Low blood cell count
1481
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1312 days
brittda posted 18 weeks ago.
Did the doctor not give you any suggestions? Anemia usually means taking in more iron, either with diet, supplement or a shot (the dr can do that), and I THINK vitamin B (6 and 12) . Not a doctor though. I don't know that a week is enough time to make major changes, but I could be wrong. You CAN take in too much iron, so I would seriously ask her.
oh, and CONGRATS on the Fullbright.
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128 days
KHAD posted 18 weeks ago.
Hi rebekahliz, as I'll have a medical degree in less than one year, I think I can try to help you out. First of all, has your doctor told you numbers concerning your red blood cells and white blood cells count?
Currently, anemia (IF it is ferriprive anemia) is corrected with sulfate ferrous +/- vitamin C, which helps for the absorption of iron or parenteral venofer if it is severe. As for what we should call "leukopenia", do you have more details? It is hard to tell what is causing this, as it might be caused by a recent benign infection (like influenza for example) or many type of drugs. The test might be biased though by a dilutional effect...
I can't offer any medical advice on the web, because dosage vary in function of Rx you use... but as an athlete, you might even have a high red blood cell count, in order to adapt oxygen transport to your needs Hope everything goes fine for you, yours sincerely
-Khad
137
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220 days
CadenceGuy posted 18 weeks ago.
As I will not have a docterate in a year (or ever for that matter) I was talking to my girlfriend (who is getting her Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics with a focus on Endurance athletes) and her suggestion to you was to incorporate more dark green veggies, and more red meat into your diet. I mentioned to her your pretty strict time restraints (next friday) and she said you would be able to see an increase in blood counts in as little as 3 days. Obviously none of us know your exact situation but thats about as much help as I can give you. She also suggested an iron supplement, as an every day thing, knowing now that your blood count is low it can only help your performance. Dont know if it helps yah but if you can get that blood count up to pass the test friday you can always go back to your normal diet that, except for the State Departments physicians opinion, has worked for yah before. Good Luck!!!
44
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347 days
IronAdge posted 18 weeks ago.
Hi!
One way I supplement my diet with Iron is with a smoothie. Use a base such as fresh squeezed(or you can throw the whole orange in the blender) orange juice (this is your vitamin C, aids in iron absorb.), chard, spinach, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cacao nibs or cacao powder. I throw all the ingredients fresh into a blender and down it. This is a healthy natural way to increase your iron levels. You should see dramatic improvements and within 2-3 weeks you should be completely normal. If not, consult your doctor.
“I like a man who grins when he fights.”
106
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425 days
rebekahliz posted 9 weeks ago.
Hey, good news! It only took 8 weeks, but I finally got a clean CBC! No anemia, no funny little asymptomatic virus. Woo hoo! Oh, and thanks for your earlier advice--it definitely helped during the height of my frustration/panic. Looks like my research permit will be a little delayed as a result of all of this, but I should be heading out in October after all.
Thanks again! I'll be sure to post great training pics from Indonesia!
Di mana ada kemauan, di situ ada jalan (Where there is desire, there is a road). – Indonesian proverb
217
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137 days
iamtb13 posted 9 weeks ago.
That's awesome!! Great news!! Congrats and we want lots of pictures!
Ok, so I'll start with the good news: I have been awarded a Fulbright to go to Indonesia for my dissertation research next year. The Fulbright Board requires a health certificate for each grant recipient which is reviewed by a contract physician for the State Department, prior to departure. Their requirements? Basically the same as the Peace Corps. A totally clean bill of health (hang on, the tri connection is coming, I promise).
The bad news: my blood work wasn't great. I got my results yesterday and I am slightly anemic and immune-compromised, i.e., my red and white blood cells are not as high as they should be. All of this is news to me, since I've managed to avoid a physical since high school. I know that vigorous training can impact both red and white blood cells and that women athletes are particularly susceptible to anemia (I'm pretty sure my training/racing is to blame for my wacky results), and I shared my training regimen with my doctor. I told her I ran a marathon on March 30th and I'm deep into the build for the tri season. But all that is of little concern to the State Department physician, who reserves the right to refuse me the grant if he deems me unfit for travel. Being a dedicated athlete apparantly does not win any brownie points.
My question: What the heck do I do to give my system a boost? I know the changes I can make long-term, but the doc is going to redo the test next Friday--a very small window to make any substantial dietary or training adjustments. Any suggestions?
Di mana ada kemauan, di situ ada jalan (Where there is desire, there is a road). – Indonesian proverb