Blue Water
Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2020
- Messages
- 268
Hi all,
I've been doing a lot of research because my iron levels are out of whack and I have the allele for H63D which predisposes me to some iron overload risks.
My ferritin has stayed consistently low. In the past it was like 55. My health declined and ferritin actually went lower, to the 30's. However, right when ferritin dropped, transferrin––which I suspect is even more dangerous than ferritin when elevated––increased, which produced lots of gastrointestinal distress. My transferrin levels now fluctuate between 50-72% on a blood draw !! My serum iron tends to be just above the reference range, at around 205 or so.
So naturally I am trying to figure out how to manage this situation. Would it be wise to donate blood even when ferritin is in the low to mid 30's? My hemoglobin is fine as is my hematocrit, so I don't have any anemia or anything like that, but I have read that a single donation could drop ferritin somewhere between 30-50 ng/ml. That would bring my ferritin effectively to zero, if true. Given I have such a high transferrin generally, I don't know for sure if even bringing it to zero would necessarily produce anemia, but I also want to be cautious. Is there any way to donate half the normal amount during a donation, or do they always just do a one-size-fits-all amount (like a pint)?
In addition to phlebotomy, does anyone have any good recommendations for supplements to reduce my transferrin level and get free iron out of the blood? That would be very helpful for people with overload. Curcumin and milk thistle seem to be the major ones that are typically recommended online.
Thanks.
I've been doing a lot of research because my iron levels are out of whack and I have the allele for H63D which predisposes me to some iron overload risks.
My ferritin has stayed consistently low. In the past it was like 55. My health declined and ferritin actually went lower, to the 30's. However, right when ferritin dropped, transferrin––which I suspect is even more dangerous than ferritin when elevated––increased, which produced lots of gastrointestinal distress. My transferrin levels now fluctuate between 50-72% on a blood draw !! My serum iron tends to be just above the reference range, at around 205 or so.
So naturally I am trying to figure out how to manage this situation. Would it be wise to donate blood even when ferritin is in the low to mid 30's? My hemoglobin is fine as is my hematocrit, so I don't have any anemia or anything like that, but I have read that a single donation could drop ferritin somewhere between 30-50 ng/ml. That would bring my ferritin effectively to zero, if true. Given I have such a high transferrin generally, I don't know for sure if even bringing it to zero would necessarily produce anemia, but I also want to be cautious. Is there any way to donate half the normal amount during a donation, or do they always just do a one-size-fits-all amount (like a pint)?
In addition to phlebotomy, does anyone have any good recommendations for supplements to reduce my transferrin level and get free iron out of the blood? That would be very helpful for people with overload. Curcumin and milk thistle seem to be the major ones that are typically recommended online.
Thanks.