Hi,

I'm new to this board and hoping to find some answers. I was anemic (hemoglobin 9.3) due to dysfunctional uterine bleeding. I had a D&C after five weeks of this. A few days after the D&C I started noticing shortness of breath and a fast heart rate just walking across the room. I also developed palpitations that occurred several times a day, every day. I had a chest x-ray, pulmonary function tests, echocardiogram, and a nuclear stress test, all of which were normal. My cardiologist told me my symptoms were probably just due to the anemia. I was taking extra iron for about a month after the D&C. I recently had a repeat hemoglobin and it was normal. My symptoms have been so bad that I'm taking a beta blocker to regulate my heart rate and palpitations. It's making me feel pretty normal again, but if I skip even one dose, the symptoms return. My question: Is this normal to still be having symptoms this long? If so, how long does it take to recuperate? Thanks!

First off, remember that everyone is different. My blood values have never gone as low as yours but I did not get these side effects (well, I did but to a very minor degree). Anyway, while you may no longer be anemic, you are probably still VERY iron deficient. Iron deficiency occurs prior to the anemia setting in.

You probably should have a ferritin test done. This will see how much iron you have stored. If the value of the test is really low, this could explain your symptoms even though there is no more anemia.

If the values are normal, then you probably need to start looking at other causes.