Lisa C.

Hello. My father is 49 years old and was admitted to intensive care. Very low haemoglobin and very high ESR.

Brief background: he has hip arthrosis, his mother died of breast cancer, smokes, is an alcoholic, and drinks exclusively in binges of 1.5 months, after which he returns, as he believed, to “normal”. He rarely and superficially monitored his health.

Health History

Several years ago, after binges, epileptic seizures and swelling of the legs began to appear. During binges, he could not eat for 5 days in a row. Due to an old ulcer, he regularly underwent FGDS – the results are always excellent. Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity also usually did not show any serious deviations, the liver is not enlarged. The last binge was very long – 4 months with some breaks. Also, vodka was often replaced by wine (which, as far as I know, is harmful in large quantities).

Instead of normal cigarettes, he smoked cheap, unfiltered ones and also took about 700 mg of the drug Esperal several times.

Recent Health Deterioration

After the end of this binge – after 5 days his legs swelled again. And anaemia began to appear, as we later found out. He walked to the kitchen, and he began to have terrible tachycardia, headaches, rapid pulse and breathing. It was worth him to stop walking, and after 15 seconds, it passed. Calls to the ambulance ended with no one wanting to come; they said it would pass by itself, and my father waited until it passed by itself.

When it was already unbearable (a week after the onset of anaemia), they called a cardiology ambulance team – the cardiogram turned out to be bad (although before, it was always good). In the hospital, it turned out that his haemoglobin was 50 with a minimum. Norm of 130. They took him to the therapeutic department, where staff advised us to see a narcologist. However, the narcologist declined due to his low haemoglobin levels and recommended that we consult an oncologist and a surgeon instead.

Initial Medical Tests and Findings

The oncologist diagnosed anaemia, but it is not clear why. Did an FGDS – everything was normal, nothing hurt my father, there was no blood in the stool, and there was no blood with saliva and urine either. The doctor said to do an additional clinical blood test, an abdominal cavity and pelvis ultrasound, and an irrigoscopy. This was on Monday, and said to come on Wednesday. On Tuesday, we gave blood for clinical analysis and also on our initiative for iron and glucose. I am attaching the test results – haemoglobin 32, ESR over 140. glucose and normal levels are fine.

Moreover, even with such tests, my father had the strength for quite aggressive behaviour and screaming.

Intensive Care and Current Treatments

On Wednesday, I realised that he would not even leave the apartment on his own for an ultrasound and rhinoscopy – I called an ambulance again. At the hospital, they decided to put him in intensive care to raise his haemoglobin and further examination. It was decided to pump his blood and additional medications. After 1 day of such blood infusion, haemoglobin increased slightly to 40 units. Today is the 2nd day in intensive care – I will find out what fruits this has borne only in the morning.

Concerns and Next Steps

I know firsthand about Erythropoietin. It raised haemoglobin very well for my grandfather, who was once sick with cancer. He injected it, not according to the doctor’s prescription, at home. Doctors did not offer it to my father either but continue to do so in intensive care. I demand that he buy expensive medications whose purpose is not always clear (for example, for an ulcer, although an FGDS showed that there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract) and demand that he either find donors or pay for the blood transfused to him.

After resuscitation, they plan to continue the examination, in particular, to do the same ultrasound and rhinoscopy. Since the source of inflammation and such bad tests have not yet been identified, I ask for advice on what to do next. As I understand it, there is a considerable chance of an oncological problem, which we are very afraid of. You should arrange additional examinations as soon as possible, as the anaemia has persisted for 10 days. However, even with such tests, my father managed to walk 2 km on urgent business, stopping near benches every 30 seconds to catch his breath.

James Y.

Hello! Since I was seven, I have consistently had low haemoglobin levels due to chronic iron deficiency anaemia, as diagnosed by doctors. Each year, either in the spring or fall, I spent time in the hospital, where they treated me with medication and iron injections.

Specialized Care and Blood Transfusion

When I was 10, doctors transferred me to another city for specialised care because the doctors in my original location couldn’t provide further help. There, they stabilised me with a blood transfusion. However, my experience with anaemia didn’t end there. In 2010, I experienced episodes of vomiting blood and had blood in my stool. The surgical team admitted me to the department, where they administered three bags of blood due to blood loss and low haemoglobin levels, followed by an FGDS procedure. In the discharge, they wrote the diagnosis of hypertrophic gastritis.

Uterine Bleeding and Further Treatment

Then, in 2013, on September 9, I started having uterine bleeding. At that time, I received treatment in the gynaecology department of Volsk for three consecutive days. I had bleeding each morning, but then it stopped, giving me hope that I was recovering. After seven days, they discharged me. However, on the morning of September 17, shortly after returning home, I began bleeding heavily again. We returned to the gynaecology department, where they administered tranexamic acid, iron, and two blood bags at 323 mg each. At that point, they decided to send me to the city where I was previously treated. The doctor recommended a consultation with a haematologist and treatment, hormonal tablets MICROGENON, examination of hormonal levels, and taking a solution of TOTEMA and Ferretab to raise haemoglobin.