WORLD HAEMOCHROMATOSIS WEEK 2022 – How Commonly is this MISDiagnosed?

HAEMOCHROMATOSIS

(Genetic)

Iron OVERLOAD Disorder

 

 

 

FATIGUE – that overwhelming sometimes sudden feeling of whole body tiredness… I knew the feeling well in my twenties but pushed on.. but it’s not just “I’m tired” type of feeling, it’s an OMG I Need to Sleep RIGHT NOW!

Closw your eyes and be snoring, CHRONIC FATIGUE type of tired.

One of the major symptoms of Haemochromatosis (Iron Overload disorder) which went undiagnosed for me until I was was in my late twenties was full blown fatigue. I would literally fall asleep while being a passenger in any moving car or train. etc…

– It was weird. The FATIGUE just hit me like a tonne of bricks and I had right then to sleep. Now I know why.

Vague symptoms like tiredness

are common in iron deficiency

and also in anaemia.

However, iron supplements and iron rich foods like steak, may exacerbate the symptoms.  This time the trouble is too much iron, not too little.

I had some serious and painfully intensely itchy “hives” or histamine response all over my body!  Even after two emergency visits for full body hives I was still told by Emergency doctors that I had an allergy to something and to come back when it happens again and they’d test it then. (Pumped me full of steroids and sent me home- twice!) 

– Having then experiencing major abdominal pain like nothing I have ever experienced was also one of my major symptoms that really could have been a major trigger for testing.

– The abdominal pain attack came after a weekend of camping and I suppose a fair whack of alcoholic pop drinks although not major amounts, I didn’t drink much water that weekend BUT not enough alcohol to be “hammered” in comparison with the pain. I couldn’t drive as the bumps were stimulating major pain. Not nice at all…

– In my early 20’s I was diagnosed with “enlarged liver, spleen and gallbladder” and sent home to eat soup and rest. “This will pass” I was told. No blood tests, no abdominal ultrasound, no further treatment. Done. GO home and rest and eat more soup and use a gentle pH neutral soap and have a cool shower. They MISSED my diagnosis so badly that today we be seeking legal

My LIVER was trying to tell me

CAN”T YOU HEAR ME???
I AM TRYING TO TELL YOU I CANNOT FILTER THIS FERRITIN ANYMORE!!!

No One was listening to the Presentation of my Symptoms!

 

What was actually happening?

The liver produces HISTAMINE in response to being blocked and this activates mast cells which is an inflammatory response which in turn causes itchy skin ( pruritis) and rashes.

Ten years later at 32 years old and half way through a naturopathy degree I wondered WHY no one had found anything wrong with me when I felt so extremely tired!

-I considered myself lucky – young enough to bounce back, I thought…  After trying to find a medical response to an absent menstrual cycle I was then diagnosed with ahmennhorea, (absence of period) polycystic ovaries and then told I don’t have polycystic ovaries on ultrasound. Quite confusing. Quite wrong.

Meanwhile no one was looking close enough or even testing my B12 or Iron levels.

I then realised NONE of this was good enough.

Women are meant to menstruate naturally, something wasn’t right…

Naturopathy taught me to be a critical thinker

To always look deeper.

So off  I went!  

Never underestimate your own gut instinct.

You live in your body.. you are the master of ALL your own ceremonies

-I found a specialised women’s hormone clinic. 

– I was blood tested and prodded and picked- then diagnosed with HIGH FERRITIN LEVELS. (The name for stored Iron) Normal levels in women 200 mine =4500!!! Genetic testing for – Haemochromatosis came back homozygous (one genes- from each parent for C282y) 

-Liver Biopsy showed Cirhossis. Next stage of pathology, liver cancer.

Luckily I dodged that bullet. 

-Osteoporosis in my lower spine and femur. 

-Told I’d never have children. 

My naturopathy studies threw me into full research about this and in 2003 I received the final year class research prize for my educative research presentation for Haemochromatosis- go me! 

Gather around – here is the exciting news!

I am now turning this paper into a full educative tool for those with haemochromatosis to help themselves and others using my experiences and natural medicine approach to recovering to an optimal healthy state using food, specific antioxidants, nutritional and herbal supplements and changed the water I drink after researching many water devices now have the ultimate, even adding in how I reversed liver disease and osteoporosis for myself. 

– If you’d like to reserve your copy and find out more, your invited to add your name here. There are some simple steps you can take to really change your beliefs and your body to recover to an optimal state of wellbeing.

Can’t wait to share this with you all!

 

In health and happiness,

Michelle Crone Naturopathy Online

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS

If you want to know one way I have helped reset the fatigue and joint issues in conjunction with Natural Medicine…here’s how…happy to have a chat about it anytime with you. Phone me on 0419166869

Leave a Reply