next »

[Lokkhi maa]

Dear Andy,

My 5 yrs old child daily taking 200 iu Vitamin E and 5mg Folic acid.

But recently her doctor advised not to continue vitamin E regularly and folic acid 15mg per day.

Doctor also said she may take vitamin E 1day gap.

Her serum ferritin is now 1005.

Last month we have not give her Asunra for supply issue.

If not continue chelaton therapy regularly then it will be harmful for my child?


  

[Andy Battaglia]

It really depends on what the child is taking. If the vitamin E is natural and not synthetic, 200 IU is fine. If it is synthetic, throw it out and find natural E.
If the child is taking folic acid and not folate, the dosing should not be high, as folic acid can build in the body due to its slow processing by the liver. If the child takes folate, a dose of 1-2 mg daily is sufficient. If it's folic acid, no more than 400 mcg should be taken daily.

Chelation is mandatory for transfusing patients. Iron will damage the organs if not removed. If the iron load is under control, lower doses of the chelator can be used.

[Md. Abdul Hakim]

Dear lokkhi maa
My name is A. Hakim from bangladesh.
My little princess age 18 month recently diagnosed E/ beta thalassemia.her hb level is 8.3g/dl. We are feeling very  helplessness. Do you know please where will we found wheat grass?

[charlie_k1081]

It really depends on what the child is taking. If the vitamin E is natural and not synthetic, 200 IU is fine. If it is synthetic, throw it out and find natural E.
If the child is taking folic acid and not folate, the dosing should not be high, as folic acid can build in the body due to its slow processing by the liver. If the child takes folate, a dose of 1-2 mg daily is sufficient. If it's folic acid, no more than 400 mcg should be taken daily.

Chelation is mandatory for transfusing patients. Iron will damage the organs if not removed. If the iron load is under control, lower doses of the chelator can be used.

Hey Andy,

Isn’t folate the same as folic acid? We are currently taking 1mg daily folic acid for our 5 year old. But we are not taking any folate. If it’s different, should we ask our doctor about adding folate as well? Thx a ton!

[sola]

Do you know please where will we found wheat grass?

I am sure if you search on the internet, you can find it. In some places it may be expensive. Look for a place where it is less expensive.

There may also be transport issues at the present time, while Coronavirus halts a lot of things.

[Andy Battaglia]

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and should not be taken in the quantities that folate can be taken in thalassemia. The higher doses of folate that many thal minors take, 2000-5000 mcg daily, cannot be taken with folic acid because folic acid is processed much more slowly by the liver, and can build up if large doses are taken. If taking folic acid, no more than 400 mcg should be taken daily. If taking folate, up to 5000 mcg daily shows very good results in many adults. The dosage for children should not be as high.

[BashX]

Can Almonds be taken as a natural form of vitamin E? If so how many should be taken to fulfill the daily requirement for a child with thalassemia? 

[Andy Battaglia]

Almonds are a good source of nutrients and are recommended, as are nut and seeds in general. If the child will eat 10- 20 almonds daily, it would be a good source of E and other nutrients, like magnesium.

[BashX]

Thanks Andy. I actually mix 23 almonds with wheatgrass powder, nigella sative seeds, red grapes, tumeric and honey in a nutri-bullet and give them as a smoothie to drink. Would it be okay to give it to them like that?

[Andy Battaglia]

That is a great way to make sure the proper nutrition is being maintained. Smoothies are an excellent way to get kids to eat things they normally would not want.