Low Hemogloben

 My husband had duodenal switch in 2008. He has been having trouble with really low blood count.
he take proferrin also tender iron. Is this normal ? Please any advice would be appreciated.

What counts are low? What did the doctor who ordered the labs say? Does your husband have symptoms?

 his reading was 8.5 and 12 is normal they gave him 2 pints of blood .He goes to a hemoltoligist tomorrow to see if they can find out what is going on, they gave him a pint of blood the week before and his reading went up to 9.5 but the next week it went back to 8.5. but last week after they gave him the other 2 pints it was up to 10.5. So we will see what the doctor says.

Iron, hemoglobin, hematocrit and ferritin are all related.  Iron is absorbed in the stomach lining (a little bit) but mostly in the duodenum.  Science is severely lacking in iron absorption studies.  After DS, alot of us end up having iron infusions.  Those are usually done at an oncology center because it's an IV set up over an hour, which is a slow infusion.  The iron used can be caustic to the veins, hence the slow IV drip under monitoring.  Not anything to fear, infusions don't hurt and it's the fastest way to increase your ferritin, hemoglobin and hematocrit readings. 

What is your husband's ferritin?  That's your iron "savings account".  If that is also low, get him in for infusions ASAP.  He will feel much better.  Why are they giving him whole blood?  Are you in a small community without a hematologist?  Does he have other health issues going on as well?

Without knowing all his lab readings, it's kind of hard to advise.  But definitely get him in with a hematologist (blood doctor).  That's the first step.

 Hi Thank you for your reply,
I have had infusions and it helps me. In Kansas City most doctors have not heard of the DS surgery but he is going to a hematologist  today. Thanks again.

Hm. Probably nothing, but my dad's hemoglobin dropped due to autoimmune hemalytic anemia. The drs said it was not DS related. 50 percent of the cases have no identifiable cause. Certain white blood cells were killing the red blood cells. Glad to hear you are seeing a hematologist. Keep us posted.

 Well he seen the Hematologist and he told him that it was not fro th WLS. His kidneys are not functioning correctly and he has had Phnuemonia and his tostestorone was low and all three of them combined would cause the body to slow down on making red blood cells, He also said this is not fron a iron shortage. They might have to give him something to boost his blood marrow.

Thats too bad.  Hope he get everything sorted out and taken care of real fast!

OOOoooo.  I'd look into all that ALOT further.  All those things together just sound complicated.  And from my own personal experience of doctors giving me "symptoms" as a "diagnosis", I might be tempted to take him to a teaching hospital for an in-depth look-see.

Keep on top of all that.