OVER 0NE-HUNDRED SIGNS, SYMPTOMS AND DISEASES CAUSED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY TOO MUCH IRON OR IRON OVERLOAD IN THE

HUMAN (animal) BODYHEMOCHROMATOSIS

2012

Leslie N. Johnston, DVM DISCLAIMER: I am not your Doctor Reason for this paper: An effort to make Hemochromatosis, too much iron, or iron overload, household words or phrases to as many people as possible, and to point out the dangers of too much iron. Coming out the gate, let me tell you that I am not anti-iron in the body. I am only anti too much iron, and the iron that is not properly bound up for protective and/or useful reasons. What is the definition of Hemochromatosis?
Hemochromatosis is a bad name for iron overload, or too much iron built up in the body tissues. It is this iron build up that can and usually does cause many kinds of health problems and even death. The death from iron overload can be a sudden death or drawn out over a long and miserable dying process for the patient, both male and female, as well as their families and friends.
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I dont like to use the words I or me in what I write, but in this case it is necessary. What I say in this paper is not boasting or bragging or to build myself up. The thing is, I have been there, done that; I know and I live with Hemochromatosis. I have seen many others in the same boat. Most of the time when you read about Hemochromatosis, it will be written that it usually has symptoms dealing with the heart, skin, bones and joints, diabetes and/or liver problems. A medical professional may even tell a patient that he or she must have a triad of these symptoms. Well, the deal is . . . the symptoms that I am listing are simply a drop in the bucket just a few symptoms to start the list. I will try to list over 100 signs, symptoms, or diseases which may be indicative of too much iron stored in abnormal places or tissues which may ultimately lead to many health problems. The main type of iron overload that I will be talking about here is the absorption of too much iron due to a heredity condition (disease if you may) known as Hemochromatosis, and there are mainly three genes involved. These genes are located on chromosome #6 at sites which I call the 282, 63, and 65. The thing is, the last time I heard of how many genes were involved with iron loading, there were over 20 in number. The question remains, how many have been found since then? There are other causes of iron overload such as Sickle-Cell Anemia or Thalassemia which we call iron loading anemias. Anemia does not spell iron deficiency in all cases. One has to have a deficiency of iron in the diet to have what is called iron deficiency anemia, or some other physiological problem that prevents the absorption of iron as needed. With iron overload, the patient usually has heredity traits or genes which cause the problem. There is a type of iron overload called acquired iron overload from just too much iron in the diet, or from taking in too much iron, or taking too many blood transfusions. Iron is a vicious and mysterious substance to the body if not properly bound up to be controlled by the body. When you read about the valance of iron it is usually referred to as Fe++ or Fe+++, but it can have a valance of up to Fe++++++++. This is why I think iron can be so vicious. If you do not think iron is very reactive, simply put a drop of water on a new piece of steel and
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leave it over night and see what happens. Or, take a look at the old tin roofs around about you, especially on old barns on the farm, to see what it does to the zinc coating. I have never seen a reference to this, but I say that maybe this could happen in some cases to make iron even more vicious within our bodies. Iron pushes other essentials out of the way and essentially causes a deficiency of those metals due to its very high affinity constant. I will start at the top of the body by naming these signs, symptoms, or diseases with my comments as I go along.

1. Hair loss
One would probably think hair loss would be unimportant: well, it is important! When one goes to a doctor for the first time, we are usually provided a form to fill out listing signs, symptoms, diseases or conditions hair loss may certainly be one of these items. I would say that hair loss in itself is not too important to our health, but it sure could be one of the first symptoms to diagnose Hemochromatosis. The first hair loss usually starts from those places where the sun dont shine, that is the pubic hair and hair from the arm pits, thence the body hair, facial, and then the eye brows. You may wonder why there is so much hair on the shower drain after you shower off. I would say that you are in the late stages of the diagnosis for Hemochromatosis if you notice that your eye brows are about gone.

2. Skin
The skin may not show any signs at all, but with true Hemochromatosis there usually will be a color change including either a bronze or slate color. The further south you go, the more bronze it may be and the further north you go the more slate it will be. This is why Hemochromatosis is sometimes referred to as Bronze Diabetes. I have to say that too much iron in the skin makes in the skin more subject to sun damage.

3. Porphyria Cutanea Tarda

This problem or condition is a rash or blister-like places on the arms, hands, and fingers. It has to do with handling of porphyrims by the body. The treatment for this is about the same as for Hemochromatosis, and that is donating blood (phlebotomy) until one is able to get his or her blood parameters back to normal. As a matter of fact, these folks carry the genes for Hemochromatosis in higher percentages than the normal population. It is amazing how this condition will respond to this treatment (phlebotomy) and get well, so to speak. Of course, this type of patient will have to follow up by blood testing periodically to see if his or her iron levels are in line, and keep donating blood if necessary.

4. Melanoma
There are many references which indicate increased chances of this dreadful disease in patients with iron overload.

5. Bones
There is no doubt that iron overload is a cause of Arthritis, and it may be the primary cause. Arthritis may be one of the first signs that a patient has iron overload, or Hemochromatosis if you may. It would probably start in the index and middle knuckles of the hands, and from there it may occur in the knees, ankles, hips, wrists, and by all means, do not forget the sternum bones. I have seen very little mentioned about arthritis of the sternum. This sternum arthritis may start as early as the teens. The first sign may be that when stretching a pop may be felt in the chest bone (sternum). This may be a little painful and get worse as one ages until your sternum bones ankylose to form, more or less, a solid bone in the chest. The pains associated with this process may lead to anything. The pains may radiate in the chest wall making one think that they are having pain associated with a heart attack. This pain may be so severe, that we go into a panic attack and head to the
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emergency room where all kinds of procedures can come about . These pains may be in a little bit of a constant mode. There is no telling how many cardiac diagnostic tests and procedures one may be put through including even heart catheterization. After all of this, one would probably be sent home with the instructions, We could not find anything wrong with you, but if you have any more symptoms, please dont hesitate to get in touch with us. It is important to note that the routine cardiac diagnostic tests and procedures do not routinely include an iron profile or instructions to follow-up with a primary care physician to obtain an iron profile. They may or may not have run a complete blood count (CBC) on you and failed to pay attention to your mean cell volume (MCV). The MCV is a pretty good indicator of iron overload if the readings are high. If the MCV reading is above 100, maybe less, this test is almost diagnostic for Hemochromatosis. It is my opinion that if the MCV reading is over 95, one should head to the blood bank as often as it takes to get the MCV down to about 90. Arthritis is one of the problems that the treatment for Hemochromatosis will not help to get better in a high percentage of cases. Treatment for Hemochromatosis may stabilize arthritis or even help the condition in many cases. Early diagnosis and proper treatment for Hemochromatosis may even prevent most of the arthritis associated with Hemochromatosis. My hip joints were painful and grinding like mill stones 32 years ago and got well shortly thereafter with no problems since, but my knuckles have gotten worse and so have my knees and ankles.

6. The Brain
This is what I call a malfunction junction if the brain has any amount of iron overload in any part of it. It reminds me of being on Interstate 40 in Knoxville, Tn about 7:30 in the morning, especially with slightly icy conditions.

7. Dementia 8. Alzheimers disease 9. Epilepsy

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10. Parkinsons disease 11. Lou Gehrigs disease 12. MS or multiple sclerosis 13. Schizophrenia 14. RLS or restless leg syndrome ???????? - in around about way, I say. 15. Loss of memory 16. AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome 17. A loss pigeon sense, in other words, Homing Pigeons. You cant
tell what direction to go in. Some may call it disorientation.

18. Pineal Body Melatonin and Seratonin 19. Friedreichs Ataxia 20. Tardive Dyskinesia 21. Huntington,s Disease 22. Down Syndrome - we all know that Down syndrome is a heredity
problem but iron is related to it as in Alzheimers disease.

23. Hallervorden-Spatz disease 24. Depression

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25. Bipolar disease - especially if these patients are resistant to

conventional psychiatric treatment. If resistant, look for iron overload.

26. Attention deficit problems 27. Aceruloplasminnemia

All of these brain diseases or problems may not be associated with the true meaning of Hemochromatosis. However, most of them, if not all involve too much iron in the wrong places or at the wrong times or in the wrong amounts.

28. Sweating
It is for sure that excessive sweating is the name of the game for Hemochromatosis patients. However, for athletes and for folks who work very hard and sweat a lot, this could actually lead to iron deficiency and lead to a change in their diet containing more heme iron such as red meats. I would prefer this over taking iron supplements.

29. Pituitary gland

Of course, the Pituitary gland is the master gland of the body, and the anterior gland is especially sensitive even to very small deposits of iron. The effects of a non-functional Pituitary gland can have major effects to cause non-functioning of the testicles, ovaries, thyroid, parathyroid, and the adrenal glands. The Pituitary gland is also involved in milk production, milk let down, libido, and glucose control. This list is just a drop in the bucket as far as the functions of the Pituitary gland are concerned. Sometimes, both the Pituitary gland and the glands that are involved both have excessive iron deposits. Examples of this include the thyroid, parathyroid, ovaries, testicles, and the adrenal glands. Dont forget the Pineal gland and its relationship with the Pituitary gland.

30. Headaches
It is difficult to imagine how bad and painful and for how long these headaches can be - so painful they will make one do almost anything to get rid of them. Your doctor may have to prescribe some pretty stiff medicine to achieve relief from the symptoms and usually it is only temporary. These dont have to happen to all that have Hemochromatosis, but it did to me in a very serious way. Since the first phlebotomies in my initial treatment, I have not had a serious headache. I have had a few that I can count on one hand, and comparatively they were very minor in nature. You or your doctor probably wouldnt think of headaches as a reason to test a patient for iron overload, but for sure it is. This has to be that iron reacts with the surface of some of the brain cells to cause this problem, and other reactions as well. Looking back, I have to say that a lot of people diagnosed with migraine headaches may have had or still have iron overload which is the cause of them in the first place. De-ironing took care of mine completely! What a great life without those very severe headaches - no question about it in my case. If you have this same problem and find that you have iron overload, you most likely will find that de-ironing will take care of this problem as well. It would be fantastic if this would be proven to be true as the real reason for so many headaches. They tell me that a bad wife can cause headaches; now, I dont think a bad husband could cause a headache. Keep smiling, and get your iron levels checked for sure if you have chronic and/or severe headaches. Headaches fall in line with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, IBS, and Fibromyalgia. Did your doctor check your iron levels, especially for iron overload, at the time he diagnosed you for these so called problems or conditions? If he didnt, then I say you should go back to him and make sure he does just that or change doctors. It is a must that these tests be included in your blood workup before your doctor makes a diagnosis of so called Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and IBS. The thing is, iron overload may be the cause of, and I bet it is, all the signs, symptoms, and diseases listed for these conditions -- because all of these, or most of these, are symptoms of Hemochromatosis or iron overload!

31. Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation

This could also be called Hallervorden-Spatz disease or Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration. Google this on your computer and see the many terrible symptoms of this disease. The paper says there is no treatment, but I bet there is. This means parents should be very careful about giving iron supplements to children even in the fetal stage, and after birth which is being done too much and wrongly at any rate. (Slow writing, distorted muscle contractions of the limbs, face, or trunk, jerky muscle movements, muscle rigidity, spasticity of muscles, ataxia, confusion, disorientation, seizures, stupor, dementia, difficulty in speaking, mental retardation, facial grimacing, poorly articulated speech, and visual impairment are some of the symptoms associated with this disease.) The thing is, some of these symptoms can and do show up with other forms of iron overload WOW! This sounds like it could mimic acute iron poisoning. This is a rare disease only to those who dont have it.

32. Brain fog

Cant think straight; confusion.

33. Ears
A lot of people with iron overload complain of tinnitus and problems with the middle ear which has a lot to do with stability, so that part could be affected also. This has affected me, and the treatment for Hemochromatosis took care of it. After standing up from a squatting or sitting position, the person with Hemochromatosis may feel his heart pounding, feel faint or unstable, especially so before being de-ironed.

34. Eyes
The findings of eye problems associated with iron overload havent been on the books for very long; now it is known that iron overload does have a lot to do with both cataracts and macular degeneration, especially with the wet type of macular degeneration. While in practice of veterinary medicine, we always associated cataracts with Diabetes and it was so. Google
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cataracts iron overload and macular degeneration iron overload and see what you come up with. Some cataracts are associated with high Ferritin readings, and bleeding the patient does not help. Evidently this Ferritin has very little or no iron in the Ferritin molecule.

35. The ring around the collar and the blackened pillow case.
Of course, this could be due just to dirty living, but it is also associated with Hemochromatosis, and is due to heavy sweating especially at night. Your shirt collar, of any color, and pillow case will turn to a yellow or to a blackish color over time these fabric stains are impossible to remove. Sweat contains a lot of iron, and this is the problem; this discoloration is due to iron deposits in the material. This could be Mother Natures way of helping to deiron you. You will or can wake at night and your bed may be sloppy wet, so to speak, and you will have to turn your pillow over and move to another spot in the bed to sleep more comfortable the rest of the night. You may also have to change your nightwear during the night. The next morning you may need to change your night wear and your bedding. It can be that bad night after night. Believe it or not, these signs or clues by themselves could be enough for you to insist to your doctor that he check you for iron overload. If your doctor tells you that you are crazy about this, then I suggest you change doctors and find one who knows about Hemochromatosis. The rest that you got from a night like this may make you feel like you need to go back to bed for another eight hours of sleep. I cant tell you why high iron causes these sweats, but it is probably due to the iron enhancing minor infections somewhere in your body and probably the gut associated with that IBS diagnosis.

36. Nose bleed

Yes, I have to believe this, and it is a definite sign of Hemochromatosis. I had them and I saw my Father have them very severely as well. I know my Father had Hemochromatosis, and he had a long and miserable dying process over a 10 year period of time. The nose bleed is possibly Mother Natures way to de-iron the patient: however, this does not occur in all patients. This happened to me as a young man, and I went to an Army doctor. He looked up my nose, and said that I had little lesion that he treated
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with silver nitrate sticks to cauterize them which did no good. I went back for the same procedure and it didnt work either. That is the time I should have been diagnosed for Hemochromatosis, but what was known about Hemochromatosis 65 years ago? Almost zero! I had a great friend who died from a type of blood cancer that ate up his red blood cells, and he required many blood transfusions. When he died, he had a Ferritin reading of over 4000. Did this patient have Hemochromatosis? - good question. Patients requiring many blood transfusions may die from the iron build up which will lead to many of the signs, symptoms, and diseases spoken of in this list. I wonder if iron chelation treatments would have helped this patient along with his other treatments? This could be related to a Vitamin C deficiency caused by iron overload, and just like the nose bleed, Hemochromatosis could be the cause in other vital tissues such as the brain causing strokes caused by hemorrhages there. You may have adequate Vitamin C in your diet, but too much iron will destroy it resulting in a Vitamin C deficiency. The not so funny thing in that I took radiation treatments for prostate cancer about five years ago and as a result, I got radiation burns of the colon which happens often. This led to severe bleeding, and required about 20 units of blood given to me over a six week period of time. I went to three different doctors for this who had me take many very expensive medicines none of which were effective. Finally I was sent to a colon doctor by my radiologist who took about one dollars worth of Formalin, and applied it to the lesions for four treatments, and a great cure resulted - how great it was! After about 3 months, I had to start my phlebotomies again to keep my iron levels in check. I have to say it has been a pretty good life ever since then for about 5 years. And now comes the gastro intestinal track, and let us start with the mouth:

37. Gums
Dry mouth, iron deposits in the salivary glands, could be the problem causing malfunctioning of these glands, and more subject to infection and color change.

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38. Dry Mouth

Iron deposits in salivary glands could be the problem causing malfunctioning of these glands.

39. Teeth
I tell you what: you just spit up, belch, and have GERD (gastro intestinal reflux disease), or indigestion enough and long enough and you may find your teeth etched from the acid content of your stomach. No telling what this can and does lead to. More later.

40. Sore Throat

This is probably caused by more colds and flu viruses of a chronic and frequent nature. These can lead to coughing that lasts for weeks which seems like it will never end. In other words, it seems like you have a cold every day of the year. While you are getting rid of a cold, you seem to be catching another one at the same time. De-ironing will help tremendously if caused by iron overload.

41. Esophagus problems

From too much GERD or indigestion.

42. Barrettss esophagus

They say it is related to GERD most often. I say it is related to ph control in the stomach more than anything else. Too much acid (low pH)in stomach could cause this as well as so-called IBS symptoms.

43. Esophageal varices

I say this is the case of iron overload causing cirrhotic (scar) tissue around the veins from the esophagus to the liver due to iron overload in the liver. It could be caused by other things like a tumor or cancer putting pressure on those veins. Google esophageal varices Mayo Clinic and see what they say. Bleeding from these veins may be self healing for Hemochromatosis, but it is
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a Hades of a way to die.

44. Gastric ulcers

There is no doubt that iron overload or iron deposits in the ulcer lesions do either cause them or are associated with them. Iron deposits have been found in 10 percent of a published report of 5000 cases. Iron deposits in any tissue causes problems. I have always heard that it was a bad job or a bad wife that caused ulcers; I am sure that a bad husband couldnt have anything to do with ulcers!! But iron overload sure can.

45. Acid control (pH)

This has to be one of the most important things to consider all along the gastro intestinal tract. The parietal (wall) cells that line the pancreatic ducts to the stomach excrete the bicarbonate molecule which neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Iron overload of these cells can and does impair the functions of these cells, and this is where major problems start. Of course, there are other acid neutralizing systems in the stomach and the duodenum. If there is too much acid in the stomach, the stomach will either ditch it or pitch it. Going toward the colon end of the tract, constipation at the beginning; then in some cases at the beginning of the bowel movement, a slight constipation followed by very explosive and very painful diarrheas, strong enough and powerful enough to blow the toilet stool plum off its foundation! Going upward from the stomach, too much acid will cause indigestion or if you rather, call it by that fancy medical term GERD or GER (gastroesophageal reflux disease) - so be it. GERD aint no disease; it is a condition caused by too much iron, in too many cases which leads to all kinds of diseases, some of which are spoken of above. Just a little pancreatitis can upset the whole apple cart of digestion and your health -- iron overload is just one of the things, and probably the main one, that can do it. There are other areas of the stomach where the bicarbonate molecule is produced to control the acid content or pH along the tract.

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It was asked at a meeting I attended some 20 years ago, how does diarrhea work with Hemochromatosis and the answer was, it works like the cowboy diarrhea, it runs in the genes, and literally it does - both ways. If you dont have proper pH control in the entire gastro intestinal tract, you are in big trouble. Ph control is very important for control of the friendly bacterial survival and function in the gut.

46. Barretts esophagus

Barretts esophagus is a condition in which the lining of the esophagus is replaced with tissue very similar to that lining the intestine. The process is called metaplasia. There are no signs or symptoms associated with Barretts esophagus, but is commonly found in people with GERD which totals about 1 percent of the adults in the United States. The age of developing Barretts esophagus is about 50 years of age, and is seen more often in men than women. Its funny that this is about the time hemochromatosis is more often diagnosed in people - get the connection? The condition can lead to a very serious form of cancer of the esophagus which usually leads to a very miserable death. I had these symptoms for years and never have had them now for 32 years following the treatment for Hemochromatosis - what a great life! The root cause had to be iron overload, or Hemochromatosis in my case. In other words - been der, done dat, seen dat, felt dat, and I have seen the same things in other people. How many of you folks out there who have been diagnosed with irritable syndrome (IBS) and have GERD problems associated with it? At the time you were diagnosed for IBS, did your doctor have an iron panel run on you - no? Of course, iron overload is not the cause of all our gastrointestinal problems. Please dont tell me that iron overload cant be associated with gastrointestinal problems. I tell you what to do: Google or search (Diagnosispro Hemochromatosis Xerotomia) in your search engine and see what you find. In that paper you will find 321 signs, symptoms, or diseases, etc, listed under the heading of hemochromatosis. Are you still skeptical? Read on.

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47. Lactose intolerance

There is no doubt about it that iron overload in the body or in the gut itself has a lot to do with this problem. This is due to a lack of enough lactase in the gut to digest lactose to glucose so that it can be used by the body. Lactase is produced by the body itself and by some friendly bacteria (lactobacillus and micrococcus strains) that are normal inhabitants of the gut. The body cannot produce enough lactase by itself, and has to have these friendly bacteria to produce enough lactase to meet the needs to digest lactose. Here is the problem, these bacteria do not use iron for their transitional metal, they use cobalt and magnesium to replicate. Iron has an affinity constant greater than almost any other metal. Iron roots out of the way these essential metals in a way that a cobalt and magnesium deficiency may appear to be. This is kinda like an Oklahoma canine sex parade, the big dog beats the Hades out of the smaller dogs to get to the prize, and when it gets there, it cannot perform as the cobalt and magnesium do, so in the end, you wind up with a shortage of these friendly bacteria to produce the lactase needed and a lactase deficiency. I have to tell you this little factual story. One night, before I was diagnosed for and treated for Hemochromatosis, I ate a big bowl of ice cream at bed time and did I pay for this. In the middle of the night, I woke with the most painful lower abdominal pains that you I could ever imagine. I went to the toilet, and had the most painful diarrheal blow out that you can imagine. Still having the severe pains, I stood up to try to get some relief by holding my lower abdomen and passed out. In the fall, I cut my head, and my wife heard something going on and found me bleeding and trying to get myself together. We got me cleaned up and I went back and to lay on the bed while she called my great friend and doctor who came over and sewed me up right there in my own bed. Try to get a doctor to do that these days. I had problems with drinking milk for several years before this event. Shortly thereafter I was confirmed to have Hemochromatosis. I was treated for it over a six month period of time with phlebotomies to get my iron levels down to normal. Since then I have been able to drink milk and eat ice cream by the gallon and eat cabbage also with absolutely no problems. Please dont try to tell me that iron overload doesnt have something to do with lactose intolerance and IBS. One might add Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to this same list.
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Lactose intolerance and IBS can and do mimic one another, so make sure your doctor rules out iron overload before he makes a diagnosis of IBS. Of course, add Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue to the list also. The tests should include a CBC, paying particular attention to the MCV (mean cell volume) and an iron panel including serum iron, ferritin TIBC (total iron binding capacity) and/or UIBC (unbound iron binding capacity). From this iron panel you can get the percentage of saturation of transferrin. But, you will have to have a doctor who knows how to interpret the results. You might want to have genetic tests as well. This would be great. Then spread the word to your relatives if you are positive for Hemochromatosis.

48. Small intestine

The stomach dumps what it has into the small intestine. Good or bad - like a bad pH or too much iron, amongst many other things. Too much iron in the small intestine will promote chronic infections, and I say may account for a lot of low grade fevers accounting for lot of sweating, especially night sweats. Of course, if you have too much iron here, it will promote major infections in other locations as well. This is only a small amount of what too much iron can do in this location.

49. Gluten or celiac disease

No, I am not saying too much iron is related to this inherited problem, but it must be ruled out in the differential diagnosis of Hemochromatosis, IBS, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This disease can only be treated by the exclusion of gluten in your diet. You should be under a doctors care for this disease. There are a couple of ways that Celiac Disease can be associated with Hemochromatosis. Several studies indicate that in some instances iron overload or the hereditary type of Hemochromatosis often follows treatment for Celiac Disease. A study conducted with British patients with Celiac Disease showed the frequent occurrence of mutations in the gene (HFE) causing Hemochromatosis. This might indicate that enhanced iron is resultant to the reduced nutrient absorption associated with Celiac Disease.

50. Ulcerated Colitis

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51. Inflammatory Bowel Disease 52. Crohns Disease

These conditions may not be related to Hemochromatosis, but in a higher percentage of these diseases, there will be above normal iron deposits in the tissues involved. Just too much iron in the gut may play a role in the severity of these conditions and I think it does.

53. Colon
There is no doubt that too much iron is associated with cancer of the colon. Fortifying or adulterating our food with iron should be reconsidered immediately.

The Liver . . .
54. Icterus
This is the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes and other body tissues. I would suspect that this would show up after a lot of liver damage has taken place.

55. Liver enzymes

There will be an elevation of these enzymes in the early stages of Hemochromatosis, and as the condition progresses, the readings will go even higher indicating even more liver damage. ALT, ALP, AST and GGT tests may be used to determine liver damage. You cant believe how much these levels will fall once you are de-ironed in most cases. These liver function tests are usually run on a patient the first time your doctor sees you for complaints. If your doctor did have these tests run and they were high, and did not include an iron profile, then it is most important that he sends your blood again to the lab to have the iron tests performed. If your liver enzymes are elevated and if your physician fails to do so, then you got problems enough said. Elevated liver enzymes are enough reason alone

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to go back and run the iron panel. Your doctor will probably have only a couple of these liver function tests performed, and that should be sufficient.

56. Fibrosis in Liver 57. Cirrhosis

Of the above two items, fibrosis is the milder of the two, and then cirrhosis takes over if your iron levels are not taken down to normal. Cirrhosis is most usually permanent damage.

58. Uric Acid build up

One of the functions of the liver cells (hepatocites) is to control or take uric acid out of the blood, or to control the levels of uric acid in the body. If you have liver damage, the damage causes an impairment of the function of the liver to control the uric acid levels. The uric acid level build up can cause gout, and I believe this to be the root cause of many of the arthritic problems associated with Hemochromatosis.

59. Hepatosplenomegaly
This is the enlargement of the liver and spleen. At least in the beginning you will have liver enlargement, but with cirrhosis, you can have anything. At this point the patient would be in big trouble.

60. Hepatoma
Patients with untreated Hemochromatosis are about 220 times more likely to develop cancer of the liver than the normal population.

61. Dysfunction of glucose metabolism

The liver has a lot to do with glucose metabolism. When the liver is damaged, so goes glucose metabolism. The liver has a lot to do with the management of insulin in the body get the connection?

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Lets go to the pancreas . . .

The pancreas is made up of three types of cells: those that secrete insulin, those that excrete digestive enzymes into the stomach, and those cells that line the pancreatic duct walls leading to the stomach. It is ultimately the cells which line the pancreatic duct walls which excrete the bicarbonate molecules that are so necessary to help control the hydrochloric acid content of the stomach and intestines, thereby controlling the pH of the gut. Of course, the pancreatic cells that excrete the enzymes necessary for digestion are very important also, and all of the pancreatic cells are also injured by iron overload.

62. Cancer of the Pancreas

There is no doubt about this one, and the cancer can arise from any of the cells of the pancreas. These are mean cancers, and the life span may not be too long with any of these pancreatic cancers. I am not telling you to give up hope. The idea is to get your iron levels under control before the cancer process of the pancreas gets started and have a happy life. Out-of-control iron levels are probably the most carsinogenic substance you have in your body.

63. Cancer of pancreas, liver, and stomach complex

This may be hard for you to visualize or to believe unless you attended the lecture that I attended at that old famous hotel in Coronado, California several years ago. The well done color slides of the autopsies done on Lemurs from the San Diego Zoo very well showed this cancer complex. These Lemurs were taken out of the wild and fed the very best of feeds or so it was thought. Those feeds were fortified (adulterated would be a better word) with iron like you wouldnt believe. One monkey biscuit contained enough iron to meet the needs of an adult person for a full day. These products were made by one of our countrys largest feed companies produced through pure ignorance. The thing is, this and many other companies are doing the same thing today and getting away with it. What a shame. Be careful of the foods that you eat yourself, for the same thing goes on with the manufacturing process of foods prepared for human consumption. I cant impress this enough to you.
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This is easy for me to believe as I saw my great Daddy and two uncles die from this same complex, and they never knew what caused the problems. And, would you believe the same things happens today, due to not getting diagnosed for Hemochromatosis in time and getting the proper treatment in time. It is really very sad that this still happens even today. I was lucky to be confirmed to have Hemochromatosis at about 50 years of age, and I am still going pretty strong at 84 years of age. Would you believe that I was almost 99% self-diagnosed with this mess? Aint bragging just lucky. Did your doctor who treated you for ulcers have an iron panel done for you at the time? Good chances he did not!

64. Iron knocks out insulin producing cells

When this happens and you dont have enough insulin, you will probably have to take insulin for the rest of your life.

65. Insulinoma
Hey folks, this is a bad one, and it usually secretes too much insulin resulting in low blood sugar and many bad ramifications.

66. Bicarbonate molecules

If this function of the pancreas is impaired, then the pH of the stomach is kept low with a high acid content resulting in more absorption of non heme iron. Not a good thing. This is where the gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) or indigestion, comes into play that so many Hemochromatosis patients suffer from and complain of. A very good and key point. If you have pancreatic problems at all, make sure your doctor checks you for iron overload.

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Now let us go to the lungs . . .

67. Cancer of the lungs
There is a lot of talk about Mesothelioma nowadays. Seldom is mentioned the fact that iron contained in the asbestos fibers is the cause of this dreaded disease. This cancer can involve the lungs, esophagus, stomach, and the peritoneal linings of the heart and the lungs. These asbestos fibers have a high content of iron, and can also obtain iron from the body. Then it can be bio available to the body, no doubt in a bad way to promote cancer.

68. Cigarette smoking

Cigarette smoke contains iron does this tell you anything? The iron contained in cigarette smoke can work synergistically with the iron of the asbestos and make matters even worse. I would say absolutely that too much iron in the lungs either from inside of the body or the outside, is a dangerous situation.

Now let us go up to the Pituitary Gland which is a little slightly encapsulated gland by the hypothalamus just below the brain. Some will say that this is a part of the brain. I would say that the thalamus is concerned somewhat with these glands as well. . .
69. Iron deposits in either the pituitary or hypothalamus and you got
problems over the entire body. These glands are closely associated with the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, as well as the ovaries, breast, uterus and testicles.

70. Breakdown of pituitary function over the thyroid 71. Breakdown of the thyroid to send signals to the pituitary gland 72. Breakdown of the pituitary to send signals to the parathyroid gland
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73. Breakdown of the parathyroid glands to send signals to the pituitary

gland

74. Hypothyroidism 75. Hyperthyroidism, Osteopenia, Osteoporosis 76. Hyperparathyroidism 77. Hypoparathyroidism 78. Excess iron deposits in thyroid gland
Found in about four percent of Hemochromatosis patients, and then thyroid functional problems.

79. Cancer of pituitary

Excess iron deposits in any tissue are cancer causing I say and so do others.

80. Iron deposits in these glands destroys functions 81. Axis between these glands
There is an axis between these glands: pituitary to thyroid, to the parathyroid, and the pituitary to the adrenal glands and gonads. This is a two way street which runs both ways and in reverse. So, if you got troubles on one axis, then you got troubles on the other end of the axis and vice versa. Surely iron deposits in either end of these axisex couldnt have anything to do with these glandular problems, could it? Sure it could and does. Iron deposits in either one could be and is the problem in too many cases.

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82. Adrenal Glands

Too little cortisol production results in Addisons disease; too much cortisol production results in Cushings disease. Both of these diseases are major problems. How about epinephrine (adrenaline)? Lack of or too much here and you have major problems. Too much iron on either end of this axis could be the problem. Even cancer in either place caused by too much iron is just one of them.

Heart here is another malfunction junction and a critical one at that . . .

83. Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a very serious disease where the heart deteriorates into a dilated mass of dysfunctional tissue. This is one of the worst problems associated with iron overload. I think of the heart as a four cylinder engine with the upper two chambers being the atria and the two lower chambers being the ventricles. Cardiac arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. It is kind of like the four cylinder engine that has slipped a cog or two of the timing chain, or the wires have been crossed to make the heart fire, misfire or backfire all over the place. Cardiomyopathy is probably the leading cause of death for having Hemochromatosis or iron overload because of some other iron loading diseases. Just what causes these arrhythmia problems is hard to come by. I would have to say there is a swap of electrons from the iron atom that creates a spark of energy which runs down the electrical system until it finds something else to fire on. It continues down the line until there is enough energy to cause an extra beat or a bunch of them. Phlebotomy treatment has helped a lot of people with this problem. I took enough quinidine sulphate to fill a box car over the years, and I dont think it ever did any good. But, phlebotomies did greatly!!

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84. Iron deposits in the heart

When I first learned of this, it was that the deposits were in the entire heart. Now it is said the deposits are mainly in the ventricles. I would have to say the entire heart primarily in the ventricle and atrial muscles, impulse conducting bundle, and just under the covering of the heart, the epicardium.

85. Heart Attack

There are a lot of pros and cons on this one. I will have to take the pros on this one. Iron causes damage to the linings of blood vessels, and it also catalyzes low density lipoproteins into foam cells which attach to the injured linings forming plaques in the blood vessels. These then break off and BAM you got a thrombus heart attack.

86. Stroke the cholesterol Type

I bet by this time you have wondered why I have not included in growing toe nails and flat feet in all of this stuff, havent you?? Works the same way as for the heart attack. Now there is the cerebral hemorrhage stroke that is a different thing.

87. Hemorrhage in lower legs red leg syndrome or iron deposits in venous leg ulcers
Of course, there is a cause of this and it could be from a sudden fall landing on your feet, standing on your feet for long hours, a venous drainage blockage problem, or accidental injury. It is known to have a connection with the hereditary genes associated with Hemochromatosis. (Inflammation in venous disease, Int Angiol 2008 Oct: 27(5):361-9 Zamboni P, et al). There can be a lot of swelling due to fluid build up which is not reduced with diuretics. They did not work for me. I injected the swollen areas with multiple one quarter to one half ml doses of Desferal (Deferoxamine) and it worked beautifully. The fluid leaked out of the injection sites over about a three or four day period of time. I dont know if the
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Desferal had anything to do with it or not, or if it was just the puncture wounds which did the trick. The Desferal did not take any of the reddish brown color out of the tissues that I could tell. I AM NOT YOUR DOCTOR, SO ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THIS BEFORE YOU TRY ANYTHING LIKE THIS. As well, I think that my phlebotomy treatments have helped keep this condition under control.

88. Vitamin C deficiency

Too much iron in the body can actually cause a Vitamin C deficiency even though most of the time we ingest a normal amount in our diets. The ferrous sulphate added to our foods will oxidize Vitamin C, so in effect it is possible to have a Vitamin C deficiency. Try mixing some liquid Vitamin C along with hydrochloric acid and ferrous sulphate and see what happens right before your eyes -- it will turn as black as the ace of spades. No food should be fortified with this kind of iron, or any kind of iron, I say. If you need iron, eat red meat. Ferrous sulphate is non heme iron, and the iron in meat is heme iron. Heme iron can be absorbed up to 85% where the non heme iron is only absorbed up to be about 10%.

89. Abdominal Pain

Most references will tell you that the pain associated with Hemochromatosis will be located in the upper quadrant of the abdomen. Oh yes, this can be, but the pains can be in any place of the abdomen. Gut pains can be terrific, and many of them are or can be associated with iron in many forms and fashions, especially from what they call IBS. If you have IBS and you have also been diagnosed for Hemochromatosis or high iron readings, then you have a cause for your IBS. Most authorities will tell you that there is no known cause for IBS. There sure is and that is Hemochromatosis or iron overload, or by just taking too many iron supplements.

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90. Infections
Dr. Eugene D. Weingberg, Ph.D. of Indiana University lists about 50 different pathogens that use iron or have to have it to replicate and to cause infection. What a great man he is. Iron supplements can activate so-called cured cases of malaria, Bangs Disease, Undulent Fever, and TB. Borelia burgdorferi, which causes limes disease, is one of the very few organisms that does not use iron for its transitional metal.

91. Botulism
I bet you never saw a flock of chickens that had botulism infection in it, did you? This is a sad sight to see even in chickens some well, some dead, some getting ready to die, some making a miserable recovery that will leave them with all kinds of neurological signs. These recovered chickens will try to go in one direction and wind up going in another; they will try to peck at foods and peck all around it frustration, you name it. This is also a sad thing to happen to a person, mainly children. It has been proven that iron fortified (adulterated) baby foods will increase the incidence of botulism in these babies. Do you want to still feed your babies iron fortified baby foods? I cant imagine having a child with this infection.

92. Libido
Loss of sexual desire, and this could be from either partner.

93. Divorce
Loss of sexual desire from either partner, and it would probably create a bad relationship, and here we go you name it.

Now let us go to the complete blood count (CBC) with MCV included:
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94. MCV Mean Cell Volume

In the case of true Hemochromatosis, the MCV will likely be high or at and near to what is called high, say at 100. Some doctors use this for diagnostic purposes and as a guide for the patient to being de-ironed, so to speak. I say the patient needs the complete blood count plus an MCV periodically during the de-ironing process.

95. Hemoglobin will most likely be in the upper limits of limits of normal or higher and/or above. 96. Hematocrit
The heatocrit will usually be in the upper limits of normal or higher.

97. Total red blood cells

The total red blood cell number will probably be increased.

***** These readings ALONE are not to be used in the diagnosis of Hemachromatosis*****
Really, your doctor should include along with these tests at least a serum iron and a total iron binding capacity (TIBC) test, and/or a total unbound iron capacity (UIBC) with the CBC, and give instructions to the lab that if these readings are high, to go ahead and run a Ferritin test as well. Including a Ferritin test with the original testing would be best. These readings will probably be in the high normal or above.

***** When I talk about a CBC and an iron panel these readings will be from one end of the scale to the other, kind of like a see-saw: iron deficiency or anemia on one end and iron overload on the other, so you havent lost your money either way *****
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98. The white blood cell count

The white blood cell count will probably be in the LOW range if you have Hemachromatosis. This is probably why the immune system does not function too well with active Hemochromatosis.

99. Weakness 100. Tired 101. Sleepy all the time 102. Alcohol Intolerance
If you have just been diagnosed for Hemochromatosis, it is best that you abstain from alcohol until you get on maintenance, and maybe from then on. Either way, alcohol should be used only in very moderate amounts. Dont terry at the wine cellar. Drink a little drink for your stomachs sake and for other infirmities only.

103. Shellfish Poisoning

This is usually caused by the mean bacterial bug Vibrio vulnificus obtained from eating uncooked oysters, but it can enter the body through a wound while swimming in the ocean. This is usually seen in the Gulf of Mexico and up the Atlantic sea coast up to about the Maryland sea shores. This can be and is a very death threatening disease. If you have undiagnosed Hemochromatosis, you might be lucky to make it to the hospital if you get this infection. Say there are 25 people eating these oysters and just one person gets sick from the germ. Most likely, he or she will be the one that has Hemochromatosis or iron overload. Doctors in these areas are pretty sharp about this and usually follow through to get the patient diagnosed and treated for iron overload. But, if your doctor does fail to test you at that time for iron overload, then you have problems. I have heard it said, eat fish and live longer eat oysters and love longer. Boy, can I go for this. Let me give you a little bit of advice never, ever, eat
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another raw oyster in your life, and I do mean NEVER! Pasteurize or roast them or cook them until just enough that they are pasteurized, and enjoy them making for a very good day for yourself.

104. Iron Fist

They talk about an iron fist, and I dont know just what they are talking about. To me, it means that you really cant make a proper fist. In true Hemochromatosis, you cant make a proper fist due to not being able to contract your fingers a full 90 degrees at the knuckle joints. This can vary greatly from one patient to another and the kind of work or exercise the patient does. This means that if you have to hit someone that you will hit with your first interphalangeal joints and this would not be good. If you present yourself to a Rheumatologist or an Orthopedist with complaints of these knuckles, I bet you will be sent in all directions except in the direction for Hemochromatosis. What a shame and this is still happening even today. I am not bashing doctors, Im just trying to get their attention to learn more about Hemochromatosis. Swelling of the index and middle knuckles is a good clue to look for Hemochromatosis in a patient.

105. Prostate Cancer

I cant find any hard facts to go on for this one, but I believe there is an association between too much iron in the body and prostate cancer. The incidents of prostate cancer and diabetes go up tremendously in the USA as compared to other countries which do not fortify foods with iron. A lot more research needs to be done on this relationship.

106. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

No doubt about this one. See my paper about SIDS on another area of this web page.

107. Diabetes I 108. Diabetes II 109. Insulin Resistence

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There is no doubt about Diabetes I and II as well as insulin resistence all being related to iron overload. With Diabetes II, iron butts heads with insulin like two wild rams do to establish their territory. Everyone with Diabetes and Hemochromatosis should read and search cross talk between iron metabolism and diabetes, August issue Diabetes 2002. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12145144. There are several papers at this location. Diabetes with Hemochromatosis is why Hemochromatosis is called the bronze killer.

110. Gynecomastia
Enlarged breasts in men. This can show up from birth to older age with Hemochromatosis, and is a good diagnostic clue.

111. Heat and cold intolerance 112. Amenorrhea 113. Early Menopause
Both amenorrhea and early menopause are signs that iron status should be checked out. If you do have early menopause, head to the blood bank.

114. Ingrowing toe nails

I bet you thought I was going to leave this one out, didnt you? I will leave out the flat feet, but the ingrowing toe nail has to stay. So you get a little infection at this spot with a little Diabetes and iron overload, and off comes the toe, next the foot, next the lower leg, then the thigh and then what do you think?

115. Male Osteoporosis Syndrome

I have been diagnosed having Osteoporosis, and I have Hemochromatosis as well. Does this tell you anything?

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116. Hemochromatosis, Fibromyalgia, IBS, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Lap-overs

The thing is that the symptoms, signs, and diseases of all of these subjects over lap multiple times. If you have been diagnosed for Fibromyalgia, CFS, and IBS, and have not been checked out for Hemochromatosis, then I would say you have been going to the wrong doctor. If you find that you have Hemochromatosis, you have a cause which is iron overload, and the treatment for Hemochromatosis is just what you need to cure or partially cure a lot of your problems. I have been der, done dat, seen dat, and have read many references to justify this.

117. Your Smile

Just one or a few of the problems associated with Hemochromatosis; it will wipe the smile off your face and keep it off until you get your iron levels down to normal. You cant believe how many psychological and pain problems there are associated with Hemochromatosis. KEEP SMILING!

118. Thin or thick blood

You will most likely be on the thicker side. Establish what your normal hematocrit is and try to keep it down to about two to three points below that. I say that for men a normal hematocrit should be about 45 to 48%. I say to donate blood until and as often as necessary to keep the hematocrit about 2 to 3 points below these readings. I say if your readings are above 48% to get your reading to 45% or below by a little bit. This will make you have newer and probably smaller red blood cells and will never let you develop iron overload most likely. Always eat 100% whole wheat bread. There are three kinds of bread: white bread, wheat bread, and 100% whole wheat bread. These are all breads made from wheat, but white bread has been refined by taking all the bran or coverings off of the wheat grain and then fortified (adulterated) with iron and some vitamins that were taken out in the milling process. Wheat brad is made from white flour and whole wheat flour so you are still getting ferrous sulphate which is not a good thing either. 100% whole wheat is the only kind of bread that you should eat if you eat bread at all. I like my 100% whole wheat bread.
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119. Thinning blood

There is a lot of talk about blood thinners, medicine wise, and this and that remedy to take. Well, one of the best ways to thin your blood is to donate blood. This will cut down on the thickness of your blood and make you develop younger red blood cells. It will make your blood flow better through your blood vessels and perform better at the same time. This has been proven! It will lower your blood pressure also.

120. Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency

This is kind of a rare one to those who dont have it, but it is not rare to those who do have it. It is a form of hemolytic anemia with iron buildup and a very serious one at that. The secret to keeping your iron stores within normal is to donate blood often. Especially for men, say at 20 years of age, and to keep it up throughout life. Better yet, two or three times per year. NATIONS BLOOD SUPPLY SOLVED!! To your good health . . . . When someone talks to someone else about donating blood, the person is most likely to give you all kinds of excuses why they do not want to donate or why they should not. Of course, there are legitimate reasons for not donating such as if the individual has cancer, infection, or that the patient has some transmittable disease and iron deficiency. The following reasons are not good reasons when it comes to donating blood: Oh, I have Diabetes, being needle shy, dont feel that good. As a matter of fact, these may be the reasons that you should donate and especially if you have Diabetes. If you want to donate and the blood bank will not accept your blood, well, that may be good too. But, if you do have a reason to donate and the blood bank will not accept it, then you should get an Rx from your doctor and have it drawn anyway. The blood bank will probably destroy it, but you could bring it home and put it around your roses for fertilizer and it would not be a total waste it will make them grow. The most valid reason not to donate blood is if you are anemic and low on iron. Anemia does not always spell that you are low on iron in all cases. In
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the case of Sickle Cell Anemia and Thalassemia, for instance, it is the build up of iron in the body that causes more problems and even death. If you have anemia due to iron deficiency, then you need to improve your diet. Donate at least once a year better: three or four times a year.

Have I listed too many items to get the point across? I could have listed many more.
References:
If you want to do your own research, type in your search engine: Hemochromatosis and you can be there forever, or Eugene D. Weinberg, Ph.D. Hemochromatosis or, Lists of Symptoms of CFIDS, Katrina Berne, Ph.D. or, James Barton, M.D., Hemachromatosis or, Jerome Sullivan, M.D., Hemachromatosis Diagnosispro hemochromatosis xerostomia http://en.diagnosispro.com/disease_comparison-for/hemochromatosisversus-xerostomia/14667-21271-2.html Type in any entre you like from the above, like: irritable bowel syndrome hemochromatosis and see what you come up with. The best one is: 1. Weinberg, E. D., Ph.D. Edited by Cheryl Garrison. Exposing The Hidden Dangers of Iron. Cumberlin House, Nashville, Tennessee.,
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available through Iron Disorders Institute, http://www.irondisorders.org/hemochromatosis 2. Edwards, C.Q.; Griffin, L. M.; Goldgar, D.; Drummond, C.; Skolnic, M. H.; Kusher, J. P.; Prevalence of Hemochromatosis among 11,065 Presumably Healthy Blood Donors. New England Journal of Medicine, 1988, 318, 1355-1362. 3. Diet and Your Health, National Research Council, Washington: National Academy Press, 1989. 4. Weinberg, Eugene D., Ph.D., Cellular Iron Metabolism in Health and Disease, Drug Metabolism Reviews, 22 (5); 531-579 (1990). 5. Weinberg, Eugene D., Ph.D., Iron Withholding: A Defense Against Infection and Neoplasia, Physiological Reviews, Vol 64, No 1, January 1984. 65-102. 6. FDA Veterinarian. Washington: Dept. of Health and Human Services, Sept-Oct., 1989 7. Smith, Russell L., Ph.D., with Pinckney, Edward R., M.D., The Cholesterol Conspiracy. St. Louis, Missouri: Warren H. Green, Inc., 1991. 8. Iron Overload Diseases Association bulletin, North West Palm Beach, Fl., Nov-Dec 1992, quoting Harry Bates, Ph.D. of MetPath Labs. Also, bulletins from IOD for years. 9. Findlay, S., Podolsky, D., Silberner, J., Iron and Your Heart, U. S. News and World Report, Sept. 21, 1992. Front cover and pages 61-68. 10. Emery, Thomas F. Iron and Your Health, Boca Raton, Boxton, and Ann Arbor: CTC Press, Inc., 1991. 11. Lauffer, Randal B., Iron Balance, New York: St. Martins Press, 1991. 12. Barton, James C., M.D., Iron Overload in Hemochromatosis Heterozygotes jcb 5/92 hetero.iod.
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13. Conversation with Dr. Harry Bates of MetPath Labs, June 1992. And hand out at 1992 IOD symposium from MetPath Labs. 14. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as Amended and Related Laws, 1985. Washington: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Gov Printing Office. 20402. 15. Books by Isadore Rosenfeld, M.D., Symptoms, 1989, and The Complete Medical Exam, 1998. New York: Simon and Schuster. 16. Peterkin, B., Nichols and Cromwell, C., Nutritional Labeling. Washing: US Dept. of Agriculture Info. Bulletin No. 382, 1975, pages 8 and 47. 17. Crawford, Roberta. The Iron Elephant, Glyndon, M.D.; Vida Publishing, Inc., 1992. 18. Sullivan, Jerone L., M.D., The Iron Paradigm of Ischemic Heart Disease, Am. Heart J. 117, 1177-1189, 1989. 19. Johnston, Leslie N., D.V.M., My own little 48 page booklet: Iron Overload HEMOCHROMATOSIS Too Much Iron. 5000 copies privately published, 1993., all sold or given away. 20. My own papers listed on this web page.

There are so many more references that could be listed. If you want or need additional references, just refer to those above for them by the hundreds.

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