High Haemoglobin

[Isabella13]

For the second month my Haemoglobin has gone up. Last month it was 14.1 this month it's 14.4.
Do somebody know why it's going up and what actually is the reason why it's going up.
I was told it should be between 11 and 12 for kidney failure patients. I also know that your AV-graft can clot
I'm really worried!
Can somebody help

[ToddB0130]

Sorry.  I'm not familiar with the hemoglobin being too high (or if that's a problem).  Can you call your doctor to ask ?  If not,  do it first thing Monday to put your mind at rest.  Perhaps if you're taking iron supplements,  they might tell you to stop for awhile,  but only do that if you're instructed to by a doctor.  Good Luck.

[Bill Peckham]

A naturally high hemoglobin - a high hemoglobin without the use of EPO - is not a problem unless it keeps climbing, 14.4 is pretty high for a woman, 15 is getting high for a guy. Your doc may decide to waste a blood circuit, in other words not rinse you back, if you are using hemodialysis, I'm not sure what they do for those using PD.

I've had a high hemoglobin off and on since 2001, the last time I used EPO was 2007. Right now I'm not using EPO and I think my last Hgb was 13.5, it was in the 14s earlier in the year. There are a number of possibilities as to why this is happening.

In someone who is healthy the kidneys produce EPO which signals the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. The red blood cells live about 100 to 120 days. With CKD you can become anemic for two reasons - it maybe that the kidneys have stopped producing enough EPO or it could be the amount of natural EPO is the same but that the red blood cells aren't living as long or, most likely, a combination of both. When my HGb got high it was a curiosity at first but as it went beyond 15 (I think reaching 16) it became something to better understand.

In 2009 they found a mass on my left kidney, I had the kidney/tumor removed in July. It was a renal carcinoma but it was in a very early stage and there was no evidence that it had spread. The thinking was that after the kidney was removed my Hgb would go down because we were thinking that the tumor was pumping out EPO. But after initially dropping into the 12s it has now come up again. So the Hgb question is unanswered but in the process of looking for answers they found and removed a very early cancer.

I am now thinking that I could have been dehydrated in early 2009 and that might be why my Hgb spike up. Being dehydrated pre dialysis (when Hgb is drawn) can make the number look higher than it would be if you were properly hydrated. It was feeling lousy, with a high Hgb that caused me to look deeper but being dehydrated can make you feel both feel lousy and raise your Hgb reading. How are you feeling? In general, if your Hgb is high for good reasons then you should feel pretty good.

[fearless]

the studies that said that people on dialysis should be allowed to have hemoglobins as low as 10 are bogus.  A better hemoglobin (up to 12 on EPO) will improve your quality of life and allow you to do activities that will actually improve your cardiovascular health.  If you are not receiving EPO, and your hemogl is still above 12, count your blessings.  Because once your body stops making it, the government won't want to pay to allow you climb one flight of stairs without huffing and puffing.  Like many other areas of CKD: you're just too expensive!

[sullidog]

Is your epo on hold?

[Isabella13]

Yes the EPO is with held for now. I,m going to see the Nephrologist tomorrow. Thank you for everybody's response.