1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

Does anyone understand full blood count results

Posted , 11 users are following.

kate50809
kate50809

My GP surgery have now made some of our records available on-line. I was looking at the results of the tests done in April this year when I was diagnosed with PMR..

Under Full Blood Count three of the results were flagged as abnormal but the GP hasn't  said anything to me. I cannot get a telephone appointment with him until a week on Monday so I wonder if anyone understands these enough to tell me if I need to be doing anything eg taking iron or B12 or is it just a blimp I can ignore?

Ful B;ood Count

Haemoglobin estimation

Result                         Normal range

107 g/L                        115 – 165                                         Abnormal

Red blood cell (RBC) count

Result                                       Normal range

3.52 x10^12/L                           3.90 - 5.40               Abnormal

Haematocrit

Result                                      Normal range

0.312 L/L                                    0.360-0.470              Abnormal

Thanks

Kate

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • MariGrace
    MariGrace kate50809

    Posted

    Can you call the nurse and ask?

    After receiving a bad blood panel result ( highs and lows), I looked up each one, copied the definitions so I could understand it all.

    After arming myself with information, then I asked the nurse. Too funny, last visit the doctor made sure to address some of the concerns. Inquiring minds need to know smile.

    Consider giving the nurse a call.

    MariGrace

    • karenjaninaz
      karenjaninaz MariGrace

      Posted

      MariGrace,

      are you taking Curcumin/turmeric by any chance? It  cintraindicated in the anemia of chronic disease; it interferes with the body's iron storage needed for oxygen carrying red blood cells (hemoglobin).

    • kate50809
      kate50809 karenjaninaz

      Posted

      Thanks for this. Yes I am taking a turmeric supplement which I hoped would lower my cholesterol but I don't think it is doing that very well anyway.  I don't know how we would get by without all the knowledge people are willing to share on this site. I will stop the turmeric.

      Kate

  • celia14153
    celia14153 kate50809

    Posted

    From my own experience although it says abnormal it depends on the range. In other words the doctor won’t worry if you’re talking about a point or two below or above average, so don’t worry too much. They would have picked up on anything serious and got in touch with you. Good to be vigilant though!

  • jan21306
    jan21306 kate50809

    Posted

    They should do a follow up blood test a month or two later to make sure your abnormal results have reverted to normal.  As it is now 3 months I would call the nurse and tell her this and ask for a follow up blood test.

    good luck !

  • EileenH
    EileenH kate50809

    Posted

    They are all low and that means you have anaemia - that is very common in chronic illnesses and especially in autoimmune disorders. It doesn't mean you have pernicious anaemia which is what you would take B12 for.

    Once the pred kicks in and the inflammation is reduced they should slowly get back to normal. There is no desperate hurry to do anything about it - asking him the next time you see him or a week Monday will be fine.He may suggest taking some iron - but he may not! It will probably be contributing to any fatigue you may have - but I had PMR fatigue even with seriously healthy Hb levels!!!!

  • ptolemy
    ptolemy kate50809

    Posted

    I normally have one or two or more abnormal readings, it is great I can now see them on-line. My GP writes notes against the results but they do not show on line which is annoying I have to ask for a printout at the surgery. Get a printout and see what they say or ask for a phone appointment if you are worried. If your doctor was worried they would have asked to talk to you I would have thought.
  • BettyE
    BettyE kate50809

    Posted

    I have six monthly U+ E's and BP. The procedure is always that " We will contact you if necessary. "  I am not happy with this no news is good news approach so always ring and ask. Our  surgery has a dedicated number for asking for  blood test results and they are always very happy to read me the numbers. With the BP I just ask that the machine is turned toward me so I can see it.!

    I can quite see that to put results on line with abnormal but no explanation would ring alarm bells with any of us who do not understand the numbers.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.