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Are these numbers that far out of line?

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george48258
george48258

Went to ER last week, told had hepatic encephalopathy. Went home and from looking at ER diagnosis and looking up hepatic encephalopathy i found out i had cirrhosis! Went to a new personal care physician the next day and she is sending me to a gastro dr next week. She ordered some iron test because father who drank bad died of cirrhosis and an older sister in her 70's who hasnt ever had a drop of liquor has cirrhosis too. The dr was wondering if hereditary. I just got labs online and iron is off but wondering if this is really that "off"? Iron binding is low at 231. This labs ranges are 250-425 . the iron,total is high at 221 withna range of 50-180 and saturation is 96 with a range of 15-60 % i see everyone talking about ferritin but apparently that was not ordered. Can someone explain these finding? Im to curious to wait 5 more days until dr appt. Thanks

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • RHGB
    RHGB george48258

    Posted

    The big question is, do you drink a lot? Honest answers get the best replies.

    I ask that because hepatic encephalopathy is usually down to alcohol cirrhosis. BTW, have they given you lactulose for it?

    Haemochromatosis, is where the liver/body produces too much iron. However, your readings are not high, or at least nowhere near haemochromatosis levels, I've seen some staggeringly high figures quote here.

    When I came out of hospital (alcohol cirrhosis) my figures were a lot higher than yours and they ran some tests on me. But after six months of not drinking they had settled down to normal figures.

     

    • sheryl37154
      sheryl37154 RHGB

      Posted

      Good one RHGB, but actually hereditary haemochromatosis causes us to absorb too much iron into our bodies.  Our hepcidin does not turn on to turn off the absorption of more than what we need.

      I hope you are doing well now.

       

    • george48258
      george48258 RHGB

      Posted

      Average 25-30 beers a week. Yes, I've been on lactulose-today is my 9th day. My ammonia levels were above normal but not nearly as high as some I read about. Apparently mild confusion, stumbling around, extreme fatigue, sleep all messed up, stayed in recliner a lot (definitely not the "real me" cause I've always been up doing something) lower back killing me. Just had MRI-3 mildly bulging disc and mild, moderate and some severe osteoarthritis. My wife said I couldn't think of a couple of simple words like "telephone" and had extremely slow movements. I am better so it must be helping. I just turned 58 yesterday

    • RHGB
      RHGB sheryl37154

      Posted

      Oh yes, I realise that. I did all my research when the gastro indicated that he thought I might have haemochromatosis. I am doing okay now thanks. I never do anything by halves, the day I went into hospital, I had an acute cerebral haemorrhage (bleed on the brain), just to make things difficult for them.
  • sheryl37154
    sheryl37154 george48258

    Posted

    Could be both - HH and excess alcohol intake.  It is certainly disastrous if you combine both of them.

    If 96 is your TS%, then it is high and generally indicative of HH.  Iron of 221 (22.1 in my country) is within normal range so you don't seem to have an excess of iron in your veins.  It is strange that they did not test your ferritin.

    I am afraid you are just going to have to wait.  Read up on it and have some questions prepared.

     

    • george48258
      george48258 sheryl37154

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply. Yes, will have to wait but seems time stands still right now. The lab that I use say their iron normal range is from50-180 is the reason I said it was above normal range. May not be considered very high but it is above normal limits. I guess what bothered me the most was seeing the 96% saturation-even though I really don't understand exactly what that is

    • sheryl37154
      sheryl37154 george48258

      Posted

      It sounds like what you are calling iron, is actually your ferritin level.  In Australia, 300 is the top reference range for ferritin, and 30 for iron.

      If your TS% is 96%, then 96% of your serum iron is available to be stored - but if 221 is your ferritin level, then you don't know what your serum iron is.

      It is confusing for newbies.  But then maybe I am confused because some countries record it differently.

       

    • RHGB
      RHGB sheryl37154

      Posted

      It sounds like we (UK here) might all be using different measurements.

      From my last set of bloods, recommended ranges.

      Transferrin g/L 2.0 - 3.6

      Iron umol/L 11 - 28

      Ferritin ug/L 15 - 350

    • sheryl37154
      sheryl37154 RHGB

      Posted

      On top of that we have different levels for menstruating women and non-menstruating women, which are different to levels for males.

      There is a specialist in Canada who believes up to 650 for ferritin is ok.  Not for me - I am best at about 34.

       

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