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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Any Medication For 91 Year Old Suffering From Low Hemoglobin Count?

My mother a 91 year old lady is suffering from low haemoglin count 9.8. Her present medication is for hypertension and she has iron supplements. Could you suggest other medications whch will take her haemoglobin level to a more comfortable level as she feels tired and uneasy, likes to lie down the whole day. Thanks
Thu, 5 Jun 2014
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Geriatrics Specialist 's  Response
Hello,
Hemoglobin of 9.8 g% for elderly 91 year old is good. Yes, it is anemic and she does require supplements.
She is already on Iron supplements by her doctor, as he must have detected iron deficiency anemia. Importantly it is to be noted that hemoglobin percentage to improve after start of treatment would take around a month in the young and in adult, it might take a bit longer.
Other supplements include Vit B12 & Folic acid. It is very important to identify if they are deficient before starting treatment as too many unnecessary drugs prescribed in the elderly, she might drop off the essential drugs, like for example hypertension.
Get a peripheral smear done in the laboratory and look at the diagnosis. If it is macrocytic anemia, get a vit B12 or folic acid assay. If its deficient you can start treatment. If it is microcytic anemia, you can continue the present treatment. Check for Reticulocyte count in the laboratory after 15-20 days of treatment to look for increase. More then 4% would indicate improvement in anemia condition.
However, anemia could not be only cause for her tiredness and weakness. Have her take a nutritious diet regularly.

Hope I have answered your query. If you have any other queries, happy to help.
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Any Medication For 91 Year Old Suffering From Low Hemoglobin Count?

Hello, Hemoglobin of 9.8 g% for elderly 91 year old is good. Yes, it is anemic and she does require supplements. She is already on Iron supplements by her doctor, as he must have detected iron deficiency anemia. Importantly it is to be noted that hemoglobin percentage to improve after start of treatment would take around a month in the young and in adult, it might take a bit longer. Other supplements include Vit B12 & Folic acid. It is very important to identify if they are deficient before starting treatment as too many unnecessary drugs prescribed in the elderly, she might drop off the essential drugs, like for example hypertension. Get a peripheral smear done in the laboratory and look at the diagnosis. If it is macrocytic anemia, get a vit B12 or folic acid assay. If its deficient you can start treatment. If it is microcytic anemia, you can continue the present treatment. Check for Reticulocyte count in the laboratory after 15-20 days of treatment to look for increase. More then 4% would indicate improvement in anemia condition. However, anemia could not be only cause for her tiredness and weakness. Have her take a nutritious diet regularly. Hope I have answered your query. If you have any other queries, happy to help.