Anyone With A Past Case Of Anemia?

[sue1234]

I was reading today about anemia. I know we have talked recently about sometimes having a high hematocrit or normal. I was wondering how they would really know if we had anemia if we have low plasma. When we have low blood volume, it's not like we bled out, so lost equal amounts of RBCs and plasma.

I am pasting something from a pathologist's website:

http://web2.iadfw.net/uthman/anemia/anemia.html

If you read through the first section, it talks about RBCs and HCT being "relative" to total blood volume. In the little chart, it shows the four ways to interpret anemia(or not anemia, the last one). This last one made me think--we would kind of be the opposite of that one. Instead of too much plasma, we would be low on plasma. That in turn would make us seem like we had normal or high HCT.

So, what if we are really anemic, but everything looks good because of our whacky fluid status? I was reading further down in that article that in anemia, blood shunts away from the skin(thus the pale look) to steer blood to more vital areas. If that's the case, I could see why sweating would quit. It also said that vasoconstriction happens in general, and specifically peripheral vaso., to get the blood to the vital areas. That would kind of make sense, too, with all of our symptoms of increasing b/p when in need of more oxygen, such as plain ol' standing and walking to the bathroom.

I have a history of anemia that I thought got corrected with diet alone. But, with gluten intolerance and possible h. pylori looming in my gut, maybe I have not been getting my nutrients. And, for whatever reason that we seem volume-depleted, maybe a true anemia is not showing like it should. If that would be the case, maybe fixing that would fix the POTS.

[flop]

Hi Sue,

there are other parts of a Full Blood Count (UK FBC, USA CBC) that would give clues to anaemia. The size of the actual red blood cells (MCV = mean cell volume) can be a big clue. If you are deficient in iron (eg from bleeding, from poor absorption in the gut or from lack of iron in your diet) then the red cells are smaller than normal. Having overly large red blood cells can also be a sign of anaemia - large cells are often a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

So if your MCV is normal it is much less likely that you have undiagnosed anaemia.

Flop

[Dizzysillyak]

I was iron and B12 anemic in 2006 when I was tested and that was one year after going GFCF, etc free. Eating rare beef and buffalo cooked in a cast iron pan fixed my numbers within 6 months, but I still feel the need to eat like this at least once or twice a week. If I use a cast iron pan too often though, I get a funky / greyish color to my blondishe hair ...

[flop]

I don't think that using the cast iron pan could cause your hair to change colour. Hair is dead tissue (keratin) so any change from diet etc would only show in new hair growth at the roots. Hair colour is due to melanin (the same pigment that causes skin colour), again changes in colour would occur slowly over time.

Flop

[Dizzysillyak]

I don't think that using the cast iron pan could cause your hair to change colour. Hair is dead tissue (keratin) so any change from diet etc would only show in new hair growth at the roots. Hair colour is due to melanin (the same pigment that causes skin colour), again changes in colour would occur slowly over time.

Flop

Sounds funny, I know ... I never looked into it but I figured it was a heavy metal reaction. All I know is that my hair changes color pretty easily within days. I have areas near my face that turn from a light grey to white to blondish regularly. Sun light will make it change but so will shampoos. And if I eat from the cast iron pan too often, it turns a darker ugly sort of grey color ...

[lissy]

I have been thinking about this awaiting my results from my blood volume test...How many people have actually had this test??? And was that part of the testing (anemia) I'm speaking? I really hope it was because I can't find much info about causes for low blood volume I have read about anemia having something to do with it.

I'm getting more and more worried I have been ill for years now and can it get worse if you have low blood volume and anemia left untreated its just kinda bizarre how would I go through remission if thats the case...???

Any extra info would be greatly appreciated.

[handmadebyemy]

I was anemic in 2005 but my levels came up within 6 months on an iron supplement. I guess its pretty common for women to be anemic, esp if they have heavy periods.

[sue1234]

I guess what I am thinking of, which is complicated, is what our RBCs/HCT are like in relation to our blood volume. Most of us wake up in the morning feeling dehydrated and begin our daily routine of ingesting massive loads of salt and water/liquids. In the morning, our RBCs and HCT may seem fine on a blood draw, and all seems fine hematologically as far as ratio of things to volume. As the day goes on, we accomplish our purpose of building up our intravascular fluid, and by the end of the day, our RBCs/HCT might be diluted, which would probably be our normal status if we WERE normal and not having low blood volume.

We are complicated to begin with. I'm just trying to see if our bodies are giving us all these reactions because of our iron status. ALL of the POTS symptoms are the same as anemia. If you go to an anemia forum, everyone's complaints mimic POTS. It's actually uncanny!

[Dizzysillyak]

I guess what I am thinking of, which is complicated, is what our RBCs/HCT are like in relation to our blood volume. Most of us wake up in the morning feeling dehydrated and begin our daily routine of ingesting massive loads of salt and water/liquids. In the morning, our RBCs and HCT may seem fine on a blood draw, and all seems fine hematologically as far as ratio of things to volume. As the day goes on, we accomplish our purpose of building up our intravascular fluid, and by the end of the day, our RBCs/HCT might be diluted, which would probably be our normal status if we WERE normal and not having low blood volume.

We are complicated to begin with. I'm just trying to see if our bodies are giving us all these reactions because of our iron status. ALL of the POTS symptoms are the same as anemia. If you go to an anemia forum, everyone's complaints mimic POTS. It's actually uncanny!

Hi Sue

I don't wake up dehydrated if I drink plenty of salt water thoughout the day the day prior. I stopped going to the bathroom all the time a few months ago. I "think" taking AZO helped but of course I had to give up the supplements (B2) that were causing it too.

As far as severe anemia mimicking POTS ...

When I was severely anemic from excessive menses to the point of needing a tranfusion if I started bleeding again, I felt extremely weak all the time but especially while going upstairs. I live in a condo and I had to sit down every few steps and rest for a minute or two .. I still get winded everytime I go upstairs, but NOTHING like that. It's a intense weakness that I can only relate to being iron anemic ... possibly B12 too though since both were discovered and treated at the same time.

Speaking of B12, I'm taking adenosyl B12, MB 12 and they appear to be helping my muscle weakness. I've been fine energywise and strengthwise for over a month except that my brain isn't keeping up yet. lol ... I'm still experimenting with these to see how much I need. So far, 1000 mg of MB12 and 3000 Mg of Adb12 are making me feel a little too energized ...

[Lisa77]

I had to have iv iron infusions and b12 shots starting around February or March of this year. After the 8 series iron infusions I started feeling better, not more energetic or anything but I was actually able to wake up in the mornings without much issue and with no type of irritibility. Now however my labs are showing my iron levels are getting low again. I won't worry unless mornings become nightmarish again!