Re: Hmmm..so does my Mom

No, I only tied the pieces together about G6PD last week. It is more than just the stomach experience; it is the whole family history, the generations before me, the health (or lack thereof) of my immediate siblings and their children, my own health issues over the last 10 years, and my own children's health.

Right now I'm trying to figure out how to make a case to my doctor for testing. I have an appointment in three weeks (thyroid check). The issue is that a G6PD test on me is likely to be either inconclusive or a false negative. But I have two sons (not his patients). If either of them is positive, that would be conclusive that I am as well. If neither of them is positive, that still does not rule out that I might have it. So I have to convince him to test one or both of my sons.

The next thought for you is to look at the generation prior to your mother. If she has it, she could have gotten either from her mother or her father. Look into their health issues -- and where they lived. Scientists have traced back the origins of G6PD defects (90+ variations counted) to carriers originating in coastal areas around the Mediterranean, particularly southern Italy, Sardinia, Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Portugal. Another large subset of the variations are tied to southern China. Coastal England is common as well. There are some less common variants traced to carriers in the U.S. -- Nashville, Anaheim, Cleveland, Gastonia (NC), some cities in Alabama. Less common international variants include Brazil, Mexico City, Tokyo, Kobe (Japan) as well a few to Thailand, Burma and two cities in India. It sounds like typhoid when I talk about it this way... I just mean hereditary carriers.

Best wishes on your health journey! Tweet