extremely low hemoglobin levels

I was called by my surgeon's office telling me to immediately call my PCP, and get into the hospital for a blood transfusion.  Went the day before this was to happen, for a type & cross match, only to be sent to the Emergency room, and then to be direct admitted to the hospital with no warning.  I was given three units of blood, and went home the next day, but with the restriction of having to have someone with me at all times.  Boy, am I lucky to have a 19 year old in the middle of moving from one apartment to another!!!  I saw my PCP yesterday, and was told that my levels are still dropping!!!  I take three times the daily amount of iron, and three times a day I take multi-vitamins.  I don't know how this is happening!!!!  I am going to go to the OB/GYN, due to heavy and long menstrual periods, and have been told that I may have a D&C, and an endometrial ablation.  This should stop the bleeding, and hopefully help the hemoglobin levels to adjust themselves.  I am starting to get nervous, as my PCP said that the reason for my headaches, and lightheadedness, is due to the fact that I am not circulating enough oxygen throughout my body.  It's getting scary!!!  Anybody else have anything like this happen to them???
Any help would be greatly accepted, and appreciated!!!!!

Having those long and heavy periods can do that.  You should talk to your physician about just going ahead with the hysterectomy.  That is what is most likely going to happen eventually.  That is what my doctor told me.  They did the hysterecomty through the vagina and it was so much easier than cutting the abdomen.  I am sorry you are going through this.  I wish you all the luck in the world. 

Hi Trish,

I have always suffered from anemia but it got worse after WLS.  I don't know all the technical terms for it, but I lack the binding mechanism that attaches the iron to blood cells or some such nonsense.

I also developed the female bleeding problems and after D & C and an ablation and a uterine biopsy and wtill had a hysterectomy this past March. Lucky I did too, because even though the biopsy didn't show any cancer, the pathology reports after surgery, found pockets of it in my uterus.  But boy did I feel better after surgery.  But still not great and still dangerously low iron levels.  I was sent to a hemotologist and he was amazed I was still walking upright.  Anyway, long story short,  I have to have recurring iron infusions. This happens to alot of WLS patients. Personally, I do not absorb iron and with the lack of the ability to bind the iron, there is just no way for me to get and keep enough without having it inserted intravenously.  I have had three infusions since June and am scheduled for #4 this coming Friday.  The hope is that this will hold me for a year.  Keep in mind, these are infusions of iron, not transfusions of blood.  Alot of PCP's don't understand that it's not the blood we need.  It's the iron.  I feel much better since I started this treatment and many of my symptoms have almost completely disappeared.  I went from a low count of 6.2 in March to 12.4 as of August before that treatment.  The number we are shooting for is a count of 15 - 16 so I'm getting close.  If you have a PPO and not an HMO, I would strongly advise that you insist on seeing a hemotologist and getting an accurate blood workup.

Hope you feel better and this all helped.

Stephanie

I am glad you're getting the attention you need. I've also struggled with keeping my iron levels up since surgery. I know my numbers were not as low as yours, but I was just out of range and I was exhausted and in general felt horrible. I was also low on vitamin B which can cause fatigue.
My nutritionist also suggested that I drink a cup of chicken broth. She says we might even be sodium deprieved because of thy types of diets we're eating. I don't know the specific reasons why she recommended it, but having some sodium apparently helps with feeling better when you have low iron. Ask your doctor about this or a nutritionist.

Good luck with everything! I hope you feel better soon.

I don't have any of those problems, but I wanted to tell you that you will be in my prayers and thoughts that they find out what is wrong and you get on the road to recovery soon.

Wishing you the best,

Diane

Trish,

Just wanted to let you know I am thinking good thoughts and adding you to my prayer list for a speedy diagnosis and recovery.

Hugs,
Barb

Hello there,

I suffered from the same problem My iron levels (red) dropped to 6. They put me in the hospital and kept me for two days. I had a blood transfusion as well. They said I was bleeding internally but could not find where(never did). They got my iron levels up to 9 before they let me go. Mine kept dropping a first as well. Before you go having that hestorectomy make them do more tests. I had 4 fibroids and it cause me to have extremeley heavy periods, plus have have a condition called adenomyosis which also caused my periods to be heavy. Anyways have them to a MRI, they may be able to do a procedure other than a historectomy. Look into this web site
http://www.medicalmoment.org/_content/facts/may09/1404078.as p and others also. Please feel free to contact me. I know what your going through and it is soooooo scary.


Best wishes
Sherri