“Iron based anemia vs something else?”
F-34 5f, 5in 150lbs
I have struggled with iron deficiency anemia for years. When I lived in Denver my hemoglobin ranged between 11.3 and 10.2 I supplemented with iron sometimes. I moved to sea level 2 years ago and it's been between 10.2 and 9 ever since. The last test showed hemoglobin 9 hematocrit 30.1 . I've seen online that if hemoglobin is 10 hematocrit is 30.
I was diagnosed with alpha thalassemia trait in 2019 and have been taking folic acid with iron sometimes. Hemoglobin hasn't reached it's Denver days. Could my problem be more than just iron deficiency and alpha thalassemia trait or do I need to move back to higher elevation so that my EPO is higher and I used more of my iron stores for making blood.
I have struggled with iron deficiency anemia for years. When I lived in Denver my hemoglobin ranged between 11.3 and 10.2 I supplemented with iron sometimes. I moved to sea level 2 years ago and it's been between 10.2 and 9 ever since. The last test showed hemoglobin 9 hematocrit 30.1 . I've seen online that if hemoglobin is 10 hematocrit is 30.
I was diagnosed with alpha thalassemia trait in 2019 and have been taking folic acid with iron sometimes. Hemoglobin hasn't reached it's Denver days. Could my problem be more than just iron deficiency and alpha thalassemia trait or do I need to move back to higher elevation so that my EPO is higher and I used more of my iron stores for making blood.
Female | 34 years old
Complaint duration: 2 years
Medications: vitamins
Conditions: Anemia
4 Answers
If you are still menstruationg your anemia could be secondary to heavy flows and be an iron deficiency anemia. Thallesemia minor does not ususallly cause anemia but it may be confused with iron deficiency anemia Being at a higher altitude, such as Denver, will cause more erythropoietin production and more hemoglobin production. If your anemia does snot improve with iron supplementation I would suggest a consultation with a hematologist.
Your problem seems to be stupid doctors! Alpha thalassemia trait usually causes anemia that looks like iron deficiency but is not. Has anyone ever done a ferritin study? If not, I would bet it is normal if not high and you do not need iron. Having slight anemia would cause no problems and if iron deficiency is ruled out, no action.
Many conditions could contribute to your anemia ranging from nutritional deficiencies to chronic infections and even issues related to your kidney or bone marrow. To know for certain, you should speak with your primary care provider or hematologist to perform labs to work this up.
It depends on what your iron levels and ferritin are and what symptoms you have. Yes, hgb can be higher at higher altitudes initially. Other issued that can affect hgb include kidney issues, infections, bone marrow issues, medications, but the list is quite long. It's hard to say without more information.
