Haemachromatosis

[Iamcazzy]

Hi all
A dear friend of mine has been asked by his surgery to undergo a blood test for the above condition. He is having something called a fasting transferritin saturation test. I'm finding it very hard to understand what I'm reading on the internet about it and what can be done about it if the diagnosis is confirmed by the lab. How serious is it and what would it mean to him long term?
Thank you.

[anneasquith]

Find “ NHS CHOICES” on line, you will get good simple advice/treatment.

[LadyCG]

He can get treatment online through NHS Choices? Wowsers!

[Sqad]

See what Dr Google says, but in simple terms, just as ANEAMIA is not enough iron in the blood,HAEMOCHROMATOSIS is too much iron in the blood.
It is a hereditary condition and the first symptoms are tiredness, not feeling well and the skin turns a sort of sallow colour.
Iron can be deposited in most of the organs, heart, kidney, spleen etc and cause the affected organs to fail.
Not usually a big deal and treatment consists of removing blood from the body periodically, mainly be venesection, probably every 3or 4 months and if you are a woman, still menstruating, that MAY be enough to avoid venesections or make them less frequent.

That's it...a potted resume of the condition.

[chelle7272]

Not a lot to add but NHS info here:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/haemochromatosis/treatment/

[ummmm]

I think everyone knows what Anne meant!!

[Samuraisan]

Mr.Sam had an iron overload showing up in a routine blood test and then had a further blood test to see if he had Haemachromatosis, which came up negative. By changing his diet, ( no eating white rice everyday, wholemeal food, and cutting the booze right down) he has managed to reduce his iron to acceptable levels in 3 months. But as Sqad says, if he does have H......... the treatment is quite simple.

[anneasquith]

Eh, Anne’s having a laugh,

[ethandron]

Cazzy, when I was having infliximab infusions in what was referred to as the ‘Fluid Room’, there were always two or three people having blood drained due to their haemachromatosis. I’d never heard of the condition till then and found it very interesting chatting to them.
They sat in a comfy arm chair, the nurse would fit a cannula (or whatever it’s called)and a bag to them (like a blood donor bag)which was placed in a stand on the floor, and a bag full of blood was slowly removed.
Once the bag was full, the cannula was removed and if the person felt well, which they all seemed to, off they went back to work or wherever. I can’t remember why but the blood can’t be re used, which seemed a shame.
It really didn’t seem to be a big deal for anyone I ever spoke to about it, just part of their life.

[Iamcazzy]

Thank you all especially Ethandron for the account of the blood drainage. It sounds like something he'll manage to take in his stride in the long term and I'm sure he'll adapt.