Doctor didn't want to test for IRON

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16 years ago 07/31/2007 8:34pm EDT

I've been feeling like crap for a while now and decided to get a blood test. In order to get one however, I needed a doctor's referral. I told the doc how I've just felt drained of energy on every run and she couldn't really figure anything out. She was only going to test for red blood cell count and cortisol. I asked if I could get tested for iron and ferrotin (should have asked for hemoglobin too), and she said okay but that was very unlikely unless I was losing blood without knowing it...

I'm not saying low iron is surely the cause, but wouldn't low energy levels be a heads up to test for iron, especially when I told her I run distance and work outside 40 hours a week? Anyone else have this trouble, or does she not know what the heck she's doing?

16 years ago 07/31/2007 8:43pm EDT

re: male boyman

Your a male, your not low on iron. If you want to know yourself without a Dr order, prick your finger and see if the blood sinks.

16 years ago 07/31/2007 8:45pm EDT

re: male boyman

She knows much more about what she's doing than you do.

You'll get a Hemoglobin when you get your red count, it's part of a Complete Blood Count (CBC) - those tests aren't ordered individually.

And for the most part it doesn't make much sense to test your iron stores when you don't know anything about you hematocrit and hemoglobin first. It's simply wasting money.

Low energy levels could be lots of things, not just iron. And iron deficiency, whether you have it or not, doesn't require a fancy test. It simply requires you take in more iron. You don't need a prescription or an expensive test to take some iron pills.

16 years ago 07/31/2007 8:57pm EDT

re: Say what?

yeah, but you don't know if you have low iron if you don't test for it... It'd also be nice to know if that is the cause so I don't take iron pills for two months and still find myself feeling like shit.

16 years ago 07/31/2007 9:03pm EDT

re: Say what?

Generally, few doctors understand the demands of a distance runner. I am not sure what type of training you are doing, but most physiologist suggest that runners training at an elite level have complete blood work done every 4-6 months. I do think that for 99.99% of runners that is a bit much, but any runner should get some blood work done every year or so.

If this runner is willing to pay the money, that is what his money is for. Many doctors will get a good hematocrit or hemoglobin result and never think to test for serum ferritin levels - the most valuable test for distance runners.

It may or may not be anemia, but you should keep pressing to find out. Rule it out. It could be over-training. It could be all kinds of things. You SHOULD NOT take iron supplements without getting blood work done. Sure you could eat more red meat, but taking iron supplements is totally different. It is unlikely that you would cause any harm, but iron is toxic and you could make yourself sick.

16 years ago 07/31/2007 9:06pm EDT

re: male boyman

If you don't mind shelling out the bucks, you can get those tests without a doc referral. Actually, you're going to shell out the bucks either way, I guess. Anyway, you don't need a referral to get the tests if you don't mind paying out of pocket (i.e., without insurance kicking in).

Just check with your local Red Cross or some Blood Institute in your area. Where I live, they charge a whopping 15 smackers for a CBC test. No appointment needed; just walk up, plunk down the cash, and get pricked. Hah! I just said "smackers."

They also do a ferritin test for an additional charge. Check with some outfits in your area. Best of luck.

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Doctor didn't want to test for IRON

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