MEDICAL MATTERS
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Questions in the Category: Venesection
Blood ferritin level raised, iron overload and haemochromatosis
I’m a 30-year-old man who suffers with fluctuating mild to moderate ME. In addition to classic ME symptoms – debilitating fatigue, brain fog, etc – I also have quite a lot of joint and stomach pain which seem to be more marked and persistent than is normal in ME.
In blood tests I’ve had since having the symptoms, I noticed that I have a slightly elevated ferritin level. Could this mean that I have an iron-storage disorder called haemochromatosis because I know that one of my distant relatives had this condition? Should I now go back to my GP?
Dr Charles Shepherd
Dr Shepherd has been Trustee and Hon. Medical Adviser to the ME Association for more than 40 years. He is integral to the charity's activities and provides information and support based on his professional knowledge, personal experience as a doctor with ME/CFS, and the understanding gained from helping many thousands of people with the condition. He was a member of the comittee responsible for the 2021 NICE Clinical Guideline and is a recognised expert on ME/CFS in the UK. His knowledge extends to Post-Viral Fatigue Syndromes (PVFS), Myalgic Encephalopathy/Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) or Long Covid.
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Medical Matters is based on the popular ‘Ask the Doctor‘ series featured in the highly-regarded member’s magazine, ME Essential, and in the healthcare professional magazine, ME Medical. Both are produced by the ME Association and published as hard-copy magazines every 3 months and sent to members and healthcare professionals by post to home or business addresses.
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