If you have no diseases other than HH, you should be able to donate blood to the Red Cross. Saving others. And it’s free.

 

 
Donating blood is easy, safe, and personally gratifying.
In general, you may donate blood if:
You are 17 years of age or older. Senior citizens are eligible.

 
You weigh at least 100 pounds. Apheresis donors must weigh at least 110 pounds.

 
You are in good health. If taking medication, you may be eligible to donate, depending on the reason for and type of the medication.
You have waited at least 56 days (eight weeks) since your last whole blood donation.

 
Blood volume or plasma is replaced within 24 hours. Red cells need about 4-8 weeks for complete replacement.

Just avoid heavy muscular or strenuous activities such as lifting, pushing, or picking up heavy objects for at least 4 to 5 hours after giving blood. You could pass out.

 

How long is considered safe between blood donation and flying?
The answer is 24hrs.
I asked the same question back in November.
The thread for it (for your reference) is here
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=198195
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Usually, you may not donate blood if:
You had hepatitis when you were 11 years old or older.
 

You have received a blood transfusion during the last year.
You are pregnant or have been pregnant within the last six weeks.
You have had a tattoo within the 12 months.

 
You are participating in any high risk behaviors.
The blood donation procedure is easy:

You register and answer a simple series of medical history questions.
 
A mini-physical to check your iron, blood pressure, temperature and pulse is given.

 
Roll up your sleeve; you’ll feel a slight pinch. The actual donation will take about 5-8 minutes.

 

Relax for a few moments while you are served cookies and juice or soft drinks.

 
Blood Donating Facts

=================================================
How long is considered safe between blood donation and flying?

 

The answer is 24hrs.
I asked the same question back in November.
The thread for it (for your reference) is here
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=198195

————————-

 if you are going to give blood tomorrow then you have to realize that it could affect your performance in 14 days time. You will not be at your peak in 2 weeks after giving blood. Red Cross will only let you give blood about every 90 days because this is how long they anticipate your body being able to replenish the lost blood.

 

Hemochromatosis is the number one killer of genetic diseases.

 

But not to worry. You don’t have to become a statistic. Just take the following suggestions to heart and you will most likely be okay.

 

* Tannin can be a big help in reducing the amount of iron your body takes in.

 

Most herbal teas do not contain tannin. Dark teas such as oolong and ‘Green Tea’  do have it.

 

Personally I like to make a bunch of green tea, decaf of course, put it in the fridge, and drink a bit with every meal.

 

If it wasn’t decaf I would be up all night. The tea with the tannin will slow down your iron absorbtion and is all around good for ya.

 

Watch your vitamin C intake. Vitamin C will help move the iron around to your organs and we don’t want that.

 

I have also heard that calcium slows down iron absorbtion too. So a little cottage cheese with meals may help.

 

* Make sure your vitamins don’t have iron or vitamin C.

 

You should not drink any high vitamin C juices at least 3 hours before or after a meal.

 

Hemochromatosis sufferers are 32% more likely to have a stroke. I don’t know who came up with that number. But I like to take Omega3 fatty acids. A little stroke and heart attack prevention can’t hurt.

 

* Drink lots of water to help keep your blood thin.

 

If you go for a phlebotomy and your blood is too thick and keeps coagulating in the tube, the nurse may try to give you heparin, a powerful agent that interferes with the bodys normal clotting process. Not good. I just say no. I come back after drinking a ton of water. Seems to work. Alfalfa sprouts and onions are good blood thinners too.

 

* Milk Thistle. I take it everyday.

 

Milk thistle extract [silymarin] might still be controversial by some medical pros. I have no doubt about the powerful liver protecting benefits of milk thistle. My results have been real good. The old liver seems to be doing it’s job again.

 

Alcohol is one of the most harmful liver toxins on the planet. Milk thistle extract can have a dramatic effect limiting alcohol damage. Good stuff.

 

I use basic common sense and never indulge in any food or snack that has been fortified with iron or vitamin C.

 

I have been using the same vein for nearly 10 years. It is getting a bit scarred and not delivering the blood too well now. When switching veins I have discovered that the closer the needle gets to your wrist, the more painful it is.

 

I try to stay as high up the arm as possible. Seems to be less nerves up there and is not nearly as painful.

 

One more quick tip: Never eat food that has been cooked in cast iron. Iron from the pan will soak into the food and do more damage to your body.

 

It has been known for years that iron does cross the blood brain barrier where it is needed in trace amounts.  However, recent research has demonstrated that iron can be overloaded in the brain.  Iron in excess is toxic.  The problems that this causes can range from neurological to psychological.  In the latest medical literature the diseases that been associated with an over store of iron are:
 

      

SIDS
Parkinson’s
Multiple Sclerosis – MS
Progressive Supernuclear Palsy                             
                     
[ALS]  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
Brain Cancer
Alzheimer’s – Dementia
Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome
Depression and Psychological Disorders
Organic Brain Disorders – Epilepsy – Autism
In some cases excess excess iron might cause or may exacerbate brain problems.  The science is still evolving.  For many of the above diseases the causes is unknown.  It might turn out that many are only symptoms of hemochromatosis.

Cottage cheese, any kind of cheese, sourcream…
anything with a good load of calcium in it,
will really help slow down iron absorbtion from meat.

 

The greatest amount of iron is in red meat and iron-fortified breads, pastries and cereals.

 

 

Now ‘tannin’ is some good stuff. It retards the absobtion of iron from fruits and vegetables. Green tea is a great source of tannin. The longer you leave the tea bag in, the more tannin you get. Chocolate has tannin too.

I like to get some decaf green tea, whip up a big batch and throw it in the fridge. Then whenever I get the munchies, I just pour me a few shots and sip away as I eat. The tannins  will get on down there with the food that is most likely packed with iron, [almost all food has iron] and stop some of the iron from being absorbed through my intestines.

I do plenty of HH research and find alot of conflicting information. One person says don’t take Milk Thistle, while others say do take it.
Who do you listen to?

I know this sounds corny but, listen to your body.
It will send you messages all the time. If something gnarly is goin on your bod will let you know.

But you need to pay attention. Don’t just assume it is gas or you just need more sleep. It could be hemochromatosis. Get tested RIGHT AWAY!

Upon further investigation…I figured out if you have liver damage, Milk Thistle may not be a good idea. But if you caught your HH before your liver has been compromised, Milk Thistle is a good plan.

I have been using milk thistle for years. Listened to some advice that may have been wrong. Stopped taking milk thistle for 2 weeks now and am experiencing some liver pain. I am starting to use the milk thistle again.

A really good plan is to start taking Omega 3 [fish oil]
People with HH [hemochromatosis] are much more likely to suffer from stroke and heart attack. Omega 3 really helps protect you from these horrible maladies. No baloney…GET SOME.

Hi.

 

My name is Pat. I have hemochromatosis.

 

I’m not a doctor and I never wanted to be one.
The information shared with you will be what
seems to work for me and I am not trying to
imply it will absolutely work for you.

 

No more beer is a good start. Zero booze.

I have been dealing with hemochromatosis [hh]
for 15 years. Man, that’s is alot of blood.

 

I’ll show you what I do to slow down my iron
absorbtion and keep my blood thin and blood
pressure safe. Pretty much everything I have
learned about hh in the last 11 years.
Mostly by trial and error.

 

No promises of instant rejuvenation.
You know that ain’t gonna happen.

 

But I have some good stuff to share with you.
I’m gonna go dig some of it up right now.
Have a real good video around here somewhere.

Hemochromatosis can kill you dead if undetected.
Have you been feeling weak or tired all the time?
Do your joints hurt? Skin turning a bronze color?

 

If so, you better alert your doctor.
A complete physical must be performed.
I know it’s a bummer but better than kicking the bucket.

 

 

Your examination must include:

Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) and Serum Iron (SI).

 

Divide the SI by TIBC for percentage of Transferrin Saturation TS. Normal range is: 12-45%.

 

The same blood may be used to measure Serum Ferritin. Normal range: 5 to 150.

 

Mostly men contract the disease for some unknown reason.

 

Usually around age 40. The disease seems to be most prevalent in Europeans. Rare in black folks.

 

Your goal is to prevent liver cancer, heart attack or stroke. Do that by unloading stored iron as quickly as possible. Objective: ferritin below 10.

 

Any blood relatives must be tested and monitored yearly.

 

Iron will cross the blood brain barrier. Excess iron stored in the brain has been found to elevate severity in Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s, Parkinson’s, MS, and other diseases.

 

Iron in the brain also leads to psychological problems.

 

If you have any of the above symptoms, make an appointment with your primary care physician immediately. The longer you put off testing, the more damage to your liver will result if you have hemochromatosis.

I received messages from a few people saying they haven’t started thier phlebotomies and are a bit nervous. Being nervous won’t help a bit. You have to do this for the rest of your life…

 

so get used to it. Here are a few tips on getting a successful, not too painful phlebotomy.

 

 

Drink plenty of water to thin your blood.
If your blood is too thick, it will move too slow
and get stuck [coagulate] in the line or needle.
Then they will want to poke you again. Or worse…

 

Give you Heparin

They gave me heparin twice.
I ‘googled’ it and found out this stuff:

 

Heparin is used in small amounts to prevent blood
clots from forming in catheters (small plastic
tubes through which medication can be administered
or blood drawn) that are left in veins over a
period of time. Heparin is in a class of medications called anticoagulants (’blood thinners’).

 

 It works by decreasing the clotting ability of the blood.

 

Heparin may cause side effects. Look at the ridiculous number of possible side effects:

 

redness, pain, bruising, or sores at the spot where heparin was injected
hair loss
unusual bruising or bleeding
blood in urine
excessive tiredness
nausea

 

And these sound like a heart attack:

chest pain, pressure, or squeezing discomfort
discomfort in the arms, shoulder, jaw, neck, or back
coughing up blood
excessive sweating
sudden severe headache

 

these next few sound just like a stroke:

 

lightheadedness or fainting
sudden loss of balance or coordination
sudden trouble walking
sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
sudden confusion, or difficulty speaking or understanding speech
difficulty seeing in one or both eyes.

 

Heparin may cause osteoporosis (condition in which the bones become weak and may break easily), especially in people who use the medication for a long time.

 

And a bunch more…but you get the idea.

 

Myself, I try to lay down and relax within an hour after my phlebotomy. If I don’t, I will usually get a headache. But resting for an hour or two seems to be my ticket.

 

Inside your elbow is the usual spot for the needle. My ‘ditch’ is pretty tired after all these years and we have migrated farther down my arm. The closer you get to the wrist, the more nerves or something and seems to be alot more painful.

 

It really doesn’t hurt but for a split second when they ‘poke’ it in. Sometimes I don’t even feel it.
And of course the more your veins show, the easier it will be for the doc to hit the vein and not be tearing into muscle and fat. And that !@#$%^ smarts.

 

If you keep your arm warm the veins will be easier to hit. One time they actually got a heating pad and wrapped it around my arm. I don’t know why thier patient rooms are like 68 degrees. Go figure.

 

I just wear a warm longsleeve shirt til it’s time. I get apple or orange juice everytime. Nice.

 

Really Good Stuff.

My doctor I am stuck with now, never keeps