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14 yr old daughter sick.

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mick42030
mick42030

Hi. My daughter has been sick for 6 weeks. She's pale, has great fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and her hair is falling out. Most her labs have been normal except her ferritin is 9.5. She also had a positive ANA so an autoimmune disease is possible. I was hoping iron would help her and be the problem. Her PCP put her on a iron supplement but after 8 days the only thing new is she is nauseous. No improvement in her at all. Anybody have any insight?  Is 9.5 low enough to cause these problems?  She sees a Rheumatologist in a couple days because of that ANA. Wish she was seeing a Hematologist but I'm sure the Rheumy will order a ton more labs. 

0 likes, 18 replies

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  • lia25347
    lia25347 mick42030

    Posted

    at this age the hormonal disbalances can cause a lot of different symptoms. It could be the iron, but her levels are not too bad and supplement would help, unless it is malabsorption. At what age she started her periods?

     

  • martin31040
    martin31040 mick42030

    Posted

    Hi, ferritin is a measure of the iron store, then there is the iron going around in the blood hemogobin level, the ferritin level females is probably 15 to 20 minimum to around 150 upper level, and the hemogobin around 12 to 15, these levels may be slightly different for a 14 year old, check the ferritin level online for a 14 year old female, do you know the hemogobin level?, autoimmune diseases can affect iron levels Rheumatoid Arthritis does, my hemogobin level is kept low at about 12 to 13 this is the lower level for a male.
    • martin31040
      martin31040

      Posted

      Haemoglobin, sorry I'd missed the A and L out.

  • mick42030
    mick42030

    Posted

    Thanks for the replies.  I'm not sure the level but I believe the hemoglobin was within a normal range. She started her period last year and she bleeds heavily. So much so that before this started we were going to take her to an OB to discuss. I was praying that iron deficiency was going to be the problem but it sounds like her symptoms are too severe for this level and this is indeed going to be autoimmune. Her mother has Lupus so it looks like my absolute worst nightmare is coming true. I can't imagine my poor child having this disease already. I could cry but I ran out of tears many years ago. 

    • mick42030
      mick42030

      Posted

      More thorough ANA testing was thankfully negative. The Rheumatologist said it's unlikely Lupus. I asked for more in depth testing of iron, B 12, Vit D, etc and she said to ask her PCP because she wouldn't know how to interpret them. What a load of $@$. 

      Went to PCP next day and he said since her Hemoglobin is good her barely low ferritin is no big deal and she doesn't have anemia. Is this true?  I got mad then asked then what do we do next?  She's been sick 6 weeks and is barely if any better. He's referring her to a Neurologist because of the headaches and dizziness. Nobody cares about her fatigue. I'm very frustrated.  I found a place that I can pay out of pocket and they will do 4 labs; hemoglobin (which I know), ferritin (which I know but I'm curious if it went up), and others I'm unfamiliar with; fasting serum iron, TIBC, and transferrin level. Is this a waste of money?

    • martin31040
      martin31040 mick42030

      Posted

      Hi, I think you can have non anaemia iron deficiency, this seems contradictory, I looked it up online and seems possible, I would have thought low ferritin below the normal range isn't good, even if the haemoglobin is ok, I'm in the UK and sure it would be treated here, as mine was.

    • martin31040
      martin31040 mick42030

      Posted

      Hi, I was given iron supplement from GP, it was ferrous fumarate but I could not tolerate it played up my digestive system, so I bought a supplement myself, Bisglycinate iron in 20mg capsules form, I took two capsules per day one in a morning one at night I opened up the capsules into about 100 mils of water with vitamin C effervescent tablet in, it raised my ferritin pretty quick to 138 from 39, vitamin C helps absorb the iron a lot better, Bisglycinate is milder on digestive system, I had no side effects from it.
  • mick42030
    mick42030

    Posted

    We just switched to the Bisglycinate. She’s suppose to take 1 per day but I might have her take 2 for awhile. 
  • mick42030
    mick42030

    Posted

    After a couple days of very slight improvement my daughter started her period yesterday. . As usual she bleeds heavily. Today she has got worse. It can’t be a coincidence. I want to take her to Mayo Clinic or something but if I can’t even get a $@% complete iron panel of labs I’ll never get a referral. I have the insurance and a little money and I still can’t get the care for her I want. I’m starting to get sooooo angry. 
  • mick42030
    mick42030

    Posted

    Since her doctor wouldn’t order more labs I did myself.  Thank you internet for making us complete sheep to our doctors. Problem now is interpreting and treating correctly and safely.  She’s been taking ferritin for around 9 days was off of them two days. I’m not surprised Vit D was low but only a 9?  Everything else was in range but  some on very low side and some on the high side which I think I read might mean she’s maybe still iron deficient. Anybody have any insight on these numbers?  

     

    • martin31040
      martin31040 mick42030

      Posted

      Hi, I've sent you PM about Vitamin D, there is Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3, D3 is the one you want in supplement.

  • mick42030
    mick42030

    Posted

    With my daughter being sick eight weeks now we decided to change doctors.   This new doctor said my daughter needed more elemental iron and should be taking Ferrous sulfate and not bisglycinate. She said it's take about 30 pills to get that much elemental iron. What?????  I'm not buying that but I'll follow what they suggest. 

    • martin31040
      martin31040 mick42030

      Posted

      I was given ferrous fumarate by my GP, it raised my ferritin from 37 to 39 in 4 weeks, Bisglycinate raised it from 39 to 138 in about 8 weeks, I opened up the capsules into effervescent vitamin c drink, 1 20mg capsule into 100 mils of water with vitamin C in, I told my GP I wasn't taking ferrous fumarate and I had bought mine own, Bisglycinate, I think the secret is the vitamin C for better absorption of iron.

    • jessyh
      jessyh mick42030

      Posted

      I don't have any useful insight on numbers or which sups to take but as a woman who has been treated appallingly by doctors and is now close to needing a transfusion your level of concern for your daughter's health and willingness to fight on her behalf is completely awesome. I really hope you figure it out and soon. She 's really lucky to have you. When I got so weak I couldn't stand at one point, I swear that beef bone broth saved my life when doctor's told me I was fine. Also spirulina is excellent . Full of iron but a lot more besides. I also cook as much as poss in a cast iron pan which really helps . Avoid caffeine and dairy including eggs as they inhibit iron absorption. And eat lots of greens.

  • All4Health
    All4Health mick42030

    Posted

    Hi Mick,

    I had a look at the results you posted recently, and to me anyway, they didn't look bad.

    But I admit I don't know what they should look like for your daughter's age.

    Her Ferritin is still within range, and yes, her Haemoglobin appears on the low side, but again within range.

    Your first posting talked about hair falling out, and after starting on iron ....... nausea.

    What I do know is that hair falling out and nausea can also be signs of too much iron !

    Was the hair loss already happening before you started on iron supplements, or did it happen after ?

    And was she previously on a high iron type of diet ?

    Other thoughts:

    Is she on a reasonably varied / nutritious diet ?  Could a mulitvitamin supplement help at all ?

    Somebody mentioned malabsorption - is it possible she's a coeliac sufferer, so that the iron she's getting isn't being processed.  Although you'd probably be getting other (bowel) symptoms as well.

    I had a look, and found a posting for someone who'd had an ear infection, and some similar symptoms - it's at least worth a quick read just in case.

    https://www.medhelp.org/posts/Undiagnosed-Symptoms/nauseous-dizzy--headache-and-fatigue/show/1390918[/b]

    You tried bisglycinate, and it sounds like she got worse (althought that may not have been the bisglycinate).

    I'd try walking away from iron for a week (no supplements, and don't aim for iron rich foods), and see if she feels better.  And you don't need to starve her of Carbs, but maybe try to reduce them a bit.  If there's any infection involved in her system, iron and / or sugar will help encourage the infection.

    Hope some of that's of use.

     

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