I have hemochromatosis and had my first phlebotomy yesterday. i was to get 300cc out. my blood was so thick it took 1.5hrs to get 200. why is my blood like that and the risks?

Iron overload: This disease, if advanced, causes increased red blood cells, increased iron, and "thick blood". You may not be well hydrated. Are you on an aspirin? You need to see a hematologist or a GI doctor who deals with this illness & have a good treatment area with experienced phlebotomists . Drink lots of water the day of and be patient. You may have to go every 1-2 weeks for a while & follow closely.

Increased viscosity: Hemochromatosis is due to abnormal iron absorption. Iron accumulates in a variety of organs. In many cases, the proteins that bind iron are increased as well and these include various proteins in the blood. As a consequence, your blood may have an increased protein load that increases its viscosity (thickness) and hence slows down the phlebotomy.

You probably have a: Fairly high hemoglobin, and phlebotomy requires a fairly large bore iv, just like regular blood donation. Make sure the clinic/hospital is comfortable with the procedure.

Hope it's going well: I doubt your blood is really extra-viscous. Hemochromatosis doens't usually do this -- it won't raise the hemoglobin / hematocrit above normal, and the big plasma proteins like igm and fibrin usually aren't way up. I suspect the problem was with the needle site -- you need a big-bore needle as at the blood donor center, and a team that's really good at it. Hope it goes better next time.