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New to PMR - Are Monthly Labs and Check-ups normal?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Aug 11, 2023 | Replies (71)Comment receiving replies
Strangely my labs show anemia as well. Were you given a reason for yours? I have also had a colonoscopy and pelvic ultrasounds which show nothing they can pinpoint. I was told to eat more iron rich foods.
Replies to "Strangely my labs show anemia as well. Were you given a reason for yours? I have..."
I had anemia, but it resolved when I started taking prednisone. It's sometimes called anemia of chronic inflammation. "Normocytic, normochromic anemia and thrombocytosis occur in approximately 50% of pateients with these disorders [PMR and GCA] and are excellent guides to the state of inflammation." Source – Cecil and Goldman's Textbook of Medicine.
The anemia of chronic inflammation is not caused by iron deficiency as @jabrown0407 implied. Best to get the blood work done @pacarolyn to see if there is iron deficiency before increasing your iron intake.
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@pacarolyn Please ask your doctor to have a Ferritin panel run. I suspect you are not iron deficient. Careful about getting too much iron, it can be dangerous.