Hemochromatosis.

[Shurup]

Hi all.

I did a blood and urine check a week ago and all was good and within normal except for the blood iron level. I peaked at the monitor while talking to my doctor and I've seen a number 612 I think, but I didn't notice what was the normal range or units of measurement. My doc told me not to worry... (more on it later).

Well I came back home and googled "high iron level in blood" and Hemochromatosis came out as a result. It seems to be a very serious condition and one of the symptoms is joints pain, which I have for the last month or so.

I should mention I never ever had abnormal iron blood levels before and I do regular check ups about once a year.

So what happened a month ago? I was in a serious motorcycle accident, got knocked out and woke up with a broken wrist, cracked rib and my left leg above the knee was one big bruise.

I was hurting a while after the accident and was on pain killers for a few weeks.

I don't take any meds now except for calcium (1000-1500 mg per day), which I started taking right after the accident.

My rib is healed.

Leg bruise is gone.

Wrist is still broken, a bit swollen and in the cast and I STILL have a bit of a bruise around the wrist joint.

However my knees started hurting shortly after the accident and still hurt when I sit the Thai way. They don't hurt if I sit on the chair, walk, run, etc. I thought my knees got damaged in the accident too but x-ray showed nothing.

So here I an having the joints pain in my knees, which is a symptom of Hemochromatosis.

My doc told me not to worry and she said my body is healing up and that's why the iron level is so high, but can these be related?

I see the pattern, they started hurting shortly after the accident so that may be true, but I want a second opinion please.

Edit to add: I should mention that I stopped my TRT treatment 3 months ago and was on HCG injections for a few months to restore testicular function - me and my wife are trying to conceive a baby. My T level is back to what it was before the treatment - normal low. Don't know if it's related though.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Shurup

[oncearugge]

Hemochromatosis is a inhered gene mediated condition.

The only specific tests(among others) which help diagnose the condition are Serum transferrin saturation and Serum ferritin. Neither of these tests are usually part of a routine "blood check"

Unless you know of someone within your family that has/had the disease it is unlikely that you have it. You are more likely to be another victim of "Dr" Google who is very skilled in instilling unwarranted fears in people.

The only means of determining for sure if you have Hemochromatosis is to have tests which specifically exclude the disease.

If you are unfortunate enough to be proven to have the disease treatment is simple and consists of regular Venesection (

http://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/patient-information-leaflets/venesection-april-2014.htm)

Edited November 2, 2015 by oncearugge

[Sheryl]

As above, you have certainly not had the tests necessary to diagnose hematochromatosis.

I find it very odd that you have a check up with blood and urine tests but did not receive a copy of the test results. I suggest yo uget them so that you actually know what the result was and what it was measuring.

If it was the srum ferritin, this will be elevated in the precence of a number of inflammatory conditions and after trauma, and that is probably the reason in your case. Also, if you drink, excess alcohol consumption can cause this.

[Shurup]

I'm in Canada at the moment and they don't give copies of the results to the patients but send them to the family doctors.

I could ask my doc to give me a copy, but yes it was ferritin. It was highlighted in red on her computer screen when she scrolled through the report so I asked.

Ferritin is iron, isn't it? And elevated iron means hemochromatosis, no? Also how do I explain joints pain?

[Shurup]

P.S. I drink occasionally and not excessively.

[oncearugge]

I'm in Canada at the moment and they don't give copies of the results to the patients but send them to the family doctors.

I could ask my doc to give me a copy, but yes it was ferritin. It was highlighted in red on her computer screen when she scrolled through the report so I asked.

Ferritin is iron, isn't it? And elevated iron means hemochromatosis, no? Also how do I explain joints pain?

Return to your Doctor and explain your fears.

I would be surprised if your Dr. asked for a serum ferritin level unless she suspected you to be anaemic.

Ferritin is the major iron storage protein of the body the "normal" range is 24 to 336 nanograms per milliliter in men

A "high" level of Ferritin does not, on its own, indicate Hemochromatosis , there are other causes of a raised Ferritin level.

[Sheryl]

...A "high" level of Ferritin does not, on its own, indicate Hemochromatosis , there are other causes of a raised Ferritin level.

Including, as I said before, inflammation and trauma.

Likely due to your recent accident.

Your knee pain may be due to soft tissue damage, tendonitis etc which would not show on Xray.