Iron level very high.. can this cause problems TTC?

[MrsA]

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[peainapod]

You may have haemochromatosis.

It is a genetic disorder which can affect males and females, but in women menstruation (and thus blood loss) reduces the levels of iron in our body's.

I have this and so does my sister and my dad.

My sister and I are showing no complications as the moment, we have our iron levels checked yearly.

My dad has HEAPS of problems because of this, he was only diagnosed 10 years ago and he would be worse off if he was not rare AB- blood group and has given blood ever since he was 18.

Don't stress, I assume you are young and if this gets picked up now you should have no problems down the track.

I don't know if this would affect TTC, I am pregnant but then my iron levels fall in the normal range.

The doctors may be reluctant to do genetic testing on you if there is no family history of haemochromatosis, however it is worth knowing that it is a commonly undiagnosed genetic disorder (hence why my dad was only diagnosed 10 years ago after suffering a lifetime of problems).

I hope I have not scared you by telling you all of this but as you are a vegetarian it is odd that you have such high levels.

Good luck

BTW the genetic mutations they should test for are H63D and C282Y. You have to have both to have haemochromatosis. (However there may be more undiscovered mutations)

[Tipani]

I'm the same as peainapod & have haemochromatosis which my mum also has. I was diagnosed 5 years ago. My iron levels aren't too high but to keep it under control, I'm supposed to give blood every 3 months (I currently don't because I'm pregnant).

My iron levels never caused a problem with TTC & I have fallen pregnant twice (unfortunately the first ended in miscarriage but that wasn't due to my iron levels).

If your levels are still high at the next check, your GP should definitely test for haemochromatosis because it can cause some big issues, particularly with your liver.

Good luck with the TTC!!!! :babydust2:

[MrsA]

Thank-you so much for your replies ladies!
Im going to research what 'haemochromatosis' is now... ive never heard of it before??

Im not scared, but thankful for the info!:)
Im sure what ever it is, i'll be fine..

Just had other checks on my kidney and liver function and they seem normal. I also had tests on my hormone levels and they also came out fine, the doc even said i o'd - i was so happy!!:laughing::smiliedance: I was having probs with Af , so i was relieved to hear that!

I'll let you know how i go, and what the next test results say!!

do you know of any useful website to have a look at?

[Tipani]

Hi Mrs A

I haven't had the chance to come on here since posting my last response to you. Here is a good website to check out for info on Haemochromatosis - http://www.haemochromatosis.org.au/index.htm

Great news that everything came back normal & that you o'd! :smiliedance:

Keep us updated with any further tests that you have.

[bgbgbb]

My husband and 2 of his siblings have the higher level of haemachromotosis (his mother and brother have a reduced level). It's called the Celtic disease as its quite prevalent amongst the Irish (my husband is Irish), so I'd hazard a guess you have Irish ancestry?

The good news is that both you and your husband need to have it for your children to get it, but your children can be carriers if one parent has it, which means that if they also reproduce with someone with the disorder, their children can have it.

My husband finds that giving blood on a regular basis (also known as blood letting) helps reduce his iron levels. He knows he is getting high in iron when he gets tired and lethargic.

Ironically, I am anaemic, so I figure our children are going to have perfect iron levels.

I've not heard of it affecting fertility. Many Irish people I know with it have reproduced quite prolifically! But if you want to be sure, see a specialist who deals in this blood disorder.

[MrsA]

Im going back on saturday morning, so i will keep you posted with the results.

Thank-you for the info!!:)