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March 15, 2008
well no wonder why i'm anemic
I found out that I have alpha Thalassemia. It's a genetic disorder where i'm not producing enough alpha protein in my hemoglobin. Which then gives me mild anemia. Apparently it's commonly misdiagnosed as iron deficiency anemia. No wonder why the iron supplements weren't working. They aren't an effective treatment. The weird thing is that it's usually found in asian, african, mediterranean ethnicities...... oops (7% of people who have this are white).
Posted by jennj at March 15, 2008 12:05 PM
Clue-ments:
How did you find out that you had this? Testing or other diagnostic technique (i.e. doctor with a clue)?
Posted by: Iwan at March 16, 2008 01:40 PM
Iwan - Well.....because of a different medical problem. I had to see my ob/gyn about something (not related to this) and she noticed that my records said I was mildly anemic. I offhandedly mentioned that the iron supplements didn't seem to be working and she said, "You may have a genetic disorder I know about. I'll test ya and let's see." Turns out that screening for this is typically done for people who want to be parents. That may be why she knows about it probably more than my primary care? Haven't had a chance to talk to him yet.
Posted by: cf at March 16, 2008 05:24 PM