Blood test came back 11.7 border anemia - Page 2

hckynutjohn · ‎06-15-2015

@hondagirl

For many 11.7 is not a bad number. I personally do not see it as border line anemia. I know the Red Cross would not allow my wife to give blood if her hemoglobin was below 12. Some show for a female that 9.5-13gpd to be in the normal range.

I had anemia most if the 7+ years I was on Coumadin(Warfarin) blood thinner. When I spent many weeks in the hospital with my right colon bleeding, my hemoglobin ran as low as 6.7gpd.

Then I needed at least 3 units of blood transfusion to get it hopefully up to 9.0. Usually also needed 500ml of Iron, also an infusion which is the same process as a blood transfusion, but a much higher risk of a physical reaction. One of the worst being Anaphylactic Shock.

You might do some research online to find the more iron rich foods. Hemoglobin readings can vary by the hour and your 11.7 could easily be a 12.3 a few hours later. In the hospital when mine was under 7.0, they would draw my blood every 6 hours. My next reading many times moved up as much as a 0.7, with no intervening transfusions.

hckynut(john)

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

As a blood and platelet donor, my hemoglobin has to be 12.5 in order to donate---mine generally runs 14.5. I eat liver at least once a month, red meat, dried beans and raisins weekly. I take an iron supplement twice a week.

luvdoodles · ‎06-19-2010

I am border line anemic both b12 and iron. Went into instant menopause after chemo at age 39 and was told never to take an iron supplement. I do get it through my diet and a multi vitamin for the B12. After menopause or age above 50 iron supplements are not recommended. That's what I was told by my primary dr and my oncologist. Just be careful if you take an iron supplement as it can be constipating which is a whole different issue. Andrew Lessmans multi vitaman has made me feel much better, much more energy. Hope you find something that works for you.

dsky · ‎07-02-2010

My iron runs low also, a couple of years ago it was a 6, in fact that year they didn't tell me it was low, go figure. (I read my blood work results a year later for other reason and saw that it was a 6). Anyway I will go over what I did to improve it, and most of these have already been suggested. Cook in an iron skillet, 2 teaspoons a day of black strap mollasses, Andrew Lessman's Iron supplement, take any iron supplement with a Vitamin C, will help to absorb the iron, also just taking Vitamin C will help you absorb the iron from the foods you are currently eating. Total cereal has 100 percent iron in it. Don't take an iron supplement within 4 hours of thyroid meds. I visually check my iron by pulling the lower eyelid down and check the color of the inner rim, if it is reddish that is great, very pale means a lack of iron. Remember you can't keep taking high amounts of iron because that too is dangerous. Mine has inched up pretty fine since menopause, it always is on the lower end of the range but that is just fine.

hckynutjohn · ‎06-15-2015

@dsky wrote:
My iron runs low also, a couple of years ago it was a 6, in fact that year they didn't tell me it was low, go figure. (I read my blood work results a year later for other reason and saw that it was a 6). Anyway I will go over what I did to improve it, and most of these have already been suggested. Cook in an iron skillet, 2 teaspoons a day of black strap mollasses, Andrew Lessman's Iron supplement, take any iron supplement with a Vitamin C, will help to absorb the iron, also just taking Vitamin C will help you absorb the iron from the foods you are currently eating. Total cereal has 100 percent iron in it. Don't take an iron supplement within 4 hours of thyroid meds. I visually check my iron by pulling the lower eyelid down and check the color of the inner rim, if it is reddish that is great, very pale means a lack of iron. Remember you can't keep taking high amounts of iron because that too is dangerous. Mine has inched up pretty fine since menopause, it always is on the lower end of the range but that is just fine.

@dsky,

Are you saying your Hemoglobin Blood reading was 6gpd or your Iron Ferritin Level was 6? First I cannot imagine any doctor with a Medical License not telling their patient with a Hemoglobin number that low they are in very serious trouble. And if your Ferritin Blood reading was 6? My Hematologist would be scheduling an Iron Infusion as soon as possible?

I also cannot fathom how that doctor would not immediately send you to the closest ER to start a blood transfusion to keep you from dying. With a number that low I can't imagine you even being able to function.

When my numbers were below 7.0gpd, I was tired just walking a couple feet in the hospital. With those low numbers your body is not getting sufficient Oxygen to the muscles, including the most important muscle THE HEART.

During my almost 7 year battle with anemia, I can't see how anyone with a 6.0gpd Hemoglobin Blood reading could go a year without knowing something was not right. My weeks in the hospital when my number got down below 9.5gpd, I had 2 units of B-Pos Blood transfused every single time.

Must be something I am missing or misunderstanding in your post that I quoted above. Care to help me understand, as your experience is not even close to mine? I am very interested in hearing the precise details of your experience with anemia, if you care to share.

hckynut(john)

Nataliesgramma · ‎03-28-2015

You can make smoothies with the spinach and Kale and get the benefits without actually eating it....

Toppers · ‎01-01-2015

@hckynutjohn wrote:
@dsky wrote:
My iron runs low also, a couple of years ago it was a 6, in fact that year they didn't tell me it was low, go figure. (I read my blood work results a year later for other reason and saw that it was a 6). Anyway I will go over what I did to improve it, and most of these have already been suggested. Cook in an iron skillet, 2 teaspoons a day of black strap mollasses, Andrew Lessman's Iron supplement, take any iron supplement with a Vitamin C, will help to absorb the iron, also just taking Vitamin C will help you absorb the iron from the foods you are currently eating. Total cereal has 100 percent iron in it. Don't take an iron supplement within 4 hours of thyroid meds. I visually check my iron by pulling the lower eyelid down and check the color of the inner rim, if it is reddish that is great, very pale means a lack of iron. Remember you can't keep taking high amounts of iron because that too is dangerous. Mine has inched up pretty fine since menopause, it always is on the lower end of the range but that is just fine.

@dsky,

Are you saying your Hemoglobin Blood reading was 6gpd or your Iron Ferritin Level was 6? First I cannot imagine any doctor with a Medical License not telling their patient with a Hemoglobin number that low they are in very serious trouble. And if your Ferritin Blood reading was 6? My Hematologist would be scheduling an Iron Infusion as soon as possible?

I also cannot fathom how that doctor would not immediately send you to the closest ER to start a blood transfusion to keep you from dying. With a number that low I can't imagine you even being able to function.

When my numbers were below 7.0gpd, I was tired just walking a couple feet in the hospital. With those low numbers your body is not getting sufficient Oxygen to the muscles, including the most important muscle THE HEART.

During my almost 7 year battle with anemia, I can't see how anyone with a 6.0gpd Hemoglobin Blood reading could go a year without knowing something was not right. My weeks in the hospital when my number got down below 9.5gpd, I had 2 units of B-Pos Blood transfused every single time.

Must be something I am missing or misunderstanding in your post that I quoted above. Care to help me understand, as your experience is not even close to mine? I am very interested in hearing the precise details of your experience with anemia, if you care to share.

hckynut(john)

Hi @hckynutjohn,

I'm always interested in reading about others' experiences here.

I have been anemic and have been able to bring my own iron level back up due to taking OTC iron supplements under my doctor's care and careful guidance.

I have regular blood tests routinely taken for various health reasons, but for awhile I was having blood tests taken more frequently due to his concern over my hemoglobin levels.

They were low enough, and he was getting concerned with them getting too low.

If I recall correctly, he was talking about 8 being the "cut-off" number so to speak, where he would then be talking about sending me over to our hospital specialty lab for transfusions, and seeing a specialist, and so on.

You are so right-this can be so very serious, and if you have any type of anemia going on, your doctor is going to keep a careful watch over you.

I'm happy to say that my numbers are much better now and are up in the normal range.

What happened with me is that I am going through menopause and was having very consistently heavy cycles for awhile, and the doctor thinks that had something to do with what was happening with me being anemic.

halfpint1 · ‎03-10-2010

Going through dh's papers. He never talked much about his illnesses but saw diagnosis on anemia it has D64.9. Can anyone tell me what that could of meant?

hckynutjohn · ‎06-15-2015

@halfpint1 wrote:
Going through dh's papers. He never talked much about his illnesses but saw diagnosis on anemia it has D64.9. Can anyone tell me what that could of meant?

@halfpint1

If you are asking about blood readings pertaining to Anemia, the only readings I can think of, with my experiences, this MIGHT be an Iron Ferritin reading.

I think that Iron Ferritin is ones storage of Iron. I do know that if my level of Ferritin gets below 30, I have to get an Iron Infusion. I have lost count how many 500ml Infusions I have had, but it is well into the 20's.

Have no idea what that might be other than maybe the level of Vitamin D in his blood.

hckynut(john)

Lacey1 · ‎03-09-2010

@halfpint1 wrote:
Going through dh's papers. He never talked much about his illnesses but saw diagnosis on anemia it has D64.9. Can anyone tell me what that could of meant?

It may refer to the ICD code, used for diagnostic purposes.

http://www.hipaaspace.com/Medical_Billing/Coding/ICD-10/Diagnosis/D641