A: Contradictory iron results and fatigue

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

What kind of Lyme test did you do? Also I didn't see whether you had checked

thyroid.

My perspective would be to treat presumptively for a chronic viral infection

given nature of

onset, joint pain, brain fog by boosting immune status. This might include high

dose

Vitamin C over several months, or descending doses of Vit A. IV therapy, at

least four

sessions of Meyer's cocktails, while not a cure, can really help get someone

over the

hump. Then you can begin the real healing, with acupuncture, herbs & UNDAs.

Best,

Jennings ND, MSOM

Urban Wellness Group

p:

www.urbanwellnesspdx.com

>

> HI everyone-

>

> I sent this already but forgot to complete the subject line. Here it is

> again with a subject for any future searches.

>

> I am seeing a 42 year old male with extreme fatigue, joint pain, body

> heaviness, vertigo, concentration/memory loss, and brain fog. All this

> started this spring. Prior to that, he'd had a back injury from moving in

> November and extreme testicular pain early Spring. Both pains are better

> now but not gone, and he never got a clear diagnosis on either one even with

> exams and imaging. He does get headaches about 1x/wk and has hypoglycemia

> symptoms is he misses meals. In the most recent past, he's had significant

> marital stress and his Mom died 4 years ago. Otherwise, history is fairly

> unremarkable besides hayfever.

>

> He's had some miscellaneous bloodwork in May through Kaiser that really

> didn't show anything conclusive. His RBCs (5.44) and HgB (16.1) were

> slightly higher than optimal and his MCV's were running low-optimal (84.7;

> it had been 82.6 in 2006). Neutrophils were slightly above optimal (65.1)

> as were his eosinphils (6.2) and ESR (10). His AST and TSH were in optimal

> and his Lyme's test was negative. All results were within laboratory

> normals. They didn't do any other testing and said they couldn't find

> anything wrong despite his worsening symptoms over time.

>

> We're waiting on an ASI and I ran a full CBC/chem. His total T4 (9.2), GGT

> (38), and alk phos (99) were above optimum but normal, his cholesterol (204)

> and LDL (137) were flagged laboratory high, triglycerides (45) were below

> optimal but lab normal, as was phosphorous (3.2) and LDH (125). His RBCs

> were 5.33, HgB was 15.7, RDW was 14.2, neutrophils were 61%, eosinpohils

> were 6%- all above optimal but normal. His absolute eosinophils were above

> lab normal. His TIBC was flagged low by the lab at 241. His iron was at

> 89, UIBC was at 152, and his iron % saturation was at 37- all within

> optimal. Everything else was within normal and optimal.

>

> Given that the TIBC was actually low, his RBCs and Hgb tended to run high

> (despite reporting drinking a lot of water) but his MCV was tending to run

> low, it seemed like a contradictory pattern for iron, so I did a ferritin.

> It came back at 296 (normal 22-322, optimal 30-100). While this is still

> normal, it seems high and is above optimal, but it isn't high enough and the

> other RBC markers aren't abnormal enough to really qualify for

> hemochromatosis. His liver enzymes are also all within normal. Any thoughts

> about this pattern or his other results? I'm going to recommend a GI Health

> panel given the eosinophils to rule out issues there.

>

> Thanks-

> Hindman, ND, LAc

> Portland, OR

> family practice

>