Well, it has been a long night. Around midnight I started feeling weird beats again in my heart. I would feel pauses or what felt like double beats. I had this happen last month at this time too. I could not calm myself down about it and decided to go to the ER.
They did an EKG that was fine and also had me hooked to the heart monitor. I was not tachycardic for a change. I asked the doctor if he saw any arrhythmias and he said I had a few PAC's and that was it.
I had some labs that were off. My WBC count was 11.3 which is normal for me. I always have an elevated WBC count.
My RBC was low for the first time ever. It was 3.91. Normal range (4-5.2)
My MCH was also up and has been for the past year. It was 33.5. Normal range (27-33)
Lymphocytes were high as well but normal for me, 4.9. Normal range (0.8-4.0)
I treated Babesia for 4 months and have not been on Mepron for a few months now. I have never had a low RBC. The ER doc did not seem too concerned and said it was low/normal.
I have not been taking my vitamins lately either which I know is bad.
It seems each month before and during my period, my heart goes nuts like this. Now I have this low RBC count.
I definatly feel really bad right now. Heart issues, severe anxiety, depression, shaky, etc.
Do you think this is from Babesia and what can I do to get my RBC count up? I am not sure if the low RBC is due to the Babesia or an anemia. I have battled with my MCH and MCV being elevated for the past year so I thought I was B-12 deficient. My primary checked my B-12 a few weeks ago and said it was fine.
I am pretty scared at the moment and I am concerned about the low RBC count.
Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.
-------------------- Lyme, Babesia Microti, possible Bart. Posts: 173 | From A little south of sanity - PA | Registered: Jan 2009
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blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
I don't know if my info will help you or not. Does taking iron increase RBC?
I started having serious heart issues here recently. I started back on the babs meds and that helped a little but what I think really helped a lot was taking my cortisol mroe regularly.
I started taking four a day spaced out evenly and the heart issues are gone. I also added hawthorn and magnesium.
I know, these heart issues are very scary.
Hang in there...I know the anxiety you must be feeling.
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
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blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
I don't know if my info will help you or not. Does taking iron increase RBC?
I started having serious heart issues here recently. I started back on the babs meds and that helped a little but what I think really helped a lot was taking my cortisol mroe regularly.
I started taking four a day spaced out evenly and the heart issues are gone. I also added hawthorn and magnesium.
I know, these heart issues are very scary.
Hang in there...I know the anxiety you must be feeling.
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
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blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
I don't know if my info will help you or not. Does taking iron increase RBC?
I started having serious heart issues here recently. I started back on the babs meds and that helped a little but what I think really helped a lot was taking my cortisol mroe regularly.
I started taking four a day spaced out evenly and the heart issues are gone. I also added hawthorn and magnesium.
I know, these heart issues are very scary.
Hang in there...I know the anxiety you must be feeling.
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
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I think I need to get back on my Babs meds too. You take cortisol? I think that is something I need to check into as well.
I can still feel weird beats right now so the anxiety is just insane right now. Thank you for your reply!
-------------------- Lyme, Babesia Microti, possible Bart. Posts: 173 | From A little south of sanity - PA | Registered: Jan 2009
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cantgiveupyet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8165
posted
I would see if you can get your ferritin(iron level) checked often this will cause the RBC to be low.
Also, as you said babesia does affect the red blood cells.
Hang in there.
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
-Schopenhauer
pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
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lymeberry
Unregistered
posted
Iron deficiency is a decrease in the red cells of blood as a result of lack of iron in the blood. The causes can be too little iron in the diet, poor absorption of iron by the body or loss of blood. It is also caused by lead poisoning in children. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in USA. It results when the body loses more iron than it ingests.
Iron is the main ingredient in hemoglobin which is found in red blood cells and is responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. Without enough iron, body is unable to produce enough hemoglobin and as a result of this muscles get less oxygen which reduces the body energy.
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common form of anemia. It occurs slowly when the normal stores of iron are quite low in the body. To produce red blood cells, the body needs, iron, folic acid and vitamin B12. If there is a lack of one or more of these things, anemia will evolve. It must be remembered that anemia is the last result of chronic iron deficiency. The symptoms of iron deficiency are:
- Lack of energy, feeling tired and weakness.
- Pale skin on the lining of the eyes, the inner mouth, gums and the nails.
- Rapid and forceful heart beat.
- Low blood pressure with position change, from sitting to standing up.
- Finger nails become thin, brittle and white. They may grow abnormally and get a spoon-shaped appearance.
- Severe menstrual pain and bleeding.
- Tongue may become sore, smooth, shiny and reddened.
- Decreased appetite especially in children.
- Headache - frontal-
- Shortness of breath during exercise. (even during a simple exercise like walking)
- Brittle hair.
- Reduction in immunity and increased vulnerability to infection.
- A strong desire to eat nonfoods such as ice, paint or dirt. A condition called pica.
- Disturbed sleep.
- Abdominal pain.
These symptoms are quite general and could also indicate other health problems or blood disorders. Therefore, if a person has these symptoms he/she should talk to a doctor before taking any iron pills. Taking too much iron can actually be unhealthy.
To diagnose iron deficiency anemia, CBC -complete blood test- is used. Other common lab tests are serum ferritin or serum iron, which examines the proteins involved in the storage and transport of iron through the body, stool occult blood test and TIBC -total iron binding capacity- These tests will determine whether a person has an iron deficiency and the degree of its severity.
A person suffering from iron deficiency can be cured by some relatively simple and effective treatments like taking iron supplements (tablets, capsules and injections) and increasing iron from food sources (liver, meat, beans, nuts, dried fruits, whole grains, fish, poultry, green leafy vegetables and enriched cereals). Once the disease and its causes are detected, it is not difficult to prevent it.
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posted
It is possible to have a low RBC and to have normal iron, B12 and folic acid all. This is where hubby is at.
His LLMD thinks his red blood cells are too fragile and being destroyed too quickly. He has had an ongoing problem with this for 6 months now. His bilirubin goes up as well when the red blood cell count goes lower -- indicates that the red blood cells are being destroyed too quickly.
One additional factor for him seems to be possibly mycoplasma -- he has had a posiitve test for cold agglutins twice in the last 6 months -- this means that the red blood cells are clumping together and that they are destroyed more easily at cold temperatures.
One other thing that is important in producing red blood cells is the good fats -- they are needed to make the cells flexible so they can fold up and squeeeze through the capillaries.
This is not medical advice, just my opinion based on hubby's experiences.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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I had to stop at 4 months on Babs treatment because we changed LLMD's so I did not get to go as long as I needed to. So back to square one.
I will check into a lot of things you guys mentioned. I feel Babs is my main problem and has been all along. I get a monthly flare since I have been off the Mepron that always comes on around my period. Ugh!
TuTu I am going to call my cardio and ask for a 3 week or else a 30 day event monitor so they can pick this up. I guess they are PAC's from what the ER said but it feels like a ton of them at times.
Toprol made me feel horrid too. I will ask if there is anything else I can take. I really feel a part of this has something to do with a hormone, cortisol or something.
Thanks again everyone. I am praying tonight is not as bad.
-------------------- Lyme, Babesia Microti, possible Bart. Posts: 173 | From A little south of sanity - PA | Registered: Jan 2009
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
Make sure you know you are deficient in iron before you supplement it, because you don't want to be feeding critters iron if your body isn't deficient!
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
blue,
no experience with this but good luck; sorry you've been so sick, and glad others above are giving you personal advise from their experiences
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blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
My dog has elevated bilirubin and she is positive for bart.
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
I'm with Hoosiers. I would supplement B12 not iron.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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