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Question: I had a low red blood cell count (6)so I got two units of blood Then a camera down my throat. found a small ulser in stomach But they thought it was too small to account for such a large blood loss.. The colon camer found nothing at all. So then the decided it must be the ulser. I had breast cancer 6 and a half years ago I had chemo, surgery and radiation. That is the first time I became anemic. Cancer was Her2+ . what else can blood loss? XXXX
Brief Answer:
there are various causes
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
first of all, if you'd like to upload test reports, it would be great help to understand your situation.
Anemia has numerous potential causes. Blood loss is one of them. Blood loss usually occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. Colonic tumors, ulcers, angiodysplasias, etc may cause blood loss either in a fast or a slow rate. Rapidly lost blood in the gastrointestinal tract may result in visible blood in the stool or in black tarry stool or even no visible indication.
Another type of causes is reduced red cell production. Chemotherapy, hematologic diseases, nutrient insufficiencies (iron, vitamin B12, folic acid), etc may also result in anemia.
Finally fast destruction of red blood cells results in anemia. This is called hemolysis and has various causes. Drugs, infections, hematologic diseases, etc are potential causes.
So you understand that the potential causes are numerous. The doctor should follow the clues from clinical examination and tests in order to develop a smart investigation strategy (and thus to avoid doing useless tests).
More clinical information and laboratory data would help me to provide a more individualized answer. Important clinical information may include the following:
- your symptoms
- your vital signs (blood pressure and pulse rate)
- the drugs you use
- the rest of your medical history
- the color of your stool
I'll be glad to comment more on your case, when you provide more details.
Kind Regards!
there are various causes
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
first of all, if you'd like to upload test reports, it would be great help to understand your situation.
Anemia has numerous potential causes. Blood loss is one of them. Blood loss usually occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. Colonic tumors, ulcers, angiodysplasias, etc may cause blood loss either in a fast or a slow rate. Rapidly lost blood in the gastrointestinal tract may result in visible blood in the stool or in black tarry stool or even no visible indication.
Another type of causes is reduced red cell production. Chemotherapy, hematologic diseases, nutrient insufficiencies (iron, vitamin B12, folic acid), etc may also result in anemia.
Finally fast destruction of red blood cells results in anemia. This is called hemolysis and has various causes. Drugs, infections, hematologic diseases, etc are potential causes.
So you understand that the potential causes are numerous. The doctor should follow the clues from clinical examination and tests in order to develop a smart investigation strategy (and thus to avoid doing useless tests).
More clinical information and laboratory data would help me to provide a more individualized answer. Important clinical information may include the following:
- your symptoms
- your vital signs (blood pressure and pulse rate)
- the drugs you use
- the rest of your medical history
- the color of your stool
I'll be glad to comment more on your case, when you provide more details.
Kind Regards!
Note: Do you have more questions on diagnosis or treatment of blood disorders? Ask An Expert/ Specialist Now
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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