Posted by River1924 on July 12, 2005, at 22:51:54
In reply to Re: hemochromatosis/iron overload, posted by Sebastian on July 1, 2005, at 12:29:47
http://irondisorders.org/treatments/phl/index.htm
"Note: Ferritin drops by about 30-50ng/dL with each full unit of blood removed. Ferritin levels can be distorted. Individuals with liver damage such as cirrhosis will unload iron faster than those without liver damage. Other factors that may skew ferritin include presence of inflammation or infection. Checking ferritin periodically can be can protect against undue iron deficiency anemia caused by overbleeding."
Yes, you lose about 250 mg of iron per phlebotomy but your ferritin drops less than that. As a rule of thumb, multiple your ferritin level by 10 and then divide it by 250. For me with an initial ferritin level of 1040, that means my initial aggressive phase will require about 42 phlebotomies. Ouch!
The pituitary gland needs be checked for permanent damage (probably by MRI.) If your hormones are off, that will affect your mental health, too. Other organs may be damaged, too.
A good book is "The Iron Disorders Institutes Guide to Hemochromatosis."
poster:River1924
thread:521814
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050708/msgs/526960.html