Having fear with facing hemochromatosis
Posted , 4 users are following.
I'm 25 and was told I have hemochromatosis about a year ago. I drank pretty heavily in college and have on weekends since. I eat a healthy dieat and exercise regularly. I noticed a slight tint of orange on one of my fingers and fearing the worst. I have slight discomfort on my right side sometimes but never pain.
I question if I have done too much damage to myself and fearing the worse. I had questions as does this condition take years to effect or can it take a turn for the worst in the 20's?
I have been going with Green Tea and many other recomended options for a long time. Do others that have this cut out alcohol completely?
I appreciate any help.
Thank you!!
1 like, 3 replies
dillinger huger99
Posted
I was recently diagnosed with Haemochromatosis . I'm a 44yr old male who has been a fairly heavy drinker since I was 17.
I used to go to the pub most days.
I've stopped doing this since I was diagnosed.
Haemochromatosis affects your liver and can cause cirrhosis . Drinking heavily will speed up the process as every drink you take damages the liver.
I recently had a liver biopsy and luckily although there is some scarring of the liver the is no cirrhosis.
I've cut right back on my drinking. I still go to the pub but limit myself to 4/5 pints a week.
On the plus side I'm saving a fair bit of money not drinking as much and hopefully when I start my blood letting my liver should start to repair itself a bit.
The way I see it , cutting down on the booze is a small price to pay for living longer.
Good luck.
PaulRL70 huger99
Posted
Prob cutting out the vino is your best bet until your levels improve. Mine are coming down but were rather high at a 1000 - I think its something of a slow process to get it down - I had no symptoms as it was just picked up on a routine blood test. I'm sure yours will improve!
Paul
sheryl37154 huger99
Posted
it is the venesections that will save you most of all. don't binge drink - unless it is water! softdrinks and juices are full of sugar which will also lead to fatty liver. i have a small glass of red with dinner because the polyphenols in red wine reduce the uptake of iron (supposedly!). treat yourself to a good drop and make it last all night.
it sounds like fatigue is not one of your problems or else you would be heading for bed rather than the pub.
if your liver is already damaged/fatty, lay off the alcohol altogether till it is better. once you destroy your liver there is no going back. it can't be fun being on the liver transplant waiting list.
haemochromatosis affects everyone differently. some quite aggressively and fast, some slowly and some, not at all (yet, i always say).
contact your country's haemochromatosis society and talk to them, educate yourself about it, join a local support group, or start one yourself, and make sure your relatives are tested (genetic testing is free for first degree relatives) - if you have not done so already. do not count on drs knowing much about it.
good luck but be proactive.
as="" soon="" as.="" then="" eventually="" go="" on="" maintenance="" every="" 3="" months.="" don't="" allow="" it="" to="" build="" up="" again="" like="" some="" drs="" believe="" is="" ok="" before="" venesecting="" again.="" it="" is="" the="" venesections="" that="" will="" save="" you="" most="" of="" all.="" don't="" binge="" drink="" -="" unless="" it="" is="" water!="" softdrinks="" and="" juices="" are="" full="" of="" sugar="" which="" will="" also="" lead="" to="" fatty="" liver.="" i="" have="" a="" small="" glass="" of="" red="" with="" dinner="" because="" the="" polyphenols="" in="" red="" wine="" reduce="" the="" uptake="" of="" iron="" (supposedly!).="" treat="" yourself="" to="" a="" good="" drop="" and="" make="" it="" last="" all="" night.="" it="" sounds="" like="" fatigue="" is="" not="" one="" of="" your="" problems="" or="" else="" you="" would="" be="" heading="" for="" bed="" rather="" than="" the="" pub.="" if="" your="" liver="" is="" already="" damaged/fatty,="" lay="" off="" the="" alcohol="" altogether="" till="" it="" is="" better.="" once="" you="" destroy="" your="" liver="" there="" is="" no="" going="" back.="" it="" can't="" be="" fun="" being="" on="" the="" liver="" transplant="" waiting="" list.="" haemochromatosis="" affects="" everyone="" differently.="" some="" quite="" aggressively="" and="" fast,="" some="" slowly="" and="" some,="" not="" at="" all="" (yet,="" i="" always="" say).="" contact="" your="" country's="" haemochromatosis="" society="" and="" talk="" to="" them,="" educate="" yourself="" about="" it,="" join="" a="" local="" support="" group,="" or="" start="" one="" yourself,="" and="" make="" sure="" your="" relatives="" are="" tested="" (genetic="" testing="" is="" free="" for="" first="" degree="" relatives)="" -="" if="" you="" have="" not="" done="" so="" already.="" do="" not="" count="" on="" drs="" knowing="" much="" about="" it.="" good="" luck="" but="" be="" proactive.="">
it is the venesections that will save you most of all. don't binge drink - unless it is water! softdrinks and juices are full of sugar which will also lead to fatty liver. i have a small glass of red with dinner because the polyphenols in red wine reduce the uptake of iron (supposedly!). treat yourself to a good drop and make it last all night.
it sounds like fatigue is not one of your problems or else you would be heading for bed rather than the pub.
if your liver is already damaged/fatty, lay off the alcohol altogether till it is better. once you destroy your liver there is no going back. it can't be fun being on the liver transplant waiting list.
haemochromatosis affects everyone differently. some quite aggressively and fast, some slowly and some, not at all (yet, i always say).
contact your country's haemochromatosis society and talk to them, educate yourself about it, join a local support group, or start one yourself, and make sure your relatives are tested (genetic testing is free for first degree relatives) - if you have not done so already. do not count on drs knowing much about it.
good luck but be proactive.
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