I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: PrimeTimer on August 08, 2018, 10:57:31 PM
-
Say you were severely anemic a few months but then finally your Hemoglobin rose and with it, your body was able to produce 6 pints of new blood. 6 pints measures out to being roughly the same as a total of 6 pounds. Is that counted as dry weight? I mean, if it reflects on a scale that you've gained 6 pounds could it be possible that the weight gain is from the new blood your body produced? :wine; Curious...
self-corrected the math
-
I doubt it. My understanding is that anemia is more a reflection of fewer red blood cells in the plasma NOT that there is less plasma. So you just have "waterier" blood, not less blood. So your weight wouldn't be affected.
-
It isn't such a direct weight change. Increasing the percentage of red blood cells 'could' make a very small change in total body weight, however, as K&S pointed out the overall change in total blood volume would still be quite small and difficult to see on a scale.
It is VERY easy for most of us to gain fluid volume. Hidden salts in our diet can make a huge weight gain in a very short time. This is exactly why I cannot take the Wife out for Chinese any longer. Even though I don't taste it, MSG in most all of the dishes causes me to hold water, driving my weight up than the clinic wants to take it off. No more Chinese, no Ham, Hot Dogs, processed luncheon meats. I really miss lots of Bacon.
Sp mod Cas
-
It does not work like you have 6 pints of anemic blood, then produce six pints with a higher haemoglobin so you now have 12 pints. That is why it will be only a small change, if any, in the weight you have based on blood.
Sp mod Cas
-
Thanks for the replies. I didn't think blood was counted towards dry weight but since it is a constant that is inside our bodies I did wonder about it.