Iron levels, haemoglobin, haemochromatosis

[Humodour]

I got the results of my full blood test back and everything was fine except my haemoglobin levels.

 

Apparently I have thick blood and a haemoglobin count of 18.2.

 

In the past my iron levels have been fine (above average). I was pleased with this and thought nothing of it. Pleased because I'm a vegetarian, and so have to monitor iron intake more carefully. Anyway, since this test sent back 18.2, which is past the accepted normal range, I have to get another done.

 

Anyway, my question is: does anybody else have high iron levels or haemochromatosis? Is it bad?

[Kelverin]

I got the results of my full blood test back and everything was fine except my haemoglobin levels.

 

Apparently I have thick blood and a haemoglobin count of 18.2.

 

In the past my iron levels have been fine (above average). I was pleased with this and thought nothing of it. Pleased because I'm a vegetarian, and so have to monitor iron intake more carefully. Anyway, since this test sent back 18.2, which is past the accepted normal range, I have to get another done.

 

Anyway, my question is: does anybody else have high iron levels or haemochromatosis? Is it bad?

 

I have never heard of it. Here is a good site for this information - http://www.webmd.com/

 

"Hemochromatosis gene (HFE) testing is a blood test used to check for hereditary hemochromatosis , an inherited disorder that causes the body to absorb too much iron. The iron then builds up in the blood, liver, heart, pancreas, joints, skin, and other organs.

 

In its early stages, hemochromatosis can cause joint and belly pain, weakness, lack of energy, and weight loss. It can also cause scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), darkening of the skin, diabetes, infertility, heart failure, irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia), and arthritis. However, many people do not have symptoms in the early stages. "

[Humodour]

I have read that too, but considering it is carried by 1 in 10 Caucasians (one parent has mutation) and affects 1 in 200 (both parents have mutation), yet I've never heard of it before, there's obviously an effective treatment available. I'm looking for personal experiences I guess.

 

For example: does giving blood remove the iron?

[Sand]

No. The iron is permeated within the blood. Its concetration is equal throughout what blood is there if memory serves. Of course there is one simple remedy for thick blood. Alcohal. Moderate use of alcohal will thin the blood out, if I remember correctly but I could be wrong.

[theslug]

I thought if you had too much iron in the blood you have to get "bled out" or donate blood. Basically prick your skin and let you bleed it out or something. Either way, high iron isn't good.

 

But more importantly going veg is probably more unhealthy.

I'm sorry it's a bastardization of our species and you're crapping on the evolution of the entirety of mankind. Man wasn't meant to not eat delicious animals. Again I'm sorry but I had to bring it up though, since we're talking about health and all.

[Shryke]

i have quite thin blood really

 

drinking + playpiercing = lots and lots and blood hehe

[ghosta]

I thought if you had too much iron in the blood you have to get "bled out" or donate blood. Basically prick your skin and let you bleed it out or something. Either way, high iron isn't good.

 

But more importantly going veg is probably more unhealthy.

I'm sorry it's a bastardization of our species and you're crapping on the evolution of the entirety of mankind. Man wasn't meant to not eat delicious animals. Again I'm sorry but I had to bring it up though, since we're talking about health and all.

 

No you git bled out if your red cell count is to high.

Meat is filled with iorn so if you have high iorn then eating meat is bad.

Asprin is a blood thinner so try taking some.

[LadyCrimson]

Maybe I'm not understanding, but if the reason the blood is "too thick" is because of iron, I'm not sure alcohol is something to use. Too much iron in blood can potentially damage the liver, and I think alcohol might actually increase the odds of liver damage or would make it worse if you have that problem, so it's something to be generally avoided. You'd need to lower the iron, of course, and hopefully that would thin the blood as a result? Too much vitamin C might be something to avoid, for example, since it supposedly increases iron absorbtion. And according to wiki, "Increasing intake of substances that inhibit iron absorption, such as high-tannin tea, calcium, and foods containing oxalic and phytic acids (these must be consumed at the same time as the iron-containing foods in order to be effective)" might help.

 

Environmental causes can cause high blood readings sometimes, I think, too - not just hereditary links - so perhaps something has changed there to cause the higher readings this time around?

 

I knew someone who's dad had a problem with retaining too much iron - I don't think it was haemochromatosis but I'm not sure, it was so long ago. All I remember is the man also had a non-clotting issue and that he looked like he had a great tan (when he didn't have one) and he had to stick a needle in his stomach (or thereabouts) to periodically withdraw the iron (or blood?).

 

If you actually have haemochromatosis, I believe the blood-taking is still considered a treatment.

It all depends on the actual reason for the high iron count/thick blood, tho, of course.

[Walsingham]

I got an overdose of anti-vegetarianism from a bloke in my unit who launched into an epic rant over breakfast as we sawed through our eggs. Hilarious, but rather much of a muchness.

 

Animals are for eating, though.

[samm]

Heh? Animals are for eating? That's what my grandmother thought.

Being a vegetarian is not unhealthy at all, if you can maintain the levels of all important substances, which isn't too difficult, unless you're vegan.

 

Anyway, on topic: My cousin has 'thick blood' too. I don't know the causes, but I do know that he must use blood thinning medication for the rest of his life, as well as avoid smoking and other stuff that causes veins to become inflexible. Also, he has to take care to drink enough (water, not alcohol). That's all I know, because we never talked about this very much.

Edited February 14, 2008 by samm

[Humodour]

Sand: Apparently LadyCrimson and theslug are right about having blood taken. Apparently it causes iron to be removed from storage to create new blood, so when done enough times will take iron levels out of the lethal range. The bad? They take a pint of blood each time! That's half a litre.

 

LadyCrimson: Thanks! That was helpful. I'm having another blood test done to see if it was an environmental factor. If this test is also high, my face will look like this:

 

I thought if you had too much iron in the blood you have to get "bled out" or donate blood. Basically prick your skin and let you bleed it out or something. Either way, high iron isn't good.

 

But more importantly going veg is probably more unhealthy.

I'm sorry it's a bastardization of our species and you're crapping on the evolution of the entirety of mankind. Man wasn't meant to not eat delicious animals. Again I'm sorry but I had to bring it up though, since we're talking about health and all.

 

theslug: Studies show that being vegetarian is healthier than eating meat; mainly with respect to cancer, disease (including diabetes and Alzheimer's) and heart attacks. Typically all three of these are about half as likely to occur. Consequently, vegetarians live longer (on average) than meat-eaters.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism#Health_issues

 

The most recent evolutions of sophistication in the human brain were most likely due to humans foraging/cultivating tubers and starch-containing plants, since meat alone does not produce the level of energy required to fuel our brains and bodies at intelligence levels required for human society today (or even hunter/gathering in the past). Meat helped them have a varied diet, but it does not appear to have been the food that pushed and sustained human evolution; plants are the reason humans evolved a long digestive tract and fairly blunt teeth (herbivore traits).

 

Further, if I have iron problems now, eating meat would be like trying to sober up by drinking alcohol.

[Humodour]

Oh, I forgot: what's the difference between thick blood and high iron levels?

 

Haemoglobin is where iron is stored, so high haemoglobin means high iron right? But the doctor said she was concerned about thick blood (and didn't mention iron)?

Edited February 15, 2008 by Krezack

[Walsingham]

I would imagine that, being herbivores, veggies are more likely to get eaten by cannibals. But if you are high iron that could take care of it. Liver is high in iron.

 

Unless you met a cannibal from my family. We all like liver.

 

f-f-f-f-f-f

[Humodour]

I would imagine that, being herbivores, veggies are more likely to get eaten by cannibals. But if you are high iron that could take care of it. Liver is high in iron.

 

Unless you met a cannibal from my family. We all like liver.

 

f-f-f-f-f-f

 

Slow day?

[Walsingham]

I would imagine that, being herbivores, veggies are more likely to get eaten by cannibals. But if you are high iron that could take care of it. Liver is high in iron.

 

Unless you met a cannibal from my family. We all like liver.

 

f-f-f-f-f-f

 

Slow day?

 

I believe I was drunk. Yes. Yes, now I think on it, I'm fairly certain I was drunk. For starters my spelling is too correct.