RE: Re: Hemochromatosis and autism -- DANA

[Guest guest]

Hi Dana,

How did you know that your son was high in iron? Is their a special test for

this? Did he show signs of it? If so, what are the signs of too much iron?

Thank you.

danasview <danasview@...> wrote:

>

> Hello

>

> I have searched the literature to look for possible connections of

> Hemochromatosis (HH) and autism. There does not seems to be any

> research done in this area.

This site might be helpful for you, check the files section or the

archives

autism_iron/

My son was high iron, I removed it by using IP6 and adding a few

supplements.

Dana

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[Guest guest]

When checking for Hemochromatosis you have to check Ferritin levels, not

iron levels.

Cathie

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Below is information about the testing. I’m having my son’s test done at

Healthcheck USA. HYPERLINK

" http://www.healthcheckusa.com/ " http://www.healthcheckusa.com/ . Quest

diagnostics also does the test but charges more because they throw other

test in that you don’t need. They both have offices throughout the US.

It is only costing us $62.00 to find out if this is our problem.

Their web site is full of a lot of information. When researching this it is

very hard because there is much information that contradicts the other. The

only thing that seems to be the same is that it is very harmful to the human

body and brain. The test does not require a doctor’s order so you can find

out if it is a problem first and then find a good doc to help if it is.

The following was taken from the web site:

HYPERLINK

" http://www.ironoverload.org/diagnosis.html " http://www.ironoverload.org/diag

nosis.html

Diagnosis - How Do You Find Out

To diagnose hemochromatosis is an easy affair. Basically there are three

tests that confirm an iron overload. First there is Transferrin Saturation

(TS) or as it is called in some labs Percentage of Saturation:

Test # 1

After a 12 hour fast, measure Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) and the

Serum Iron (SI). To achieve the percentage of Saturation you divide the

TIBC into SI..

Serum Iron SI

------- = Yields Transferrin

Saturation (TS)

Total Iron Binding TIBC or in some labs Percentage of

Saturation

Capacity

Safe range =

12-44%

Any values above this range must be considered diagnostic for

hemochromatosis and should cause immediate protocol treatment. Any values

far below this range may be a sign of bleeding ulcers, chronic infection

or cancer. Physicians should look for the cause of anemia.

Test # 2

Using the blood from the first draw, next check the amount of storage iron -

Serum Ferritin (SF)

Safe range = 5-150

A hemochromatosis patient needs to be at the lowest end of this range.

We say below 10.

This needs to be the treatment goal.

Test # 3

This next test is given less frequently. It is initialized as UIBC. It

stands for unbound iron binding capacity.

Safe range is above

= 146

If a patient checks below this test value, then he or she needs to be

treated for their

hemochromatosis or their other iron overload condition.

If these tests measure out of safe ranges then aggressive treatment is

indicated. Diagnosis without treatment is useless. The patient must be

motivated to off load the iron as fast as possible. The physician should

not watch these values over time or ignore them thinking they will improve

on their

own. Once iron is absorbed in excess it will not correct itself. Iron is

not excreted. Its only exit

from the body is by frequent bleeding or chelation.

Some iron overloaded patients will present with a normal saturation and

still have an overload of iron.

If there is family history or symptoms or elevated ferritin over time, the

patient may be involved with this problem. In this case we recommend a

course of trial treatment. If the patients can tolerate the protocol, then

the treatment was justified. There are safety factors built into the proper

treatment that will disqualify the patient if they are not truly iron

overloaded. The physician sets the hematocrit level on the prescription for

the blood bank for instance. For a copy of the British " Lancet " article that

explains how this might occur get in touch with our office.

Minority Populations:

The Irish are reporting a 33% carrier rate in Ireland. That is that one

Irishman is three has at least

partial genetics for too much iron. In the U.S. we are reporting a carrier

rate of 20% for Irish Americans. The carrier rate is also known as

heterozygosity or being a heterozygote. We have information that these

people with partial genetics can also express excess iron especially if they

take over the counter vitamin C or multi vitamins.

African Americans too have a 20% carrier rate in the U.S. This population

has a special problem

in that the main screening lab value - transferrin saturation (TS) -

sometimes seems normal . This

one group may need to depend on family history, symptoms or elevated serum

ferritin as a diagnostic devise to determine hemochromatosis.

Treatment Confirms Diagnosis:

If protocol treatment is tolerated after 4-6 weeks without the patient's

hematocrit or hemoglobin crashing, (below 30% or 10 respectively ), then

that in itself is further confirmation of the hemochromatosis or the iron

overload.

Candidates for this approach include people with:

Family History

Symptoms

At least one elevated value in one of the above three test for

hemochromatosis.

Liver Biopsy:

IOD is not recommending the liver biopsy. The process is dangerous, one

death in a thousand as a result. Also it was reported by Corwin

MD at our 16th Symposium - San Diego 1998 - that there is a high error rate.

As much as 13% of patients under going this process have not had their

overload discovered. A positive in this procedure yields a grade from 1-4

but this information does not alter treatment in any way. The liver is best

served by rapid reduction of iron stores.

See our page on Objections to Liver Biopsy.

DNA Testing:

IOD is not recommending this testing at this time. All of the genes and

mutations have not yet been discovered that might cause hemochromatosis or

an iron overload. There may be as many as 13 - 17% of these mutations left

unidentified. Recently a second gene, HFE2, was discovered in Switzerland.

Theoretically this can appear in any population. These tests are also

expensive - $200-$500 per person. And all labs do not check for all of the

mutations. These labs also want to report to your doctor the results. IOD

has had the experience of taking calls from people who have been

disqualified from treatment when they were found free of the genetics basis

or with only half genetics for hemochromatosis in spite of their iron

overload. See our page on Objections to Genetics Testing at another page on

this web site.

IOD

PO Box 15857

West Palm Beach, FL 33416

(561)586-8246 fax (561)586-8248

iod@...

We hold all correspondence in the strictest confidence.

Re: [ ] Re: Hemochromatosis and autism -- DANA

When checking for Hemochromatosis you have to check Ferritin levels, not

iron levels.

Cathie

[Guest guest]

It may be important to distinguish between ordinary iron overload and

hemochromatosis. Hemochromatosis has a genetic basis and is a distinct

syndrome, of which increased iron is only one part. Besides

hemochromatosis, iron overload can result from many of the hemolytic

anemias, iron suplmentation or dietary iron, blood transfusion, and a

number of other fairly rare causes. Ferritin level is probably the best

single barometer of total body iron content, whether too much, too

little, or just right.

Jim

________________________________

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of danasview

Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 9:12 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: Hemochromatosis and autism -- DANA

>

> Hi Dana,

>

> How did you know that your son was high in iron?

Every time I gave him a supplement containing iron, he would severely

regress.

>>Is their a special test for this?

Total body iron panel, so far as I know.

Dana

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