[Marlene]

I have yet to come across any data on Milk Thistle as an effective chelator for iron. Very few natural substances, except wheat grass, are effective when you are trying to get rid of a large quantity of iron. Even wheat grass may not be enough to bring it down significantly. However, milk thistle is very good at protecting the liver from toxins as well as helps to heal it. It will also help your overall detoxification system to function better. So I can see how it can be beneficial for you.

Others on this site have had good success with wheat grass. My husband is taking it for his remaining iron. He also gets a phlebotomy every other month as long as his HGB remains at 10 or above. I cannot tell you if the wheat grass is working since he hasn't had his FE checked since he started it.

As you know, iron is hard on your organs so anything you can do, like milk thistle, should help minimize liver damage. Foods high in antioxidants would be wise also.

Regarding the B12, there's been some discussion about low-normal levels being implicated in the cause of MDS and by correcting B12 it, resolved it.

I am very pro B12. Your B12 levels really need to be, at a minimum, at 500. You can accomplish this with oral supplementation instead of getting the shot. It's unfortunate, but many doctors still think that a low-normal B12 is okay to ignore. But the B12 blood serum test is not very reliable in assessing a deficiency. If your B12 is low, you can do both. There are different forms of B12 with the methyl form being more effective. I would assume your naturopath would recommend a B-Complex also. You really shouldn't supplement with only B12 since the B vitamins work synergistically