Some patients receive periodic blood transfusions as supportive therapy.
Iron overload is a potentially dangerous condition.
Fortunately, it can be treated. Iron overload is not a risk unless you receive a series of transfusions, usually over several years' time or after a total of approximately 20 transfusions, whichever comes first. People who are candidates for regular blood transfusion typically have pale skin and experience fatigue and shortness of breath. Sideroblastic anemia is a condition characterized by red blood cells that are incapable of utilizing iron for the production of hemoglobin, a blood protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues. People on transfusion therapy typically receive two units of blood every two to six weeks.