Is There Any Way To Lower Iron Without Donating Blood?

[LuMonty]

I went ahead and donated blood since I could not come up with any way of bleeding myself out in a coltrolled manner :P It was not bad at all and I hardly even felt it afterward. I was more tired than usual for the rest of the day but no other negatives as far as I can tell. I plan on going once every 2.5 months or so and try if I can convince my doctor to do regular tests for ferritin.
I have upped my intake of dark chocolate as well and it is sitting well with me. Thanks for your input in all this. I really think the easiest way to manage iron is simply regular blood draws..

I'm really glad to hear that!

 

[Nighteyes]

Apparently, all lab ranges have been devised by a survey of the general public. 500 or over would mean it increased yet again. Normal used to be around 20-300, I think it increased up to 400 for men. Different labs can use different ranges, so that could account for the difference as well.

Under 100 is what was found on the Zacharsky RCTs for lowering the incidence of heart disease and cancer. I think it was around 80 where there was a dramatic incidence of those diseases. In the trial, they were actually aiming for near deficiency (about 25), but didn't achieve that number, and yet still found a dramatic fall of those diseases. That's the basis of the 25-75 target range.

Thanks a lot. I will be aiming to lower my ferritin to somwhere around 100, maybe lower if my hemoglobin will allow it. Otherwise more exercise and dairy should help get me there. Do you know how long I should wait with getting a blood test for ferritin/ iron panel after getting my draw draw (500 mL). does it take some days/weeks for the ferritin to drop and be reflected in the lab results?

 

[Mary Lyn]

They won't take my blood as l have cfs diagnosis but last time l did a private thyroid test, the lance in the kit used on the tip of a finger, brought forth a stream of blood that l guessed would have mounted to a goodly amount had l not stopped it, so have been wondering whether to give the two leftover ones a go and just let the blood flow into the sink.

 

[Nighteyes]

They won't take my blood as l have cfs diagnosis but last time l did a private thyroid test, the lance in the kit used on the tip of a finger, brought forth a stream of blood that l guessed would have mounted to a goodly amount had l not stopped it, so have been wondering whether to give the two leftover ones a go and just let the blood flow into the sink.

Interesting.. I have been thinking alot about the self-bleeding approach but I think there is a problem: I think in order to remove any appreciable amount of blood the wound would have to be large enough to not quickly close on its own. In that case you risk making a wound that needs stiches or glue and that will definitely leave scars and be troublesome. I really doubt you would be able to get much blood out of your finger with a prick from a lance before it closes. Not even 10 mL .. but I could be wrong

 

[Mary Lyn]

Interesting.. I have been thinking alot about the self-bleeding approach but I think there is a problem: I think in order to remove any appreciable amount of blood the wound would have to be large enough to not quickly close on its own. In that case you risk making a wound that needs stiches or glue and that will definitely leave scars and be troublesome. I really doubt you would be able to get much blood out of your finger with a prick from a lance before it closes. Not even 10 mL .. but I could be wrong

It was dripping pretty fast without any pressing and soon filled up the tube. I had to stem it quite hard. I suppose it depends on how fluid ones blood is.Even so, doing it regularly like every day will add up.

 

[Nighteyes]

It was dripping pretty fast without any pressing and soon filled up the tube. I had to stem it quite hard. I suppose it depends on how fluid ones blood is.Even so, doing it regularly like every day will add up.

Wow I Will have to try that then :) maybe some vitamin E beforehand as I have quite thick blood.

 

[tankasnowgod]

After getting roped into this topic late, I figured I'd list the things that are known to help lower iron.

IP6 is the big one (many have had success with this)
Aspirin
Calcium Channel Blockers (those two are actually used by iron researcher E.D. Weinberg Eugene D. Weinberg on Iron Toxicity - Rogue Health and Fitness)
Dr. Fachinni's Low Iron High Polyphenol diet- A Low-Iron-Available, Polyphenol-Enriched, Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet to Slow Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy
Sweating (exercise and saunas both might work)
Prescription Iron Chelators like Desferal (has a lot of side effects)

Other things that might are Lactoferrin, B1, and some Antibiotics, like Tetracycline, possibly other quinones.

And some people do even phlebotomize themselves.....

 

[tankasnowgod]

Thanks a lot. I will be aiming to lower my ferritin to somwhere around 100, maybe lower if my hemoglobin will allow it. Otherwise more exercise and dairy should help get me there. Do you know how long I should wait with getting a blood test for ferritin/ iron panel after getting my draw draw (500 mL). does it take some days/weeks for the ferritin to drop and be reflected in the lab results?

I always waited at least a week for any blood tests after donation. At the bare minimum, it would be 48 hours, as that's the amount of time it takes for fluids to be replenished.

Personally, I used a B complex to keep hemoglobin levels up when I was lowering iron. I know B12, B6 and Folate are important cofactors. After a few months of donations, there was a noticeable bump up in hemoglobin after I started the B Complex.

 

[Blue Water]

There is always surgery . My ferritin went from 200 to 35 in less than a year due to 4 surgeries. I also ate very little red meat and took copper.

I am relatively copper deficient and my iron saturation is high. Does copper prevent iron absorption? I always thought it was synergistic because ceruloplasmin is copper and shuttles iron around to transferrin.

 

[Blue Water]

I dont think this has been suggested before, but what about making small cuts on the body to prompt controlled bleeding? If one were to use a very sharp knife and do it in inconspicuous places, scarring would not be the biggest issue? This would allow a small amount to be removed regularly rather than the relatively high doses removed when donating blood. I have problems with dehydration and low blood volume so I am not to keen on donating ½ or 1 L at a time.

This might also mimmick a more natural way of losing blood/iron from bruises.

I dont know... maybe it is a crazy suggestion.. Definitely not gonna mention this idea to my doctor who already thinks my ferritin of 360 is normal. I wonder why my local lab ranges "normal ferritin" from 15-560. Such a broad spectrum. They wont even consider iron problems if results within this range. They even denied giving me a full iron panel! (healthcare system fail ftw)

Hijama is this. I tried it, but it didn't remove as much blood as I would have liked. I couldn't get an exact figure but my guess is it was like 100ml.

 

[PeskyPeater]

Phenolic Acids
Besides chelating iron, many phenolic acids can be applied in treating various diseases.
Phytic acid or inositol hexaphosphoric acid is a phenolic acid found mainly in cereals, legumes, oil seeds and nuts [28]. It is an anti-nutrient component since it inhibits the absorption of some minerals such as iron, which makes it a potential chelator in the case of iron overload [29]. Under excessive iron concentrations in the body and high oxidative stress levels, Parkinson’s patients can benefit from Phytic acid in preserving their dopaminergic neurons from apoptosis [30].
Ferulic is another phenolic acid that is widely found in fruits and wheat bran [31]. Through its sodium salt, sodium ferulate, ferulic acid blocks the production of free radicals that are induced by iron excess and increases hepatic cells viability [32]. Known for its antioxidant and iron chelation properties, caffeic acid is a phenolic compound found mainly in coffee beans [33].
Caffeic acid can also reduce toxicity and inflammation especially in the neurons of Alzheimer’s patients [34]. The combination of caffeic acid with quinic acid, which is also a strong iron chelator, leads to the creation of chlorogenic acid (CGA) [35]. CGA is a strong antioxidant and chelator found widely in fruits, vegetables, and coffee [36]. It can block the production of reactive oxygen species or scavenge them directly [37]. In addition, CGA protects neurons from glutamate excitotoxicity and ischemia [35]. CGA can also be part of the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, inflammation, and cancerous tumors [38]. Natural Iron Chelators: An Orthomolecular Approach to Treat Iron Overload and Its Related Diseases

 

[arcadia11]

It was dripping pretty fast without any pressing and soon filled up the tube. I had to stem it quite hard. I suppose it depends on how fluid ones blood is.Even so, doing it regularly like every day will add up.

some years ago, for a year or more, i was performing my own blood-letting by using an exacto knife. i would make a shallow cut on the inside of my left wrist and down about four inches. just on the surface, otherwise you would be basically committing suicide. it created a reasonable blood flow, never too much, never uncontrollable and oddly, it never hurt. the scar it left is now minimal so i did not even need dmso to remove it. at the time it did not occur to me to sterilize the blade - even so, i never ever had an infection. i did this sometimes two days in a row but more often every three days or so. to me it seemed less invasive and safer than giving a pint or more of blood or using needles ( which freak me out) and i could do it anytime i wanted to and in the comfort and control of my own home. i think it is more empowering to do whatever you can, yourself - rather than having to enlist/pay a 'professional' of any kind. i felt great. i high recommend doing it yourself while appreciating that it is not for everyone.

 

[Apple]

sweating ? (especially through exercise in hot environments)
iron loss is directly related to the volume of sweat lost and has been calculated at 22.5 micrograms iron per liter of sweat. Another calculation suggests that one may lose about 1.2 milligrams of iron with each gallon of sweat, making up a loss of about 0.3 milligrams of iron per liter of sweat. This amount of loss could have an impact on the amount of iron consumed daily.