

Anemia Message Board

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[QUOTE=ladybud;5399491]It seems to me you need to see a hematologist, get on B12 injections, a high dose Vit D supplement, and possibly iron infusions. I would not accept this "brush-off". You must find out why you are so anemic, and if you have pernicious anemia (autoimmune B12 deficiency) or a malabsorption problem like celiac disease as well as iron deficiency. Celiac can cause all your deficiencies, and that is figured out by blood tests and endoscopy. If you have been on iron supplements for 3 months and see no increase in ferritin, you are not absorbing oral iron. I hope you will get better care and in the meantime, start supplementing your Vit D with 5000 U per day and your B12 sublingually with 2000 mcg/day until you get on injections. Take Vit C with your iron to aid absorption, but you need a hematologist. Good luck, this will get better with proper treatment.[/QUOTE]

Hi Ladybud, thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention, I was tested for Celiac and am negative. I have a good idea why I'm having these malabsorption problems already. I had a gastric bypass in 2008. Although I never had any abnormal labs until 2014, so it may or may not be related. When I had the mysterious GI bleed, the first thing they tested for was Celiac and that's why they did the endoscopy and colonoscopy. They did a biopsy just to be safe and it was negative. No pylops or anything.

My dr is having me get an RX vitamin D and take OTC iron and b12. I'm supposed to have labs done again in 12 weeks. I have been taking 1000-1500mg of vitamin C daily. If I don't start feeling better in a couple weeks with all these other supplements added, I think you're right. I should probably insist to see a hematologist. I just have been afraid to go because when I was down to 7.9, I had so many doctors telling me that it wasn't that big of a deal and that I just needed to take an iron supplement. My PCP was furious. But she doesn't want me to take b12 injections yet until I try this with the OTC stuff. I wonder if the D and B12 will help my HGB go up or if they're not related? They haven't been testing my iron, only my CBC. They tested my iron one time over a year ago and that's how they knew it was related to iron, but apparently my b12 was low too. I don't know. I don't want to push for extra stuff I don't need either, but it's been a year and a half of torturous fatigue and getting worse :(

Thank you for your input!


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