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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/10/2009 Posts: 653 Location: Notts
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Hi Agnes
I have underactive thyroid, and the one symptom that really bothered me was terrible palpitataions. Once I started taking thyroxine they got better, and I only have odd flutters from time to time. At their height, I would suffer all day with them and feel terrible. Once you've been diagnosed and taking thyroxine, then you won't have to pay for your prescriptions.
Sorry I can't help with the anaemia, but the tiredness could also be connected to thyroid. I should certainly mention it all to your GP.
Lyn
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2010 Posts: 42
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How did you get on with your latest blood test rheumatoid mummy? I got my latest blood test today. My Haemoglobin is down at 9.4 now which is quite low and my iron levels are low as well - I think she said down at 6 but I will check. My GP is going to prescribe some iron tablets for me and hopefully this will give me some much needed energy. Question to all the anaemics out there - who manages your anaemia? Is it your GP or the rheummy team? I am concerned that my rhuemmy team only seem to be concerned that they have the RA under control because I think my nurse seemed to indicate that my heamoglobin levels are normal for me which is not strictly true because at the beginning of the year when I first started to have lots of blood tests it was closer to 11.5/11. I know RA causes anaemia but surely this does not mean you simply ignore it. Anyway - I am due for my monthly check up next Thursday so I will take the GP test results with me and will show them to the Rhuemmy clinic and will see what they say. I guess I should take the iron tablets but I am not sure if this will interfere with the other drugs I am taking or not. My GP seemed to have forgotten that I am under a rhuemmy consultant since she asked me if I was under any consultant's care at the hospital.  That's all from me.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 3,157 Location: Huddersfield
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Hi Agnes,
9.4 is very low , you must be feeling very tired. I usually expect my GP to deal with things like that, and he would. I find that the rheumy people tend to accept lower/higher blood results (depending on what is being measured ) than my GP would.
My GP would also check compatibility of any drug he gives me with the drugs I am taking but as your GP doesn't even seem to know you are under a consultant (!) perhaps you should check the iron tabs out with the rheumy team. You do need to start taking them as soon as possible though, you will feel better once your Hb goes up.
Love, Doreen xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 2,237 Location: nr Southampton
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hi agnes,
I have anemia, its the GP who looks after it but rheumatology do raise an eyebrow when it starts to sink below 11, mine is about 10.2 at the moment which is a bit better than it has been and so the GP just asked me to have more red meats etc.
There are other tests they should be doing in case it is not auto immune related pe se.
love jenni xxhow to be a velvet bulldoser
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2010 Posts: 42
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Hi Doreen and Jenni - thanks for the advice. To be fair my practice has 3 GPs and I usually see a different GP who is generally up to speed with my history. However, this GP should have checked my notes before calling me but then I guess they are busy people so they can't always do things in the right order. I did tell her I am under a rheumatologist so hopefully she will look at my notes before writing the script. My next rheummy check is next week and my usual rheummy nurse is on holiday for the next two weeks so I can't even email to let her know what is going on. That being said they do work as part of a team so I might call tomorrow to make sure everything is ok.
I do feel really, really tired. I tend to come home after being out and then have to rest up for a couple of hours before doing anything else. I am still waiting for the thyroid referral to come through since I am sure that is also adding to the tiredness. My GP did seem to suggest we might need to take a look to see if there is blood loss happening anywhere else in my body. Whilst I know RA is a factor I do need to be satisfied that the anaemia is not down to anything else. Anyway I have yet another script to pick up now so I am well pleased I bought my PPC now.
Thanks for the advice. This is all sadly new to me but this year I have become a regular at my surgery which is all very odd
Agnes xxx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,582 Location: Oxfordshire
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Dear Agnes,
I am anaemic and have been for years and years as I have RA and coeliac disease which can both cause this. Also pregnancies of course!
You asked who should control it- it is usually the GP but all you'll get is iron. You really need proper investigations into your whole iron levels as this will rule out other problems, like coeliac disease.... I have them done yearly.
I treat it myself as ferrous sulphate makes me too constipated and feel sick. I take nettles in either a drink or a herbal tonic- they cleanse the blood and are full of minerals and iron. Yellow burdock is an excellent herb for iron too. Skullcap and dandelion too. The iron is all in the leaves of the plant so you can infuse them and drink it.
I know the foods are obvious and liver is probably the best but one needs to eat it often and alot to get iron levels up to a decent level.
Floradix is a good tonic too but again, you need quite a heavy dosage of it!
My HB is always under 11 too, I am fervently trying to get it to 12+ during this pregnancy!
Regarding low thyroid, my hubby has this. But he isn't anaemic. I am not sure of that link but low thyroid is auto-immune and hence will be linked to RA in that sphere.
Love,
Amanda
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/8/2010
Posts: 17
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Hi Folks, i quite agree that the pre payment is a god send. If you have throid problems though and they are treating you for this, you are now entitled to all of your medication free. Dont think there is a form to complete but your pharmacy will let you know. You can then cancell you pre payment and they will refund your money for the rest of the year.
Hope that helps
Liz
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/28/2009 Posts: 238 Location: North London
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Hi, I have both too. Best advice I ever had from endocrinologist was to keep my TSH to near 1 (thyroid stimulating hormone, normal adult reference range 0.4-4.5). I was initially treated by GP and felt undertreated, because they were happy with TSH near top of the range when my TSH went down further, I felt myself again.
With the iron, I tolerate SpaTone better than any other supplement. It's from a welsh iron rich mineral spring. I eat a lot of fish and seafood sources of dietary iron - crab, oysters, mussels, sardines, oysters, pollock and scallops as well as the more usual lentils, beef etc. But one of the easiest and often the cheapest things I do for it is to use heaps and heaps of parsley, which is high iron and has vit C as well.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/7/2009 Posts: 96 Location: Buckinghamshire
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Hi Agneso - just a quick reply to let you know that my levels went back up to around 10 but I am still having tests every two weeks to monitor the situation. Hope you get sorted out soon. xx
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009
Posts: 1,035
Location: in a house
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yes had both at same time . sometimes its me who shouts about the blood test and checks . My father who lives else where also has both but has too sort out his own iron ??????He has too buy it and how on earth he knows not to take it don,t ask as doc/s don,t give him any . now its on a note that pops up on the sreen in the docs . christine The chocolate eating housewife ...The washer woman .....naughty lady
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2010 Posts: 42
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Thanks for all the replies. It is nice to learn of some of the dietary tips some of you are following to raise iron levels. I didn't know parsley was so rich in iron. I have been eating plenty of red meat lately which is a bit of a double edged saw for me since I try to limit the amount of red meat I have in my diet. Back for my monthly check up with the Rheummy nurse on Thursday so hopefully my iron levels would have gone up a bit since the last time. I still have not seen the endocrinologist yet but that's all part of the joys of waiting for an NHS appointment. Hopefully it will not be too much longer. Rheumatoid Mummy - good news on the increased iron levels. Let's hope they continue to rise. Chockers - I'm definitely going to be more proactive from now on. Your father sounds like a real trouper. 
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/7/2009 Posts: 96 Location: Buckinghamshire
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Hi Agneso - another update - following my Rheummy appt this morning I am now being tested for vitamin B12 deficiency to see if I have Pernicious anaemia - it's another immune disorder apparently! xx
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,582 Location: Oxfordshire
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And PA can be linked to thyroid diseases too....
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/26/2010 Posts: 128 Location: Birmingham
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Glad I read this!
My hb levels dropped to 10.6 but until I set up a spreadsheet to monitor all this stuff I didnt' realise that was low. The clinic rang me, told me to get my GP to prescribe iron. I'd been terribly exhausted, vicious palpitations. The tablets seem to have fixed most of it (still quite tired) but not content with that they did a blood film test which will apparently indicate the potential cause of the anaemia rather than sticking to the assumption it's iron deficient anaemia. Not had the results yet but I'm confident now they'll call if there are any problems and seeing as the last lot of bloods were entered in my little book whcih came in the post this week I'm presumign there's no probs.
I think I'm lucky to have a pretty good team working with me. That makes a refreshing change!
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2010 Posts: 42
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Hi Mairead - I'm sorry that you are suffering with anaemia. Tiredness can really get you down. I'm glad you have a really proactive team. It makes all the difference to getting treated quickly. My team is not that proactive but they do react when I ask them to. It's just a shame that I have to do it. I had my last monthly check up on Thursday so I should know the results of my latest hb levels early next week. I hope they have risen because they I have been taking iron tablets and eating lots of red meat. What is a blood film test? Is there a special name for it? I might need to ask my GP for such a test since my doctors have just put it down to the RA but I don't think they have done any further investigations to see if this is correct.
Good luck with your treatment.
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2010 Posts: 42
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Quick update from me. My Hb is up to 10.9. So all moving in the right direction.
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 3,157 Location: Huddersfield
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Hi Agnes,
That's good news about the Hb, lets hope things start improving all round for you now.
Love, Doreen xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 1,749 Location: Somerset
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Hello
Thats great news - keep going - fingers crossed
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