Hepa C

[merylmartinez]

my mom has hepa C. doctor said it is on stage 2. she has sometimes difficulty breathing, weakness, sometimes imbalanced when walking. her condition i suppose is rare since we are still trying to stabilize her and cannot yet pursue to treatment for hepa C since she has very high ferritin or content of iron in her body. the normal ferritin is only up to 159. hers is 3040 from last year which was 2684. this was bad news. i thought while taking her prescribed meds, she'll be better. but as soon as we had her labs done and check up again, some went okay and some like her ferritin isnt.

she has enlarged spleen, high ferritin content, prone to bleeding. we cant take any liver biopsy or do some operations since we still cannot stabilize her.

i do not know how to help her. doctor said, no red meat and avoid fatty liver and alcohol. my mom is not overweight. she got thinner these past months. what foods can she take? what can i do to prevent more damage for her system? thank you!

--meryl.martinez
email add: meryl.***@****
cp num: [phone]

[portann]

Hi Meryl,

Welcome. You are doing so much for your mom just by taking steps like these, asking for help.

I see you live in Quezon City, which is near a large university. Do you know if it's affiliated with a teaching hospital? This is often the best place to find excellent help and care. Getting her in for a second opinion at a teaching hospital is one of the most important things you could do for her. She has a lot of issues going on and she'd be better served in the best hands you can find. To me, a second opinion is almost always worth the effort and time.

(Also, let me just say a quick something about your posting your email address and phone number - please don't do that on a public forum for your own security. This is the mom in me speaking.)

I have to go now but hopefully others will step in to help.  I'll get back again tonight.

In the meantime, here are some archived threads that may be of help to you:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Effects-of-high-ferritin-levels/show/87100

For example, one of the posts in the above thread (2003/2008) says this:

"People with chronic liver inflammation tend to have a higher level of ferritin in the blood.  Ferritin is termed an "acute phase reactant"...this mean when anything in the body is inflammed, this will be elevated.  

Now, remember having a high ferritin does NOT necessarily mean you have too much iron deposited in the liver.

This is an important distinction because those with too much iron build up in the liver (hemochromatosis) may need to be treated with therapeutic phlebotomy (they basically give blood to get rid of the extra iron).  This can usually be clarified by liver biopsy or even some of the newer genetic screening tests."

Also see http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Elevated-Ferritin-Levels/show/1230231

And here's an excerpt from a fact sheet that may be appropriate for what to eat:

http://www.hemochromatosis.org/DietFactSheet.pdf  

Diet Recommendations for Hemochromatosis

Reduce consumption of red meat

We consume two types of iron from the diet: iron in heme contained in meat and non-heme iron contained in plants and supplements. Heme iron is most easily absorbed, whereas non-heme is absorbed less well.


Fats (lipids) when in combination with unbound iron can generate free radical activity, which is destructive to cells and can damage DNA.

Sugar enhances the absorption of iron.

Shellfish can contain a bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus,
which can be fatal to people with high body iron levels. Take
care when walking barefoot on beaches where contaminated
shells may be present.

Fruits and vegetables contain non-heme iron which is not
absorbed well.

Patients with elevated liver enzymes or liver damage such
as cirrhosis should avoid alcohol completely.

Avoid foods high in animal fats.

Limit supplemental vitamin C to 200 milligrams/dose
Vitamin C enhances iron absorption.

Eat nuts, grains, rice and beans

Tea or coffee with meals can reduce the absorption of iron

Avoid raw shellfish if iron levels are elevated"


Talk to you later, hope you hang in there and that others more knowledgeable than I am about these issues can help.

Susan


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[joyce889]

hi meryl..i'm also new here so i can't give much advice..but i would like to tell you that you come to the right forum. people here are very supportive and you can learn so much from them. keep on posting here if you have questions (or read similar posts) coz they know a lot of stuff regarding hep c. God Bless...

[Diane12855]

I'm sorry to hear that things are so bad for your mother.

The only thing I can suggest is to give her as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. Avoid greasy foods and anything processed that has lots of chemicals in it. Read the labels and if you see a bunch of stuff that you can't pronounce... it's chemicals her liver shouldn't have to deal with. Also give her lots of filtered water every day.

I hope her condition improves.
Diane