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Hi, Having ridden mountain bikes for 30 odd years, and at the the age of 45 I would be forgiven for expecting a few grumbles aches and pains on many parts of my body, but just to give a little heads for all you guys out there that are hitting their 40's and thinking your body is not doing what it normally does, or if you are feeling confused because your engine is good but the muscle just don't want work and seem to only function at what feels 50% of what they did?! I would recommend you get your Iron and Ferretin levels checked. It may not just be the case you are getting old! This is important as 1 in 200 people can suffer from what is know as hereditary hemochromatosis! Basically your body stores too much iron and deposits it around your body, Heart,liver, pancreas, joints,brain, eyes and much more. This in turn oxidizes and poisons you body and causes damage and can be fatal. I'm currently about to start treatment to remove the unwanted iron so that by spring 2014 I will hopefully be able to ride as I did before 🙂 It has taken two years for me to be diagnosed as GP's are not as aware of it as much as you would think. Please take the time to check the website out, as it may give you answers if things are just not making sense and get you back on your bike and enjoying your rides at the very least.
[url= http://www.haemochromatosis.org.uk/index.html ]haemochromatosis[/url]
there are other reasons for iron over load, but symptoms are much the same... I just hope this helps someone.
Cheers
timax 🙂
Treatment? 😀
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😀 I jest not when I say some sufferers have set metal detectors off! ... sadly treatment means a pint of blood being taken from my system once a week until my ferretin levels drop to normal, which can take about a year. They have found though that the blood taken can be used as doner blood now, instead of being thrown away as it used to be! Basically your body uses up the iron in your system to make new blood cells.... My kids do call me Iron man though 😉
If this heads up gets one person on the road to being back on the trails and good health it would be fantastic 😀
timax
This was flagged to me at my annual medical about 2 years ago (when the bloodwork results came through), I had to go for a stack of extra bloodwork tests to confirm i actually had it (annoying as I'd fainted giving blood and smashed a tooth during the medical).
Turned out that I'd lost so much blood that year in accidents that my body was storing it ready for the next accident. An accident free year later and my iron levels are normal.
Hideous condition though, you get to eat rice and rocks and be bled until the iron levels drop to normal and then you still can't drink beer or eat meat.
It is a grim thing in deed... but new research shows that once in "maintenance", if you drink tea with your meals that helps stop the absorption of the iron from your food. Any foods with high iron are best avoided if possible, but the obvious thing to avoid due to the possible condition of your liver is red wine 🙁 , or alcohol in general. Other things like not having vitamin c within 2 hours either side of a meal because vitamin c helps you absorb iron. Red meats are a no no in some cases... but all is relevant to how high your ferritin count is and how much damage has been done! This is why if you have any of the symptoms stated on the web site... best to get it checked. I have been told and I also realized that my mountain biking made me more aware when my body just wasn't working as it should... so I've caught mine early. The depressing side is when i get on a bike... going from a 17 mile home commute in 50 minutes down to an hour and 20 told me all I needed to know... plus I lost my turbo on the trails... no turn of speed at all 🙁 very very depressing in deed! I'm just so bloody glad that it is something I can do something about. That's why if anyone out there is feeling weak and way off par when they ride and don't seem to be able to improve say in 3 months... get to the doc's and get your self checked! 😉
interesting, I am 40 and my paternal grandfather has hemochromatosis, will have to look into the hereditary element. His manifest itself as sore/swollen knees.
*pedant* HAEMOCHROMATOSIS, we are not American! */pedant*
...oh, btw -
Hereditary haemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disorder with a genetic prevalence of 0.4% in northern Europeans but a much lower clinical penetrance
Those affected are at increased risk of cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma
Symptoms are often non-specific at presentation and include fatigue and arthropathy
If transferrin saturation and serum ferritin are raised, test for C282Y mutation of the HFE gene
First degree relatives of patients with clinically overt haemochromatosis can be screened for C282Y and H63D polymorphisms
Regular phlebotomy is the main treatment, although newly developed therapeutic approaches show promise
Therapeutic treatments have not been mentioned yet... I will have to look into that! personally I think if the iron is there and I don't want the symptoms, regular bleeding is what is needed... from what I've read! the genealogical aspects are a seperate issue which will mean my three son's getting checked too 🙁
Some of the bizarre things I've heard are the ferritin levels go right up after you have had a bad cold or chest infection! 😕
I'm due at the consultants next week for results on the ultra sound... that should tell me the state of my liver!
I would also say if you are diabetic or a heavy drinker it is worth getting checked if you are finding you have the aches and pains of a 70 year old and the strength of a kitten... when previously you could ride hard all day and enjoy it and your in your 40's.
It can also cause diabetes and heart problems... so yeah, it's a barrel of laughs. i just can't imagine not riding my bike how i want to ever again... that scares me even more! 🙁
Just a catch up as I would consider my self somewhat of an expert now on the hereditary haemechromotosis (HH) , my diagnoses is C828y /C828y! So I'm full on hereditary Haemechromotosis. I have been having a pint of blood taken every two weeks as then it doesn't effect my work and looking after my three sons too much. Damage caused for sure so far are my joints, muscle fatigue, but also my left eye due to Hyperferritinemia (a symptom of the ferritin levels) so i'm having a cataract removed in December, But this now means I get my eyesight back to some degree and less headaches. So far I'm seeing a Haematologist, Neurologist,rheumatologist , cardiologist, gastrologist,endocrinologist and a genetic councellor, so yep it keeps me busy :-). But I'm happy to say after a few months of treatment my aches are easing and my strength has improved. Spring 2014 is looking a real possibility of being fit and riding hard again. Please, if you have any symptoms, go and see your GP and ask for a blood test and then a genetic test if your ferritin levels or iron levels are high. This condition can be a killer. Please look at the website and facebook page. Your life can get back to normal if caught early. Looking forward to hitting the trails 🙂