Anaemia V Pernicious Anaemia

[PurpleParis]

Now i know that Anaemia is iron deficiency and Pernicious Anaemia is Vitamin B12 deficiency...but is it possible to have both?? I ask because i have been iron deficient for years, i was on Ferrous Fumerate until mid May. Then my doctor told me i had PA...took me off Ferrous Fumerate and i now have B12 injections. But i am still tired all the time, i am on the menopause so could that be why...or could i still be iron deficient? Although the PA was diagnosed after my last diabetic blood test. Thanks in advance.

[Gromit]

I have it down as a score draw :-)

[Buenchico]

>>> Pernicious Anaemia is Vitamin B12 deficiency

That's not strictly true. Pernicious anaemia is actually an autoimmune condition which causes your body's immune system to attack healthy cells. It's those cells which would normally produce a substance which mixes with the B12 in your diet, allowing it to be absorbed into your body. Without those cells functioning normally your body can't absorb B12. So pernicious anaemia is really a cause of B12 deficiency, rather than the condition itself. (i.e. it's possible to have a B12 deficiency without having pernicious anaemia).

Iron deficiency anaemia has many possibles causes (as well as,of course, a simple lack of iron in your diet), most of which are listed here:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anaemia-iron-deficiency-/Pages/Causes.aspx
(Note that they include gastrointestinal blood loss during the menopause, so that might be one possibility).

There would seem to be no reason why having one condition should exclude the other, so the answer to "Is it possible to have both?" would seem to be "Yes".

[Sqad]

Yes......it is possible to have both.

[Sqad]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Health-and-Fitness/Question1547880.html

Might this suggest a cause for your iron deficiency anemia?

[Sqad]

See 10.02 below.

[Sqad]

LOL.....I mean above.....;-)

[Sqad]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Health-and-Fitness/Question1566328.html

I mean on that thread...........