Food for thought, valerie. However, TS% is not a measure, it is the result of a mathematical equation - serum iron divided by TIBC. Mine has been recorded at 107%, and often at or near 100%. When your serum iron goes up your TIBC goes down, thus ending up with those results.
As you say TS% is important. Prof Pierre Brissot of Rennes, France reports that TS% >75% is toxic but does not exactly expand on that. That is how I have described how I feel - toxic, even though I have been deironed for 17 years, having been diagnosed in 1998, after 9 years of terrible symptoms undiagnosed.
I have just read a research study by some Scandinavian researchers who have come to the conclusion that homozygous C282Y with TS% greater than 70% have more cancer than the control group, particularly women.
As my blood is more than than not, thick and black, hard to venesect, I decided to go on 100mg aspirin per day this year. This made a huge difference not only to my venesections but reduced all my levels considerably. I felt like this thick blood (full of iron particles) were clogging up my cells.
Calcium is supposed to reduce the uptake of iron, and is best consumed with meals, as does tea, coffee etc. I have just read in a publication by Medifocus that sugar increases the uptake of iron. I have to read more on that, but it may be indirectly. It is now known that sugar and starch consumption leads to fatty liver which increases ferritin iron levels.
See if you are consuming sugar or starches (e.g.potatoes, bread) in some form with your red meat which could be causing your spike. Researchers do not recommend eliminating or reducing iron rich foods, just don't have red meat every day, and clams are worse than red meat/liver.
Earlier this year while I was taking aspirin, I was also taking MSM in order to get a obtain a better feeling of wellbeing. At the same time, my levels reduced to their lowest, including my TS% which is the opposite to what you have experienced.
There is evidence of iron deposits in the brain, as proven by MRIs and autopsies. Researchers are working on it but cannot replicate it on mice, which is all, it seems, they can use. They know about it, but until they can prove it the acceptable way, the medical profession ignore it.
It is known that iron can breach the blood brain barrier (try saying that fast), and it affects the hypothalamus as the hypothalamus 'tests' our blood. When the hypothalamus goes awry, it causes a lot of problems for us. Underneath the hypothalamus is the pituitary gland, and iron deposits commonly affect that too.
After being given beta blockers for severe arrythmia caused by HH, my brain went into a total fog and I was unable to utter more than two words as, though the words formed in my brain, they were lost by the time I tried to articulate them. It seems the beta blockers dilated my blood vessels, including those in the brain and let in the iron particles. It took a couple of years for me to able to speak sentences.
The original fatigue and body pain has never gone away, only relieved by not working any more. I had to stop years ago. Too long a story to go into all the problems HH has caused.
So-oo looking for answers.