Thalassemia Patients and Friends

Discussion Forums => Iron Chelation Corner => Topic started by: HaIkEr77 on November 05, 2008, 02:33:39 PM

Title: At what age should we start using desferal..????
Post by: HaIkEr77 on November 05, 2008, 02:33:39 PM

Do anyone know at what age is the best time to start desferal..??? i have a lots of parent asking me. .  at what age they child should start using desferal???

Title: Re: At what age should we start using desferal..????
Post by: Sharmin on November 05, 2008, 03:28:56 PM

Desferal is usually started between the first and second year of life, when the ferritin reaches 1000. 
My son started it at 18 months.

Sharmin

Title: Re: At what age should we start using desferal..????
Post by: Narendra on November 05, 2008, 03:30:33 PM

I think the age would mostly be around 2 years of age. Remember, most thals start blood transfusion after 3-6 months of age and have to go through around a year or year and half of chelation before their ferritin levels reach around 1000. I have heard as a general rule, patients should begin iron chelation treatment once they have had 10-20 transfusions, or when ferritin levels rise above 1000 - so age is not the first factor to look at, instead it should be the ferritin levels and the number of transfusions received

Title: Re: At what age should we start using desferal..????
Post by: Bostonian_04 on November 05, 2008, 07:48:18 PM

at Children's hospital Boston, the dr. prescribes chelation after the age of two. My daughter's ferritin was more than 1500 by the time she was 18 months but the dr. said we should start chelation when she turns two and we started chelation when our daughter was 26 months old and we started with desferal.

Title: Re: At what age should we start using desferal..????
Post by: Manal on November 06, 2008, 01:35:54 AM

Hi

I learned at the Singapore conference that studies showed that using desferal before the age of 2 flatenes the bones of the vertabral column and therefore leading to a short spine. These flatening is not seen in children using it after the age of 2 years.

When using desferal it is always important to measure the spinal growth. As for the limbs, studies showed that they are not affected and grow normally

manal

Title: Re: At what age should we start using desferal..????
Post by: Lyanne on November 06, 2008, 10:07:55 AM

     Me and my sis started when we were just graders :biggrin and we had our iron levels controlled for until we reached highschool.... we also have it after transfusion.  :wink , My pedia then advised us to start as early as possible so we did  :biggrin

Title: Re: At what age should we start using desferal..????
Post by: HaIkEr77 on November 06, 2008, 11:10:52 AM

thanks all of you guy.. Manal, Bostonian_04, Narendra, sharmin and Lyanne.. you guys help me a lot.. i started using desferal if i'm not mistaken 3 year ago.. at that time my ferritin level are around 8000++ (i forgot already). but still the chelation have help me a lot, especially my heart.. now i'm trying to encourage all of my friends to start using desferal everyday. By the way I was wondering is it safe to use desferal for 24hour, 6 day per week.???? :huh