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List of Anemia symptoms over 21 years.

Posted , 4 users are following.

andrew28896
andrew28896

I'm a 40 year old male living in Dumfries S/W Scotland UK. I work for the local authority performing a desk job for the finance section working with computer's. I've suffered from Anemia on and off since the age of 19, had literally 100's of test's done to find the cause but they never have. As a consequence I have a full level iron infusion once every six months.

The purpose of this post is I've read so many other forum posts from people wondering if certain symptoms they have been experiencing can be contributed to anemia or not. So I thought I would list the many weird & wonderful symptoms I have experienced over the last 21 years which have turned out to be caused by anemia, then hopefully people can refer to this and take some comfort in the knowledge that what they are experiencing CAN be caused by the anemia. Please add you're symptoms and comments too.

Main symptoms :

Pale skin, gums & under bottom eyelids.

Lethargy exhaustion & tiredness.

Dizziness & Vertigo.

Severe & worrying breathlessness.

Cramps

Cold hands & feet

Brain fog

Vastly increased heart rate & palpitations.

Severe cramping

Pins & needles.

Less common & stranger symptoms I have had which have ALL cleared up as soon as the anemia improved :

Acid reflux.

Severe & scary Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

Severe dry eye syndrome.

Oedema especially round calves ankles & feet.

Swollen and painful tongue

Spoon shaped fingernails

Eyebrows & lashes falling out

Hearing goes as if I'm in a cave or tunnel.

Anxiety.

Scary chest pain

Numb tingly jaw & teeth.

Shooting pains in left arm.

I am 100% sure I've forgotten some but will add them as I remember. Please add you're symptoms, even the crazy weird & wonderful ones!!.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • andrew28896
    andrew28896

    Posted

    Less than an hour after my initial post & I've remembered more symptoms I have suffered over the years.

    Sensitivity to light

    Loss of appetite

    Metallic taste in mouth / some foods taste weird or different.

    Constipation.

    RLS restless legs syndrome.

    Red/dark circles under eyes.

    Sunken eye sockets.

    Brittle toe nails that "snap" or split when flexed.

  • Capsicum
    Capsicum andrew28896

    Posted

    Thank you .An interesting list, some of which I share. I’ve been in a similar situation but for three years. Maybe I’ll never know the cause. Maybe neither will you. But so long as the infusions work, we can keep getting on with our lives. Good luck!
    • andrew28896
      andrew28896 Capsicum

      Posted

      Thanks Capsicum, yes I agree, indeed at my follow up appointment with the specialist at DGRI (Dumfries & Galloway Royal infirmary) today, she said exactly the same as you have above. Plus the great thing is the type of IV irons are improving year by year speeding up infusion times (I'm now down to 30 minutes for the infusion) and reducing the risks of side effects during & after and reducing the % of people who suffer severe allergic reactions to the infusion process.

  • Lady_C
    Lady_C andrew28896

    Posted

    Thanks a lot for this information. Very useful. i also suffered from some of the symptoms while i was suffering from anaemia.

     Lady C

  • karenjk
    karenjk andrew28896

    Posted

    Andrew, Thank you for your extensive list. I have also had many, many tests. Anemia is part of my life I am sorry to say.
    • andrew28896
      andrew28896 karenjk

      Posted

      The thing I've found over the years is that different people experience different symptoms depending on how advanced their anemia is and other factors such as age, sex, hormone balance, thyroid condition and how well they were otherwise when the anemia began. Certainly some of the very scary symptoms I've had such as the chest pain , numb tingly jaw and shooting pains up left arm were only experienced the first time I had anemia when I stupidly allowed it to become VERY advanced before seeking medical help.

    • karenjk
      karenjk andrew28896

      Posted

      Well, I was able to cure my anemia fo about 6 months, then I got that horrible flu. Got a bleed in my stomach from coughing and almost died. Anemic again. Feel horrible. I have 6 months of he'll. I have had a hundred tests. Can't find a thing

      I do have a massive spleen. I have to decide weather to have it removed. A very long story.....

    • andrew28896
      andrew28896 karenjk

      Posted

      Karen,

      I take it you've had the "usual" tests they try like colonoscopy , endoscopy, MRI, CT scans & the camera pill which takes 100's of pictures as it goes through you're digestive system?.

      I had all those and still they can't find anything. I was at the gastrologist on Friday and he said the best guess he can come up with is the small intestine has a narrowing with scar tissue from an earlier bleed years ago which gets aggravated and bleeds a very small amount which over 6 months makes me anemic again.

    • karenjk
      karenjk andrew28896

      Posted

      I have also had a Pet scan, Bone marrow biopsy, and many blood test. Can't find a thing. Actually there was a small problem with the bone marrow biopsy. The one issue is my spleen. Twice the size it should be. May be a slowing growing lymphoma. It needs to be removed.

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