Hi, I don't know if anyone is still reading this but I'm in a similar boat as you and I was wondering if you ended up with a diagnosis? Thanks! :)
Oh, I see. I guess I'm not familiar with all of that. It sounds like we have different types of anemia.
I don't have iron deficiency. So said a hematologist. My soluble transferrin receptor is good. Ferritin is over 50, but it is not a good indicator, because I have chronic infection. Tansferrin has not been measured for me. I have lots of red cells and my total hemopglobin is high. The hematologist said, that I may have hemoglobinopathy, ie abnormal hemoglobin molecules.
No, I didn't have defects in my hemoglobin molecules, I didn't have beta thalassemia. But possible alpha tahlassemia could not be studied with the hemoglobin fraction test. So, I have diagnised myself that I have secondary anemia.
White cell count may be high during an infection, but it may also be low due to wearing off too many cells. My white cell count is normal, but sometimes I have lymphocytosis (more lymphocytes than neutrophils).
I haven't been diagnosed with anything yet. Do you also have low transferrin? I have read that sometimes when low iron is seen with low transferrin, doctors will sometimes misdiagnose iron deficiency and advise the patient to take iron supplements, which can be dangerous. So, I am just holding off on that for now. I am taking multivitamins without iron. With chronic infection, would you white blood cell count be high? Mine is on the lower end of normal, so I can't imagine that I have an infection.
Do you have any chronic infection? I may have 'secondary anemia' possibly due to chronic infection. My hematologist said that I do not need iron supplement. I have also read that excess iron is even dangerous if one does not have iron deficiency.
Thanks for responding! I guess I'm mostly concerned about the low transferrin. Like you said, in iron deficiency, TIBC is usually high. So, would this mean that I'm not truly iron deficient? I have read that taking iron supplements with low transferrin can be dangerous and put me at risk for iron overload.. I don't know what to do. I am still waiting for a referral to see a hematologist and am scared that this could all point to a liver problem - the low transferrin. It seems from what I have read that low iron and low transferrin, together, is an unusual phenomenon.
Hi!
To assess a patient’s iron status, measurements of iron, TIBC (total iron binding capacity) and measurement of ferritin are performed. Transferrin is a substance that transports iron in the plasma. If the saturation is below 20%, the amount of iron carried by transferrin is decreased. In this situation it is also expected that the absolute serum iron will be low. Normally in iron deficiency, iron is low, TIBC is high, percent saturation is low and ferritin is low. The iron can be low due to poor diet or due to inability of gut to absorb iron as seen in malabsorption syndromes, IBS etc. Once the cause is found and corrected, then the lost iron is replaced by iron therapy, either in form of pills, capsules or syrups, or as injectable preparations. Consult your PCP regarding this. You should ideally consult a hematologist for this. Take care!
The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.