HI ALL, MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN ON HEMODIALYSIS ABOUT 2 YEARS.HE FEELS WEAK MOST ALL TIME.WE HAVE MOST READINGS IN GOOD RANGE. A NURSE SAID TO MY HUSBAND THE OTHER NIGHT THAT HE TAKES MORE EPO THAN ANYONE ELSE. POWER OF SUGGESTION GETS MY SPOUSE. NOW HE WONDERS IF THE HIGH AMT OF EPO IS WHY HE'S WEAK. HE GETS 15,400 UNITS EACH TREATMENT 3 TIMES WEEKLY. HIS HEMOGLOBIN IS 10.6. HE ASKED HIS DOCTOR AND HE SAID HE NEEDS THIS AMOUNT AND WOULD FEEL WORSE W/O IT. DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A LARGE AMOUNT AMONG YOU? YOUR RESPONSES OR SUGGESTIONS WILL BE APPRECIATED.
<Michael Williams>
Posted
Hi JLC:
More than 15,000 units three times a week does sound a bit high, but I've hit near those levels a couple of times while on dialysis.
EPO, as you are aware, builds up red blood cells and so increases the hemoglobin count. That should give the person more energy.
I have read that large doses of EPO is one of the more common illegal drugs used by professional athletes to improve perfomance.
It is my understanding that in order for epogen to work properly you must have enough iron. Is you husband getting IV iron or any iron supplements? Just increasing the dosage of epogen is not enough. I get 3,000 units 3 times a week at treatment and I get IV iron once a week. My hemoglobin is around 12 and my hematocrit is usually between 32 and 36.
Posts: 1 | Location: Rockford, IL, USA | Registered: 01 October 2000
Make sure you are getting some form of iron. Ask what your Ferriten and percent saturation are. Your percent sat. should be at least 30, your iron less than 800. If those numbers are extremely low, you need iron. IV iron comes in the forms of Infed or Ferrlicit. Both are given in dialysis. Unless you are allergic to iron you need one of these medications. They are given every treatment if the levels are low.
<kc>
Posted
In addition to Iron, you must have an abundance of protein in your system, preferable red meat. Red meat has higher levels of iron in it. With that high of EPOGEN his hematocrit must be low this will make you feel tired. Also if they have his dry weight to low he will feel very tired coming off dialysis.
