does anemia affect bipolar disorder?

I'm wondering does iron deficiency or fairly moderate to moderate/bad anemia affect mental health, and if it does, does it affect bipolar as well? What can be the mental health aspects (especially for bipolar, panic disorder too)?

I just got a call from my rheumatologist this afternoon saying I am quite anemic. I don't have the common causes of low iron. It's got her so concerned, she said she is sending my blood results to my GI doctor ASAP, which I'm sure is going to mean more expensive tests I don't want to have. The rheumatologist is worried about GI bleeding being that I had surgery for a perforated ulcer Feb. 2018. All my bloodwork results are posted on a patient portal, and you can even get a line graph of your results for most of them. If you look at things like hemoglobin or red blood cells, mine just plummet after August 2018 to present (have not had any bloodwork since August 2018 until yesterday). Hemoglobin went from 14.2 to 8.7, and it's been in the 12-14 range over the 3 years they've had this portal.

I do know getting the rheumatologist call alone already made me anxious and panicky, especially as she mentioned a list of symptoms I should go straight to the ER for, including trouble breathing. Which with the pollen, possible added bad air quality from the ITC plant situation, and panic attacks is freaking me out. Every panic attack makes me feel like I don't have enough air to breathe, and this phone call has caused me a panic attack and very high anxiety.

I'm glad you're getting a good medical workup. As for iron deficiency anemia, what I know is that it can make you feel tired, possibly cause a little racing heart, maybe light-headedness, some weakness, and some other symptoms, especially if it's bad. I think these symptoms are very good to identify the source of since some may resemble depression symptoms. That's also a reason many psychiatrists test patients' thyroid functioning, and other things (i.e. vitamin D deficiency).

I had iron deficiency anemia for a while because of a copper IUD. It made my menstrual periods extremely heavy. I ended up taking a prescription iron supplement for it. But it was clear that the IUD was the culprit. Also, when I eventually had the IUD taken out, my periods normalized and my need for the supplement disappeared.

Well, the doctor did a full thyroid workup (normal) and tested vitamin D (normal). She didn't test the B vitamins, and my cycles have been very light lately, the last one nearly nonexistent, but I do run a lot and am underweight (though weight stable, not gaining or losing).

I do wish I'd had those test results this morning because I actually saw the GI doc, told him the rheumatologist had ordered bloodwork and was concerned about low iron, especially because I've been craving and eating crushed ice a ton. I think it started around January and has just grown and grown in intensity. He'd said OK, get the results sent over, call if there are problems, follow up in 4 months.

Now, though, I will likely be seeing him again soon...Not that he isn't a good doctor, but I really thought I was done with GI issues after that ulcer surgery as long as I left NSAIDs alone.