Compound Heterozygous 36yoF...Mild HH? Link to Hypothyroid?

Posted , 1 user is following.

I'm new and just figuring it all out. I started having crazy thyroid issues several years ago but everything came back "normal" I recently was diagnosed with hypothyroid after developing a goiter. And since, my amazing GP has discovered I am compound heterozygous. I'm starting to suspect that the iron is the culprit for most of what is wrong with me. The slow and long exposure to slightly elevated iron. Here are my iron labs and here are my questions:

Ferritin: 69

Optimal: 20-50

Saturation 62%

Optimal: 33%

TIBC: 245

Normal 250-450

Unsaturated IBC: 92

Normal 112-347

Serum: 153

Normal 37-145

Questions:

1. Is there such a thing as mild hemochromatosis? My doctor says I don't "need phlebotomy" yet, but given that I'm developing other issues, I feel like it definitely needs to come down.

2. Can diet lower your iron saturation/serum/or ferritin?

3. Can lowering iron heal your thyroid or am I screwed?

0 likes, 1 reply

1 Reply

  • Posted

    Hi Jen,

    I am presuming you have had dna screening to pinpoint the gene... if not you must insist.

    If you are not loading enough to treat you can donate blood that will help oodles. You need to stop eating things with added iron as the amount of chemical iron is huge. Anything made with white flour, cereals that say fortified or contain white flour, any vitimin c, either in a vitamin or drank as juice as it grabs any iron in your diet an throws it in your liver. Sausages contain flour and cereal so they can go. Offal, Red meat and alcohol and some sea foods including Tuna squid clams and musselsDrink milky tea by the gallon especially with food and if you do ever drink wine or booze never do it with food. Start your day with a pint of warm water with a squeeze of lemon to flush the liver. Drink water until it looks the same going out.The water things help blood run and not be so sticky.

    Join the haemochromatosis society they will send you so much information including diet. Eat wholemeal bread from the bakers, it doesn't keep well so Slice and freeze it. Most supermarket sold packaged loaves have white in there as well, so read packets. Other foods have iron but miniscule amounts compared to fortified so try and eat a balanced diet. We need some iron for oxygen in the blood.

    You are lucky to be found before loading. I believe once the thyroid is done you can't reverse it i am sorry to say. I am not a medic just another person on this rusty bridge. Many people on here know more than doctors. I can only repeat what has helped me. Once you are needing treatment diet is less important as the venesections can remove more than you can. But fortified things must go.

    Take care i hope I helped.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.