Posted by JMR on October 20, 2000, at 19:56:45
I don't know if this ailment has ever been discussed on the board but I've just found out I've got it. It is agenetic disorder commonly found in people of Irishm, Scottish and N.European descent.
The body absorbs too much iron and when it can no longer be stored in the liver it is stored in endocrine glands, pancreas, joints etc.
The symptons are(among others): chronic fatigue, lethargy, depression, irritability! So anyone with treatment resistant depression might want to have a look at it.Other symptons include little body hair, low libido red palms. If the illness is not treated it can lead to cancer of the liver, diabetes2 hypothyroidism. The treatment is simply bloodletting to get rid of the excess iron.
I am so angry. For 30 years I've been going to doctors complaining of fatigue etc. and none of them took me seriously enough to investigate this possibilty. I have only discovered now because one of my sisters showed low haemoglobin in a routine blood test and they investigated it further and came up with this. I'sorry if you are all aware of this illness but I certainly wasn't and I hope this information helps someone. Best Wishes to you all, Jan (ex JanetR)
poster:JMR
thread:46918
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001012/msgs/46918.html