What is Anemia
Anemia (or anaemia), which literally means "without blood," is a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. This results in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to t...
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Hi
I've just joined this group, and thought I'd say hello. I was diagnosed with Iron deficiency back in March of this year, following a noticeable drop in fitness, and a prolonged period of problems with my 'regularity' (trying not to paint too pretty a picture here). I'd previously had no problems with my fitness: Up to the beginning of the year, I had been running 10k races, and swimming 500m every time I went to the pool. At the start of this year though, my fitness began to drop off, and I was unable to run even short distances. Since my initial diagnosis, I've been on Iron supplements, whilst undergoing all sorts of investigations. There's a suspicion that I'm loosing blood somewhere in my digestive tract. I've been examined (from both ends!) with no causes found, and I'm due to have Capsular Endoscopy to check my intenstines. Over the recent month though, my fitness has dropped really low (to the point where I can no longer make the 5 minute walk to the bus stop without knackering myself out) and I've been getting significant periods where I'm loosing control of my 'regularity'. It's a public holiday here in the UK. This time last year, I was out training for a half marathon. This year, I've spent the 3 day weekend stuck in my apartment, watching DVDs. The fatigue is a pain in the proverbial, but understandable, and relatively easy to manage. The loss of reliance on my bowels, to the point where I'm not even comfortable leaving the apartment in case I get caught out, is however frankly just embarrasing. I'm fortunate that my employers are sympathetic, and I can do most of my work from home, but it's not ideal. Apologies, not trying to sound like ranting loony here. Just wanted to get this all of my chest. Thanks Al Posted on 08/31/09, 02:08 pm |
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Hi,
Has your doctors checked you for possible blood clots? If I were you I would also have them run a test on a sample of your stool to check for possible bacteria infection. Hope all gets better for you. Take care, Tabby 
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Hi Tabby
Thanks for the response. In terms of blood clots, I think this has already been ruled out - I am on life long Wafarin (Anti-Coagulant) following a Pulmonary Embolism back in 2005. My blood clotting level (INR) is constantly monitored as part of the treatment. I will ask my GP tomorrow about this though, just in case it's something that has been overlooked. Thanks again for the response Al
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I may have to be a lifer on Warfarin too. I was diagnosed on 3/3/09 this year. I've joined the Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis support groups on here and from what of read of others stories, there is a rare possiblity for clots to form even if you are on Warfarin. Please search for profile of Ferr in the Pulmonary Embolism group and she can share her experience of clots while on Warfarin due to A-fib.
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Chrones, Irritable bowel syndrome, celiac sprue, all can cause bleeding and uncontrollable bowels. The capsular endoscopy is a step in the right direction. There is a blood test for celiac sprue but it is not always reliable. Hang in there and keep after the doctors and advocating for yourself until you find out what's causing your symptoms.
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Since Wafarin is a blood thinner, might it be causing or intensifying the internal bleeding?
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Hi All
Thanks for the responses and support. I've been in hospital for the past week, and I'm just catching up on things. More news on that front in due course!! Thanks Al
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Hi All
As mentioned, I've recently been in hospital following a major flare-up of the conditions I outlined in my opening post. My GP got me admitted after a severe 10 day episode. Hospital stay is generally never a good thing, but sometimes it's the best place to be. In my case, it was actually probably the best thing to happen since I was first diagnosed with Anemia at the start of the year... Following a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, the specialists at my local hospital have found the cause of my anemia! - A rather nasty case of Ulcerative Colitis. My local hospital (Bristol Royal Infirmary) is also a University hospital, and there's a Professor attached to the hospital who specialises in IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), which covers colitis. I was diagnosed last Friday (4th), put on the right medication, and I was fit enough to be discharged by Tuesday. I've got some way to go before I'm back to full fitness, but with the cause of the blood loss determined, and being fixed, my body will be able to recover over time. I'll likely be on medication for life to prevent a re-occourance of the colitis, but the hosptial provides an excellent care service, with a dedicated IBD nurse available for support. I'm also helping the University team out with research that will help make it easier to detected conditions such as colitis (without the need for any cameras!) It's a great relief to have an idea on what was going wrong, and of course it's even better to know that the outlook is positive. Of course, I realise that I'm very lucky - from reading around these parts, I know that some folks here are much more severly affected than I am, and for some, there's no hope for a cure. I don't want to be seen to be rubbing salt into the wounds (so to speak), and even though I'm lucky enough to have a solution, I'll still be around to offer support for anyone else if they need it. Just thought a positive bit of news might be welcome - for some folks, there is hope!
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Glad they know what is causing your anemia. Best of luck to you.
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