treatment for anemia....

[tyefly]

Hello to all....  I have tried to research treatment for anemia for people who are not on dialysis yet....  I have had low RBC and Hemoglobin for several  months now and this last blood test was the lowest and I am feeling really tired..... like I want to sleep all the time.... I am not liking life ... I am tired of being tired... I did talk to my doctor about this trend last month but she said that I should not feel the way I do... my hemoglobin now is 10.1 and my RBC is 3.07.... I know that there are others that have had numbers much lower... but I am thinking that I could feel much better...... with treatment....  but I dont know what kind of treatment...   I know that dialysis patients take EPO shots,  and I am not sure if that is something that pre -dialysis people can do....or are there other treatments.  I am taking vit b12 shots ( from my primary doctor as I have some numbness in my feet now )    and I just stopped my vit d ( 50000IU) a few weeks ago.    Have any of you pre dialysis people been treated for anemia..... if so  let me know what treatment you did....... I am going to be talking to my doctor about the anemia and feel that I need to have a good argument for treatment.....  I feel that we to have to continue to try all sorts of things to get the treatments needed and try to keep us  healthy too.....

[paul.karen]

besides Epo there is also aransap (sp).
My neph sent me to get shots of this but once i got to the hospital they took a blood sample.  My insurance will only allow me to get these shots once my hemoglobin goes UNDER 10.  I was at like 10.2 or 10.3.  I quess every person is the exact same this is how they came up with this guideline.  SARCASIM there.
So they refused to treat me until i got even sicker then i was.  Sad as it is this is how my insurance works.  My last bloodwork my hemoglobin went up to 10.7 or so.  I still feel sick and tired but cant be helped for enema.

Good luck maybe your insurance is different or you can pay hundreds per shot on your own i quess.

[peleroja]

Are you at least taking iron pills?  That might help a little.  IV iron will also help.  I don't know why Epo is so expensive since they use it for both renal patients and cancer patients, but I think Epo is your best shot at raising your hemoglobin.

[pklipe57]

Before I started dialysis I got procrit as a prescription and gave the injection to myself every other week when my hemoglobin was down.  When my iron was down I received IV infusions.  Both made me feel a lot better.

[jbeany]

I was on procrit or aranesp for a decade before I actually started dialysis.  Have them check your iron levels, too.  I find that regardless of how high my hemoglobin is, I have very little energy when my iron levels are low.  I did IV iron long before dialysis, as well, since I couldn't stomach anything in pill form.  I know you are tired - but find the energy to push your docs for a solution - you deserve to feel better!

[Zach]

In addition to what everyone else has said, make sure to take Folic Acid.

[tyefly]

I will talk to me doctor about the EPO and see if that is something that may help me... For now I did do more research on folic acid  and   looks like vit C along with folic acid would be a plus... I have reviewed my blood work   looking at ferrous and other iron relatied  blood test and I am at the lower ends of the norm....  I already take vit b12 shots  so The folic acid  and vit c should be a benifit.....  I dont think it will hurt.....  Seems like most of the dosages are 400 iu for folic acid.....  Does anyone take a different dose ?    I am hoping to gain more energy and feel my best untill I have to start dialysis.... I am currently at GFR 15.....