possible anemia?

10-30-2013, 08:18 AM

Hello,

For the last few years I have been increasing my running and exercise but over the last few months I have no energy to do anything.I am a 35 yr old male.My running has dramatically gone done. I am getting headaches fatigue seem like muscles dont recover and stay sore for awhile also getting a sore tongue.
I just had my blood tests and received a letter from dr saying possible anemia but thats it.

Ferritin(serum) 31 30-250
WBC count 8.6 4.6-10.2 10^3/uL
RBC 4.54 4.69-6.13 10^6/uL
HGB 15.0 13.7-16.5 g/dL
HCT 43.7 43.5-53.7 %
MCV 96.3 80.0-98.0 fL
MCH 33.0 27.0-34.0 pg
MCHC 34.3 31.8-35.4 g/dL
RDW 12.2 11.6-14.8 %
PLT 154 142-424 10^3/uL
MPV 9.1 7.4-10.4 fL
NE% 73.2 37.0-80.0 %
LY% 15.4 10.0-50.0 %
MO% 8.4 0.0-12.0 %
EO% 2.7 0.0-7.0 %
BA% 0.3 0.0-2.5 %
NE# 6.4 2.0-6.9 10^3/uL
LY# 1.3 0.6-3.4 10^3/uL
MO# 0.7 0.0-0.9 10^3/uL
EO# 0.2 0.0-0.7 10^3/uL
BA# 0.0 0.0-2.5 10^3/uL

also my co2 came back high 30 (22-29)

does this sound like some sort of anemia?

Thanks

10-30-2013, 01:32 PM

Yes, I think you are borderline anemic with iron deficiency, but I am thinking because your cell size and cell hemoglobin concentration is at upper limits of range that you may have another factor at work here. I would ask to get Vit B12 and folate levels done, as low levels can cause anemia, and some people have iron and B vitamin deficiencies that coexist and make them anemic. B vitamin deficiencies also cause a sore tongue. All these things can be supplemented, and the question is why are you deficient? Is it based on diet deficiency or poor absorption from the GI tract which can be caused by things like celiac disease.

10-30-2013, 01:45 PM

Hello I had a celiac blood test and also a biopsy during an endoscope and it came up negative. I also had a b12 test B12 542 180-914 pg/ml and also a folic acid which came out to 415 with no referance range. Kind of embarrassing but I do often get bad hemmroids that tend to bleed not sure if that can cause an issue.

10-30-2013, 02:03 PM

You'd have to have severe and often bleeding to cause anemia. When you start taking iron supplements, it can make you constipated, which will bother the hemorrhoids, so you might want to take a stool softener daily to prevent it, and take the iron with Vit C to enhance its absorption. If how you are feeling is from the anemia, it should get better by a month or two gradually, but will take your ferritin a few more months to get to a good level, around 50. Your Dr. should be guiding that and doing follow-up blood tests.

10-30-2013, 03:45 PM

So you think I might benefit from taking iron supplement. Does a lower ferritin cause you to get winded faster when exercising?

10-30-2013, 07:06 PM

Yes, and that should improve with treatment.

10-30-2013, 07:21 PM

Thanks. Should I be concerned about the low platlets?

10-30-2013, 07:34 PM

I'm not sure why your platelets were flagged, as they are 154K, within normal range, so I don't think this is a problem at all.

10-31-2013, 09:30 AM

Hi ladybug, Just have one more question you seem really knowledgable about this subject thanks. Could low ferritin cause muscles to stay sore longer after working out. Does ferritin help the muscles recover from exercise? Also seems I start to get a headache when I start to exercise seems weird.

10-31-2013, 11:44 AM

I can only answer with an educated guess, not from experience. It seems reasonable that low ferritin and borderline anemia would slow recovery from exercise because the hemoglobin carries oxygen to the muscle. When exercising your muscles are using extra oxygen, so if not as much O2 is getting to muscle, it makes sense it could delay the recovery as far as cellular metabolism. I'm not sure about the headaches. Maybe others who have more personal experience with low ferritin and exercise tolerance/recovery will post with more info.

possible anemia?

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