Looking for a doctor with knowledge of Anemia

[sikishrory]

I get blood tests done at a lab a few times a year. Mainly to monitor my high cholesterol, prediabetes and just to see what's going on.

For quite awhile I have felt somethings amiss but despite a lot of tests I couldn't put my finger on it.

I often feel like I have no energy and tired. 

So this week I went a bit further with the tests and got iron panel as I saw my red blood cells are abnormal.

Iron panel looks pretty messed up and I would like to present all this information to someone and get a medical interpretation and perhaps a diagnosis of what I suspect is macrocytic anemia.

High albumin was another abnormality 2 months ago but since normalised.

Can anyone recommend a doctor able to sit down, interpret the results below and also with the patience to explain it to me.

Bangkok, Pattaya and phuket are best areas.

Thanks

Edited November 23, 2019 by sikishrory

[Langsuan Man]

Get yourself to a hematologist as soon as possible, anemia, like heart disease is a silent killer

 

My 84 year old father used to walk 5 miles a day ( on a home visit I had to do it with him) and was always bragging about his great heart rate and blood pressure

 

He got a cold on Friday and by Monday he had a massive heart attack and died at home.  I was of course shocked so called his doctor and she told me, that yes his BP and Heart rate were always good but she had urged him to see a hematologist to investigate his anemia, but typically he didn't listen to her. 

 

So what happened was that the cold lowered his resistance and brought his red blood hemoglobin count down so low that it could no longer supply oxygenated blood to the heart and basically the heart starved from lack of oxygen, causing a heart attack

 

So anemia is nothing to fool around with, get yourself checked, before it is too late  

[essox essox]

best to go to a good hospital, get chkd over.

Anemia, I think, is lack of iron in body...

[Pilotman]

well the obvious answer to your question is that all of them should be able to deal with that condition professionally, but as we know, not all can, as professional standards in medicine, in Thailand, are variable, and that is being generous.  I guess that as others have said, your best bet is a 'consultant' (or what passes for one) in a hospital. Sheryl will give more up to date and knowledgeable advice I'm sure. 

[PPMMUU]

your hematocrit is 46.9%

so you don't have anemia

abnormal iron study may be caused by other problem but not anemia ( because you don't have one )

 

if your concern is feeling no energy and tired you should focus on that and bring that up when talk to doctor.

[Sheryl]

You do not have anemia.

 

You do have elevated iron levels. This can be due to a condition called hemochromatsis (which  can also cause fatigue, is most common in people of Northern European descent and often first becomes symptomatic in middle to late middle age). It can also be due to obesity, excess alcohol intake, liver disease and a variety of inflammatory conditions.

 

Would make sense to see a hematologist first to test for hemochromatosis.  I suggest one of these:

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Tanawat-Jirakulaporn

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Udomsak-Bunworasate

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Suthida-Suwanvecho

 

If hematochromatosis is ruled out and you are nto obese or  heavy drinker they may need to refer you to a different specialist for further work up. But start there.

[sikishrory]

Thanks for answers. 

I made an appointment with a hematologist at bkk Pattaya hospital called Jiranuch Tantirakrot.

I think hematologist was the word I needed to get started so thanks. I didn't know about them before.

I also had high albumin as mentioned and low absolute lymphocytes. 

Everytime I google any of these results it mentions "chronic disease" but I have had a lot of tests for most things I can think of so it is really tough to interpret.

Looking forward to seeing what she says.

About a month ago I had stem cell treatment in Barcelona on my spine discs. It may be connected with that although that seems an odd connection.

Edited November 24, 2019 by sikishrory

[sikishrory]

For future reference if people are looking for a doctor in Pattaya for blood stuff Dr. Jiranuch Tantirakrot was great.

Very thorough, patient and not rushing you out the door. Listened carefully to everything. Looked at my lab history thoroughly. Physical exam. Lots of questions.

Arranged for an immediate phlebotomy and test for suspected Hemochromatosis gene. 

Gave her contact details to answer any questions about my results as I will be away.

[Sheryl]

Thanks for that feedback, good to know.