I'm new to this forum, and I'm trying to research the connection between high iron levels and MS.
A couple of years ago I went to the doctor because of sudden extreme fatigue and aching/stiff hip and knee joints. This developed slowly over about five years. I'm a really active person, very fit and healthy in other ways. By the time I went to the doctor I was falling asleep every afternoon for a couple of hours. This would go on for a week or so and then I'd get better for a few weeks and then it would come back again.
I thought I might be going through menopause or something or had arthritis. The Doc did blood tests for iron levels and the usual tests and a scan of my knees and hips for arthritis.
The results were my joints were excellent, and the only thing to show up was high iron levels, not extreme but at the very top of the acceptable range, and considering I was still menstruating regularly, unusual.
Four weeks later I had my first episode with MS, I woke up one morning and my right hand wasn't functioning, I couldn't even write my name. I knew immediately what had happened, as my older sister has had MS for 20 years. Scans confirmed it and we now share the same Neurologist - LOL. We are great support for each other.
My hand has got slowly better, not perfect but I write OK etc, just do quite a bit of dropping things, especially clothes pegs! I of course assumed I had the answer to my fatigue, as I had watched my sister having to sleep during the day for decades. I kind of brushed off the high iron symptom at that point.
Move forward two years and my observations of my fatigue patterns. The fatigue patterns follow my menstrual cycle and my periods of fatigue are slowly increasing. Two years ago I would sleep for one week per cycle, now it's up to nearly three weeks per cycle. The day I start to menstruate the fatigue diminishes, and I stop sleeping in the afternoon, currently for about 10 days. I so look forward to getting lots done while I have the energy and before the fatigue kicks back in.
I'm off to the doctors next week to get my iron levels checked again. It will be interesting to see if they have gone any higher in the past two years, in progression with my increasing fatigue.
Earlier this year hereditary hemochromatosis (iron overload) was diagnosed in a cousin, so that added to my suspicions and I should probably get a genetic test done for it. This iron link seems to keep cropping up. With both my sister and I diagnosed with MS and also my brother with serious liver problems that could be linked to iron overload.
Anyway will keep you posted on the results.
My genetics are Scotish, they seem genetically to have a high incidence of Hemochromatosis and MS.
Anyone else here have both of these?
Thanks for listening