Blood Results

[DaveCH]

Panic time. Had routine bloods taken last week as I wanted an MOT. Just spoke to reception at my doctors who have said a prescription has been left out as my folic acid is low. The doctor wants to speak to me tomorrow about my iron. I'm male 36. What does low folic acid mean can it be a symptom of cancer etc. I'm now freaking out

[Gary A]

Panic time. Had routine bloods taken last week as I wanted an MOT. Just spoke to reception at my doctors who have said a prescription has been left out as my folic acid is low. The doctor wants to speak to me tomorrow about my iron. I'm male 36. What does low folic acid mean can it be a symptom of cancer etc. I'm now freaking out

You probably aren't getting enough iron in your diet so they've prescribed some supplements and now just want to give you a bit of advice on your diet. This is a very common thing.

[DaveCH]

I read that the main reason for low iron is bleeding the stomach tract but surely I would have blood in my stools. All my other tests like car kidneys wbc all where normal so surely if it was something bad one of those would be off. I train 5 times a week and do a 10-15k run at the weekend could my training be affecting my levels.

[NoraB]

Panic time. Had routine bloods taken last week as I wanted an MOT. Just spoke to reception at my doctors who have said a prescription has been left out as my folic acid is low. The doctor wants to speak to me tomorrow about my iron. I'm male 36. What does low folic acid mean can it be a symptom of cancer etc. I'm now freaking out

It can be a lot of reasons like diet, medication, genetics, alcohol intake etc

The fact that it's the only thing picked up in your blood test is reassuring and I think that any disease would have showed up elsewhere in the bloods. Try not to freak out until you have reason to, which I'm sure you don't.

[Capercrohnj]

It could very well be a nutritional deficiency. How is your diet?

[DaveCH]

Diets ok I suppose but I train a lot and started doing long distance running a few months ago but didn't change my diet. Not sure if lots of exercise would affect iron and folic levels ?

[NoraB]

I read that the main reason for low iron is bleeding the stomach tract but surely I would have blood in my stools. All my other tests like car kidneys wbc all where normal so surely if it was something bad one of those would be off. I train 5 times a week and do a 10-15k run at the weekend could my training be affecting my levels.

You would but even then it doesn't mean cancer because my husband had low iron and B12 with blood in his poo and it wasn't cancer. It was a benign polyp and nothing to worry about.

[DaveCH]

I posted yesterday worried about my blood results. Spoke to gp this morning and I have nothing to worry about folic acid and ferritin in iron is a little low but this is very common on people who train a lot. I run 25km a week and cycle 20km a week plus swim and box so it's important to eat correctly and all my other bloods are perfect and if anything bad was going on something else would be off. So relieved and definitely not anaemic

[NoraB]

I posted yesterday worried about my blood results. Spoke to gp this morning and I have nothing to worry about folic acid and ferritin in iron is a little low but this is very common on people who train a lot. I run 25km a in your bloods is perfect and if anything bad was going on something else would be off. So relieved and definitely not anaemic

Good to hear, Dave.