. I drink a lot of iced tea which is bad for iron chelation (the tannic acid, I think) - although I’m not giving it up. (Really? A Southerner give up tea?!) Anyway, you may need to do more sleuthing than you think when it comes to your diet.
Regarding the vitamins - continue taking whatever multivitamin you prefer for all of your other minerals and vitamins, but take additionally a separate iron supplement, preferably at a separate time from your multivitamin, so as to avoid the calcium interaction. Your multivitamin’s probably not going to help your iron deficiency, but take it for everything else.
And yes, I forgot to mention, as said above - the tannic acid and tannins found primarily in tea also block iron absorption. So if you drink 3-4 cups a day like I do, that could easily explain your deficiency. Again, avoid this around the time you take the supplements to promote best absorption. Similarly, caffeine has been shown to reduce iron absorption, so in general try to cut down on that if it’s something you consume often - sodas, coffee, chocolate, tea, and avoid during the time you take supplements.
Not to worry you further, but iron supplements can be very harsh on your stomach and can cause other problems. I would suggest you increase your iron intake by eating more foods rich with iron. Good luck!
Yeah, the first couple of times you take supplements, you might experience stomach pain, nausea, etc. I was recommended to start in small increments - half a dose every two days, half a dose every day, full dose a day, to build up ‘tolerance’ to it. Do try to increase your iron from dietary sources, particularly heme sources, but don’t be dissuaded from taking supplements as the effects seem to wear off the longer you take it.
^^^This is why my son’ doc prescribed a slow release tab
I think your doctor likely meant that a level of just barely normal to just barely abnormal over a period of 2 years is not generally caused by anything serious.
To answer your question in the OP, yes, what he is recommending is a standard approach to mild anemia.
I second staying off the internet. The past several weeks I convinced myself that a small lump = a mass = cancer. Read too much on the internet, and my thoughts were really going to some bad places. Got it checked out yesterday. As soon as I told the doctor why I was there, he said, “Meh, it’s probably a blocked sebaceous gland.” And it was. I just had to laugh. I know better than to get on the internet. And I am a RN!
If you don’t get better, or you begin to feel significantly worse in the upcoming weeks, you can call the doctor’s office and request an order for a repeat blood test. You wouldn’t necessarily need to go back to the doctor himself for that.
I also second the recommendation to take a slow release iron pill. Those don’t seem to mess with your GI tract as badly.
Slow-released tabs aren’t absorbed as well as “regular” tabs, so they aren’t appropriate for everyone. Check with your doctor, op, but many don’t recommend them
Of course, the OP should follow the doc’s recommendation.
When I took iron, it did such a number on me that I quit taking them. Doc said “do you want to take these pills or have a transfusion?” He agreed to the slow release rather than risk my non compliance.
Thank you so much everyone for your suggestions! Will definitely be incorporating them and will try to review my diet and make the changes. Hoping it helps.