New Blood Lab Confirms Slight Anemia

I had blood work back in January 2017 showing I was slightly anemic and recent blood tests confirm the same.

Since I'm on Lupron, I'm betting low testosterone is causing the anemia and not cancer. My was T=43 back in January 2017.

Question is, do I want to do another Lupron in May, which will bring me to one year, or do I cut it short at 9 months?

I wanted the SRT that I finished in December to have at least one year with HT, but now having second thoughts.

Any thoughts?

Bobby Mac

Thanks Allen -

I'm not sure if erythropoietin will do it and not sure if a blood transfusion is necessary. I meet with my PCP Thursday and will ask him and contact the MO I am working with.

Could be the easiest way is to forgo the May Lupron injection and put my cards on the table.

I could be in trouble if I find the SRT failed and anemia will prevent me from taking HT.

Bobby Mac

White Bird

Hemoglobin 12.4
Hematocrit 37.6

Iron was within normal range, but TIBC was a little low indicating too much iron in my blood?

Bobby Mac

Bobby Mac

My hemoglobin has run at the very bottom of normal all the while on hormone therapy, around 13.5. My HCT varies, running about 36-39%. I've felt my aerobic capacity diminished, getting puffed sometimes just climbing a flight of stairs. But, more routine aerobic training at my workouts has been helping a bit.

My oncologist said he treats a lot of leukemia patients, and they'd be quite envious of my numbers. So, what, my baseline for comparison is leukemia patients?! Sheesh. His point though was that there are few options, and a transfusion isn't warranted at numbers like mine even though marginally low. I didn't ask at what point that would become a consideration, since my low numbers have at least been pretty stable.

However, at that level they never considered halting hormone therapy, and didn't call it anemia. While low, it's not seriously so. Anemia for men is generally defined as HGB<13.5, but it's not likely very symptomatic until nearly half of that, apparently.

From "Acute Anemia":
It is generally accepted that an acute drop in hemoglobin to a level of 7-8 g/dL is symptomatic, whereas levels of 4-5 g/dL may be tolerated in chronic anemia, as the body is able to gradually replace the loss of intravascular volume.

Do you have a trend for your numbers? Are they getting lower, or staying fairly stable albeit at that low level?

Redwing57 said...
My hemoglobin has run at the very bottom of normal all the while on hormone therapy, around 13.5. My HCT varies, running about 36-39%. I've felt my aerobic capacity diminished, getting puffed sometimes just climbing a flight of stairs. But, more routine aerobic training at my workouts has been helping a bit.

My oncologist said he treats a lot of leukemia patients, and they'd be quite envious of my numbers. So, what, my baseline for comparison is leukemia patients?! Sheesh. His point though was that there are few options, and a transfusion isn't warranted at numbers like mine even though marginally low. I didn't ask at what point that would become a consideration, since my low numbers have at least been pretty stable.

However, at that level they never considered halting hormone therapy, and didn't call it anemia. While low, it's not seriously so. Anemia for men is generally defined as HGB<13.5, but it's not likely very symptomatic until nearly half of that, apparently.

From "Acute Anemia":
It is generally accepted that an acute drop in hemoglobin to a level of 7-8 g/dL is symptomatic, whereas levels of 4-5 g/dL may be tolerated in chronic anemia, as the body is able to gradually replace the loss of intravascular volume...

Good information here for me. It puts my own experience in perspective and even though I don't feel any better about my situation, at least I understand a little more.