Heriditary Hemochromatosis?

jth0524

Member
I'm a 36 year old male who has been battling joint pain, brain fog, abdominal pain, depression, fatigue, and diagnosed low testosterone for several years. I keep trying to figure out why I feel the way I do. I have been on trt for about 4 months and feel ok. Still, many of my above symptoms persist. I recently had some lab work done that made me think about the possibility of heriditary hemochromatosis. Does anyone in the testosterone group have hemochromatosis? I don't know if I should get tested to see if I have HH or not. Here are the labs that stood out to me:
MCV: 96 range(80-94)
MCH: 31.5 range(27.0-31.0)
TIBC Blood: 250mcg/ml range(250-450)
Percent Saturation: 46%
Iron Blood: 116mcg/dl range(50-175)
Ferritin: 160ng/ml range(24-336)
Vitamin B12: 893pg/ml range(213-816)

For anyone with knowledge of heriditary hemochromatosis, do the above labs indicate that I could have early stage HH? Should I get the genetic test? Thanks for your feedback.
 
I'm a 36 year old male who has been battling joint pain, brain fog, abdominal pain, depression, fatigue, and diagnosed low testosterone for several years. I keep trying to figure out why I feel the way I do. I have been on trt for about 4 months and feel ok. Still, many of my above symptoms persist. I recently had some lab work done that made me think about the possibility of heriditary hemochromatosis. Does anyone in the testosterone group have hemochromatosis? I don't know if I should get tested to see if I have HH or not. Here are the labs that stood out to me:
MCV: 96 range(80-94)
MCH: 31.5 range(27.0-31.0)
TIBC Blood: 250mcg/ml range(250-450)
Percent Saturation: 46%
Iron Blood: 116mcg/dl range(50-175)
Ferritin: 160ng/ml range(24-336)
Vitamin B12: 893pg/ml range(213-816)

For anyone with knowledge of heriditary hemochromatosis, do the above labs indicate that I could have early stage HH? Should I get the genetic test? Thanks for your feedback.

Do you have a CBC?

I am no expert on HH but it doesn't appear to be. http://www.irondisorders.org/Websites/idi/Images/compareIDs.jpg

All of your labs look fairly fine IMO, generally your ferritin would be high or high range. If you're on TRT you're most likely self treating if you do have it, as the treatment is mostly phlebotomy.

Your symptoms sound like low E2 a bit. Do you have any recent TRT labs?
 
For anyone with knowledge of heriditary hemochromatosis, do the above labs indicate that I could have early stage HH? Should I get the genetic test? Thanks for your feedback.

Remember, with the exception of Dr. Justin Saya, Defy's medical director, none of us are physicians. To test, or not test, on the basis of what "we" can tell you, given only a snapshot of your labwork and a brief, general discussion of your symptoms, would be to put too much faith in the collective wisdom of the Forum. I'd urge you to pursue the question and test. You will have put your mind to rest.

Keep us posted.
 
I'm a victim of the Celtic Cure aka hereditary hemochromatosis and also diagnosed secondary hypogonadism as a result. For me, the ferritin level at diagnosis was 2400 so pretty much a non brainer. However, people are diagnosed at much lower levels now as it has progressed from liver biopsy to a simply blood test / gene mapping to diagnose.

so like coastwatcher said, get tested to put your mind at ease.
 

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Estradiol (E2)

A form of estrogen produced from testosterone. Important for bone health, mood, and libido. Too high can cause side effects; too low can affect well-being.

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Dihydrotestosterone is a potent androgen derived from testosterone. Affects hair growth, prostate health, and masculinization effects.

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The biologically active form of testosterone not bound to proteins. Directly available for cellular uptake and biological effects.

Scientific Reference

Lakshman KM, Kaplan B, Travison TG, Basaria S, Knapp PE, Singh AB, LaValley MP, Mazer NA, Bhasin S. The effects of injected testosterone dose and age on the conversion of testosterone to estradiol and dihydrotestosterone in young and older men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Aug;95(8):3955-64.

DOI: 10.1210/jc.2010-0102 | PMID: 20534765 | PMCID: PMC2913038

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