I was diagnosed with anemia about 8 months ago my hemoglobin was 10.2 since then i have taken iron pills and followed up with my doctor! As of last week my hemoglobin was 7.3 and i followed up with my doctor and she repeated my labs AGAIN! She said that she needed to investigate and she what the problem was..... I don't have heavy periods nor do i have blood in my stool i have been tested and it came back negative! I am worried about what could be wrong the past few weeks i have been very tired and lightheaded and very dizzy....i get so dizzy that my head starts to hurt and i feel like i am going to pass out! I have also had my sugar level tested and everthing is fine!
Does aanyone know if there is anything that i can do to help with my symptoms and give me more enegy and maybe some ways to get my hemoglobin levels up!! Thanks
Also i have two lumps one on the bottom of my abdomen and one on the back of my calf at the top! odd shaped!!
I am17 years old if this helps and a female!
2007-10-26 14:43:35 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
The lump on my abdomen is very tender when you press on it but the one in my leg is not it is just large and odd shaped!
2007-10-26 15:09:14 · update #1
Your hemoglobin ( HgB) should be 12-16. Decreased levels can be caused by several factors:
1) Anemia ( low blood)
2) Severe hemorrhage ( loss of blood)
3) Nutritional deficiency
4) SLE ( Systemic lupus erythematosus) or Lupus ( an autoimmune disease)
5) Kidney Disease
6) Sickle cell anemia
Based on the symptoms that you described, it may be due to anemia or blood loss. I'm uncertain if the lumps that you have are related but, at this point, you should request to be evaluated by a Hematologist ( blood specialist) to determine what is causing your anemia.
I hope that this helps and Good Luck!! Ruth
2007-10-26 15:11:40 · answer #1 · answered by Ruth 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Low iron can be very serious. I'm anemic and suffer from low iron too. I'm taking it 3 times a day right now. What do you take your iron with? Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Milk on the other hand works against your body absorbing it. I'm instructed to take my iron on an empty stomache and not to drink milk or anything with lots of calcium for an hour afterwards. Also eat iron rich foods like seafood, dried fruits, cereal and bread fortified with iron, whole grains, green leafy veggies, nuts, beans and meats. Even though you don't have heavy periods your body is still losing blood every month. If you are on birth control you can ask to be switched to one containing iron. Not long ago I was feeling horrible. Dizzy to the point where I'd have to grab something to steady myself, terrible headaches, and tired all the time. My iron stores are half of what they should be and my hemoglobin was around 9.2. When I was pregnant with my second daughter I wound up in the hospital with a kidney infection and they had to keep rechecking my hemoglobin because they thought there was some kind of mistake. (They woke me up 4 times in the middle of the night to draw more blood). It was at 6.8 if I remember correctly. I was immediately put on iron twice a day. For me it hereditary, both my dad and brother suffer from anemia too. Our bodies just don't want to absorb it apparently.
Sometimes when you are really worried about what's going on you have to be persistant and well pushy. Tell your doctor you feel awful and that you need some answers and results. Ask her flat out what could cause your iron to drop so low while taking supplements. And don't let her get away with being evasive or dodging questions. Sit down and write down whatever you think may be important in figuring out what is going on. Do not hold anything back. Your doc isn't there to judge you or think you're silly for complaining about not feeling well. She's there to treat and take care of your health. If you feel she isn't holding up her end of the bargain then find another doctor.
I hope all is well and that you will have some closure and relief pretty soon.
2007-10-26 22:06:30 · answer #2 · answered by luvmybabies 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You're dizzy and tired because your hemoglobin is so low. Your doctor may recommend a blood transfusion.
I know it's really lame to have to deal with all the testing and stuff, especially when you're 17 and have so many other things you'd rather be doing. But this is pretty important. Put up with the tests and appointments to see where the blood is going, or if it's not being produced.
Good luck!
2007-10-26 23:03:36 · answer #3 · answered by travelnurse2go 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a doc or nurse.. But I went through simular thing thing this bast summer....My hemoglobin was a 10.8 the dr. put me on iron tables (a very high dose) but mine slowly came up. A 7.3 seams to me pretty low & taking iron it should have came up but remember I'm not a Dr. Your Dr. neds to take a serum iron studie to find out why your anemic. I am still going through the process myself.... they need to find out if I have a micro bleed some where. I since have had a colonoscpy, a stool test for blood & A endoscopy everything came back normal excepy the endoscopy (polyp in stomac & waiting patholoigy report to date) The llumps are a consurne to me as well get them checked. The light headness & dizzyness are all signes of teh low iron. If you are not liking what your Dr. is doing with all do respecct go get a second opinon best of luck to you... I'm sure your going to be fine.
2007-10-26 22:21:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your Hemoglobin count should be at 14...
Taking too many Iron pills is also very bad for you. Dont take more than 1 pill a day.
At younger ages such as the teen years it is common for girls to be anemic. Change your Diet. Make sure you are eating all four food groups.
As for your energy levels. Do you have Jamba Juice near you? Get a jamba Juice with an Energy boost. It contains Vitamin B which is a great vitamin for feeling energy!
Keep everything natural and I think you will be just fine. :)
Consult your Dr. regularly which you are.
Hope it helps.
2007-10-26 21:52:17 · answer #5 · answered by Zarro Z 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
As noted by most all other responders, there are many things the lumps could be, and your dr. does not seem to be paying enough attention to that....you need a specialist, which could be a hematologist (at least initially)...if iron was the only problem, the answer would be simple...drop the worthless iron pills and get Kelp.
2007-10-26 22:51:15 · answer #6 · answered by robzon69 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a test that can be done to tell if you have any tumors growing in your body. I think it is called a T-cell test? Not sure, but, ask you doctor for "The Test" that is used for determining cancer growths. Since you have the two lumps, and you are also anemic, it seems to point toward that. I hope I am wrong.
2007-10-26 21:51:24 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You have an iron shortage, and possibly a red blood cell shortage. There could be multiple reasons for this condition, and the lumps are serious concerns. I would suggest you see a doctor who treats your condition more seriously, it doesn't sound like your doctor is doing enough to diagnose the cause.
2007-10-26 21:46:32 · answer #8 · answered by Steve C 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I hate to say it but you may have leukemia.
My grandma had it and her hemoglobin was low.
Her body just didn't make it so she had to get blood transfusions, she was 89 though.
I hope they can figure out what is causing it for you.
Sometimes the body doesn't make enough hemoglobin or it makes too many white blood cells.
I think you need everyone to pray for you.
2007-10-26 21:49:47 · answer #9 · answered by Tigger 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You need a colonscopy that will determine if you have any kind of intestial bleeding. Anemia will make you feel weak and sometimes pass out. Be careful and get back to see your doctor asap.
2007-10-26 21:52:37 · answer #10 · answered by andre0504 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋