In Thalassaemia Disorder no, or very little, haemoglobin is produced, causing a life threatening anaemia. Blood transfusions are needed every month, for life. This results in too much iron in the body, which is also life threatening. This complication is treated by the use of a special drug called Desferrioxamine that helps the body to get rid of the excess iron. A special pump is used to inject this drug over 12 hours, five to seven nights a week.
Some patients find it difficult to keep this treatment up, particularly in adolescence, and develop problems such as heart failure due to iron overload. A new oral drug called L1 or Deferiprone is currently being tested and may make treatment less difficult. As affected individuals get older some may develop diabetes and bone problems such as osteoporosis. Some patients with thalassaemia disorders have been cured with bone marrow transplants.
