What could be the cause of my iron deficiency anemia.

[stevesmith2]

I was found to have iron deficiency anemia. The came out of the blue in the annual physical.

Since then I have been screened for colon cancer. Nothing there.
I have been screened for blood in the urine. Nothing there.
I have had a fecal occult test. Nothing there.
Ultrasound of thyroid. No problem detected.

Iron tablets have masked the anemia so the blood is back to normal.

I am tired of test after test and the cost I am incurring on my insurance deductable.

[TheLightSeeker]

Hey stevesmith2.

You have anemia testing  mostly for  "loss" of red blood cells.
What should also be investigated is:
- low red blood cell production
-destruction of red blood cells
-low iron intake or absorption

There are many conditions and imbalances which may contribute to  or cause anemia, which are not associated with loss of blood.

The iron supplementation was an effective trial and because it  worked, it indicates that the cause is likely related to low iron.
I would bet on this as a cause, however, the question for you remains unanswered, since you mentioned the iron pills masked the anemia!
What is/was causing the suspected iron deficiency?
-Is it low intake of iron-rich foods?
-Is it low Vitamin C and/or Vitamin A and/or Beta carotene, casing low iron absorption?
-Is it too much phytic acid interfering with iron absorption?

Also your doctor could have had your thyroid function tested (not just an Ultrasound) by checking Free T3, FreeT4 and Reverse T3.
But if you have no related symptoms, you can forgo further thyroid testing.

Food for thought.
I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Niko

[stevesmith2]

The original testing indicated iron deficiency anemia. The doctors all suspected colon cancer was the cause (wrong--I've now seen the inside of my colon). I eat a lot of iron rich foods. I eat a lot of citrus. Vitamin A/Bata carotene—something to inquire about. I don't eat a lot phytic acid sources.  They did the thyroid function tests.