Hemochromatosis

[EveryCloud]

Hi, I seem to be all over this forum so I apologise. Type 2, possibly Type 1/ Lada etc.. went to docs got blood taken because iron levels were high. Came home and have been googeling and stringing words together and found out about Hemochromatosis. It appears that elevated levels of iron can damage the pancreas and lead to Type 1 diabetes. I have now gotten it into my head that this is in-fact what is happening to me. I had a search in the forum but I can't find any information on this. Has anyone else heard of it? Anyone else think this might relate to them?

 

[Totto]

Hemocromatosis usually is inherited- I t damages the liver if left untreated but I don't think it has anything to do with autoimmunity.

 

[Lamont D]

The wife carries it in her genes. She inherited from her dad. She has passed it on so my kids and grandkids are potentially either carriers or have the condition.
It is not life threatening if you have the treatment but there is no cure. No lifestyle or dietary change required, so it doesn't complicate your diabetes.

 

[EveryCloud]

I was reading on a webpage that it can actually cause Type 1 diabetes as the iron builds up in the pancreas and destroys it. i will need to check with my doc. lol

 

[phoenix]

It can cause diabetes, it's not type 1 or type 2, the cause is as you say the build up of iron. It's sometimes called bronze diabetes because the iron overload shows up in the skin.
Treatment for the diabetes depends on how much of the pancreatic function has been lost. I certainly know of one person who used medication not insulin.
These are the tests that are done for it
http://www.haemochromatosis.org.uk/pages/teststreatment.html

It is hereditary and to develop it either both your parents would have been carriers ie they would have had the gene for it but not the condition., or one would have been a carrier and one had the condition.. In the UK about 12.5% of the population are carriers so there is less than 1 in 200 chance of them marrying and having children. (if they do each child has about a 25% chance of getting the condition.) The risk is higher though with Irish/celtic ancestry.
It tends to appear in men earlier , probably because women have periods so loose some blood each month for many years