New to Us

[Mizar]

I'm going to sound like a Newbie, here, but this is New to Us. Since last Christmas, My Husband, was in the Hospital a total of 37 Days. He is doing well now, but after, He came Home the last time, for the last Six Weeks or So, I began to notice that He was extremely Tired. Not Dialysis, Tired, more then that. He would take 3 or 4 Hour Naps and then sit up for Thirty Minutes and then go lay on the Couch for Hours. I thought He was going into a deep Depression, anyhoo, He told me that at Dialysis, Yesterday, they told Him, His Iron Levels are very low and they are going to start, IV Iron Therapy on Him Next Week, in Dialysis. He has a Fistula, but also has a Cathater, in His Chest, from His last time in the Hospital. I assume, they will do the Iron Therapy, through the Cathater. My Question is, If You had had Iron IVs done, how long did it take before You began to feel better?  Why didn't the Clinic catch this sooner? I did.

[willowtreewren]

HI, Mizar!

At our clinic they check my husband's blood level every month. He just finished a round of Venifer IVs. For him it took about 30 minutes. He had to go in clinic for the IV since we do dialysis at home.

I'm sorry they missed this in your husband. Is he getting Epogen, too?

Aleta

[del]

Hubby take venifer once a month. He does it at home during his dialysis treatment.

[Mizar]

Ouch! I don't know anything about Epogen, nor does He. This Iron thing is something that was never mentioned before.
He was put in the Hospital, Two Days, after Christmas for Pneumonia and was there for 17 Days, they sent Him Home and Two Weeks later, He was put back in for a Secondary, Bacterial Infection in His Lungs, Twenty Days, that time. They said, it was not, MRSA, He has been on strong Antibiotics, Daily, for Five Months now. I hope this is not, affecting His Liver. If It's not one thing, it's another!  They do Monthly Blood Checks on Him at Dialysis.

[Rerun]

Monthly blood checks at dialysis does not mean they check his iron stores every month.  At my clinic they check iron stores about every six months so it is easy to miss.  They check hematocrit every month which checks red blood cells, which also indicate anemia. 

After being so sick for so long he will take a few months to get back some of his energy level.

After I get an IV iron dose I don't notice anything.

Epogen is a synethic protein or hormone that tells your bone marrow to produce red blood cells.

Hope he is feeling better soon.

[kellyt]

Hi Mizar.  I was never on dialysis, but about the beginning of 2008 my iron got low and my doctor put me on Epogen shots biweekly and I felt better almost immediately.  By the time the next shot rolled around I was ready for my next "hit" so to speak, but once I got the shot I felt better.  Before I started the shots I remember walking into a store with my husband and I was literally thinking in my head "right, left, right, left"  in order to just move my legs to walk!  My legs felts really heavy and I could barely hold my purse.

Good luck.  I hope the IV helps.  I'm sure it will.   

[RightSide]

Mizar,

One of the functions of the kidneys is to secrete a hormone called erythropoetin.  This hormone stimulates the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.  When the kidneys fail, the level of erythropoetin drops.  Then the bone marrow may not make enough red blood cells, even if iron stores are adequate.

That's my situation.  When I was first put on iron, my blood count didn't rise at all.  I needed to be put on both IV iron (Venofer) and IV Aronesp (synthetic erythropoetin).  And then my blood count rose to normal within maybe four months.

Epogen is an alternative to Aronesp.

[Mizar]

Thanks All for the Advice, but it's going nowhere now. The Dialysis Clinic told Him Today, that they could not give Him, Iron, until He is off the Antibiotics and the Pulmonary Doctor, He goes to, told Him, He could be on Antibiotics the rest of His Life. We are in a " Catch 22 " situation, here. I feel so Bad for Him. He has no Energy at all, just goes to Dialysis and lays on the Couch.