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A member asked:

My father's hemoglobin 8.5%. this happened 3rd time. he is a vegetarian. no hockworm presence. aged 60+. what to do.

A doctor has provided 1 answer

Need to rule out: bleeding in the GI tract. An adult male, even a vegetarian one, should not be anemic unless there is unrecognized blood loss. The commonest site is bleeding in the stomach or intestine. Please consult a GI specialist as endoscopy/colonoscopy may be needed. In the mean time he should take oral iron supplements.

Dr Friedlander agreed

Answered 11/27/2014

3.7k views

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