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It can take quite a while to reduce your iron. Like Neil stated, volume and frequency makes a difference. Normally, those with iron overload (with no bone marrow disorders) will sometimes have blood removed weekly. That's too aggressive for most here.
Your frequency/volume can be determined on how quickly you make up the difference. John found that he could not do more than 250 ml every other month. When he did more, it was too stressful for his bone marrow. Needless to say, it's taking him a long time to get his FE to normal level.
From what I remember, each unit of packed red cells contains about 250 mg of iron. And based on Neil's comment, each 500 ml of blood removed, removes about 250 ml of iron. So based on that, it can take awhile to get the iron down after 100 transfusions.
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Marlene, wife to John DX w/SAA April 2002, Stable partial remission; Treated with High Dose Cytoxan, Johns Hopkins, June 2002. Final phlebotomy 11/2016. As of July 2021 HGB 12.0, WBC 4.70/ANC 3.85, Plts 110K.
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