View Single Post
  #13  
Old Tue Jun 5, 2007, 06:10 PM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 2,553
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert siu View Post
My wife was on transfusion for 2 year and undergo iron chelation with Exjade her ferritin was moving up and down between 1000 to 2000.she received 3 units of blood every 6 weeks .is there anyone reading this message able to tell me what is the target level of ferritin withsuch transfusion and Exjade treatment
Robert,

Doctors differ over exactly when to initiate treatment for iron overload, but it's usually when the serum ferritin level is in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 ng/ml. Once a patient is taking Exjade, he or she takes it every day, not just when their serum ferritin drops to a certain level, so you might want to ask your wife's doctor if he/she thinks the Exjade has been effective for your wife.

According to the AA&MDSIF Iron Overload page, patients on Exjade (or Desferal) probably need to continue taking it as long as they require red blood cell transfusions. If transfusions are no longer needed and the serum ferritin level drops below 800 ng/ml, then it may be safest to stop the chelation treatment.

There's a controversy about Vitamin C for patients taking Exjade or Desferal, so I suggest that you read the section called Should Vitamin C be given along with Desferal or Exjade? and then ask your wife's doctor about the amount of Vitamin C she should get.

There are a number of good sources of facts and advice:You may be able to find answers to many of your questions, but each patient is different and responds to treatments differently, so you should definitely talk to your wife's doctor to review what you learn, and continue asking questions when you have them.

I hope this helps, Robert, and I invite other patients who are taking Exjade to share their experiences.

Neil
Reply With Quote