Anemia

[bbq33]

I am a 54 year old male. My whole life had normal blood readings. I was feeling very tired lately so I went to the doctor. My tests said I had a very low red blood count. I was tested for stomach and large intestant problems with a camera but the results were negative for bleeding ect. I am now taking Iron pills.
Does anyone know what the best treatment is for this?
I would like to stay away from prescription medicines but will take them if I need to.
bbq33

[daisydorcas]

Have you had your kidneys looked at?

It is my understanding that kidneys are involved with the release of a "hormone" that triggers your body to make more red blood cells.  If your kidneys are not able to do so on a regular enough bases, you can become anemic.  I must take Procrit shots every 3 weeks or so to keep my levels up.  My kidneys have been damaged by cryogoblinenmia.

daisy

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,
How are you? There are different kinds of anemia and may be divided to : excessive blood loss anemia, excessive red blood cell destruction, and deficient red blood cell production. It is important that the cause is known. Treatment with  iron supplementation and diet modification is usually recommended. And it is important that you return for follow-up with your doctor to see if there was improvement.
It also helps to note of the possible side effects of iron supplementation like diarrhea, constipation, stomach upset, and heartburn. Iron-rich foods such as dark-green leafy vegetables, artichokes, apricots, beans, lentils, chick peas, soybeans, meat, nuts, prunes, and raisins are also recommended. Take care and do keep us posted.

[bbq33]

I started iron supplements about 2 weeks ago. My Doctor said to take them with orange juice as they work better in an acidic stomach. I do feel a lot stronger now. I'm going to make another appointment with my Doctor to check my blood again. If it hasn't improved I'm going to fly down to Seattle to see a specialist. There are doctors in Washington that have delt with this more often than doctors in Alaska.

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hello,
It is good that you are feeling stronger now.Continue to be pro-active with your condition and do keep us posted with your next check-up. Take care and best regards.