Has anyone on here had anaemia?

[green-veggie]

The OP has another thread which was started before this one, complaining about his/her doctor's lack of investigation on this matter.

 

Duh me! Thanks purdyamos. I thought I'd read the thread carefully, obviously not carefully enough.

[Classic Rock]

I tried giving blood last year and was told my iron levels were too low and was referred to the doc's. After some blood tests I was told I was slightly anaemic. Funnily enough I was losing a lot of hair at the time. I could run my hand through my hair and loads would come away. A course of iron tablets did the job and I'm fine now (although have to wait a year before giving blood again).

[ajd05]

If the GP does decide to take some blood tests tomorrow then obviously i will have to make an appointment for monday/tuesday to have the tests done and possibly get the results by the end of next week, but right now that's seems years away with how i am feeling.

[hennypenny]

My dad goes very pale and tired from time to time, and in the past has been tested and found amaemic. He doesn't like going to doctors and so it is difficult to get him tested :/

 

I have been buying him Floradix from the healthfood shop, and within a couple of weeks of taking some every day, his colour comes back and he starts taking an interest in life again.

 

Floradix is the best one for him because it doesn't make him constipated as iron tablets do. Spatone is ok for him too.

[ajd05]

Thanks hennypenny, it just depends on whether anaemia is causing this problem, although reading up on it there is certainly a chance that it could well be that.

Also it depends on the cause of the anaemia as if it's vitamin B12 or folic acid defienicy then iron tablets won't do anything for me.

[AGB1]

ajd05

The problem with doing all this reading up on diseases is that you take it out of context.

Let me give you a few medical facts:

Vitamin B12 deficiency is relatively rare in the Western world due to our diet. Those who do get it are usually women, with an auto-immune condition called pernicious anaemia. They're generally over 60 too.

 

Folic acid deficiency anaemia is more common, mainly because the stores in the body only last 3-4 months, whereas vitamin B12 lasts for years. Again it's very hard to not get enough folic acid in a western diet, most cases are caused by being an alcoholic, extreme anorexia or being very elderly. It's also commonly caused by diseases that cause malabsorption in the gut e.g. gluten sensitivity.

 

So that leaves us with iron-deficiency anaemia. Commonest causes are bleeding (menstruation), pregnancy, trauma and bleeding from your bum.

 

I'm not sure if you're a male or a female (I'd guess a male?) so it doesnt really help to narrow down the causes. But if you're not anorexic, you're not an alcoholic, you're not pregnant, you dont have symptoms of another disease and you're not actively bleeding from some orifice then I'd say you're more than likely not anaemic.

 

What I'm really trying to say is, and I've said it before, trust your doctors. They've got years of experience, will of seen 100's if not 1000's of patients with anaemia and similar symptoms to yours.

 

Ordering a blood test because a patient wants it is not good practice, so don't be surprised if they say no when you ask them. This is not negligence or being unfair, it is a clinical decision based on facts!

[ajd05]

What worries me is my weakness.....my arms and legs feel very weak and so does my mouth, i'm not sure whether anaemia makes you very weak, it feels worse than the weakeness you get when you have flu.

 

What would be people's advice if i see my GP tomorrow and yet again no action is taken and no blood tests are done despite my request's because i did hint for a blood test on monday when i saw a GP.

[ajd05]

In response to your post AGB1 there is something wrong with me and i don't think it is something minor, maybe i am not anaemic but surely if i keep going to my GP because i am feeling more and more unwell then something should be done? if i am feeling worse and keep seeing different doctors and nothing is done then surely that is negligence? what if after i have seen these doctor's i were to collapse or something happened to me and i had seen GP's several times to try and get something done about it?

[AGB1]

Ok - if you think there is something seriously wrong with you then call an ambulance or get to A&E.

 

I sincerely hope they do give you a blood test tomorrow, and I sincerely hope they come back negative, to put your mind at ease. However I dont agree that GPs should be forced/bullied/emotionally blackmailed to do these investigations in order to appease patients. That's just my opinion, and yes it may be biased as I work in the NHS.

[ajd05]

Well i'm not sure if there's something seriously wrong with me it just doesn't feel as if it's something minor.

It would be very reassuring to have some blood tests done especially if they were negative but don't you agree that if i am feeling worse and worse and i keep going back to see my GP then something should be done? i dont get checked over, no blood pressure is taken, no temperature is taken, i am not looked at closely, they just say it's probably down to this and leave it at that, surely more than that should be done? i just don't get it.

 

There is no doubt in my mind though if i keep going to see different GP's at this surgery and nothing is done even after i have requested tests to be done and something were to happen to me i would definitley have to take some kind of legal action or speak to the gmc about it.