Haemoglobin

[Ken Shelmerdine]

I was told by the Doctor some weeks ago that my Haemoglobin is too high [14.8] for someone with a fistula. He said it should be about 12.5 and at the current level it could cause my fistula to clot. To reduce it they dumped the blood in the venous line that is left when dialysis finishes for about three sessions instead of returning it to my fistula.
They have not done it since and nothing has been mentioned but I saw my blood results on monday and it has only come down to 14.1.

Here's me thinking all along how very very lucky I am not needing rnesp and now they tell me I've got too much Haemog'n! I can't win can I?


What would be the treatment for this apart from draining a pint of blood off every so often?
Has anyone else been in this situation?

Sorry just realise this thread is under the wrong topic. Can a moderater it to general discussion please
Thanks


Moved topic from "Introduction" to Dialysis General Discussion - Rerun, Moderator

[billybags]

Sorry Ken, but I am in a wicked mood this morning. "Would a blood sucking bat help." Told you I was in a wicked mood. I would ask about this next time you go to the unit, surely they could enlighten you. Most people have low hemoglobin. What are you eating to get it up? A another thought, are you unwittingly becoming a blood doner and don't know it..

[Ken Shelmerdine]

 
Billybags good idea can you equipe it with  a satnav and point it towards Stockport Cheshire. Maybe if I was a regular blood donor I wouldn't have this problem. Anyway they won't have me because I'm on BP tablets.

[sullidog]

Mine was at your level at one time, then I had a surgery and that got it down to where it shoud be.

[okarol]

Found on the internet (medhelp.org):

Primary Polycythemia (also called Polycythemia Vera)
The cause for the increased red blood cell production here is an overproduction of red blood cells by the bone marrow. This is a chronic, progressive disease most common in middle-aged men. Here you have an increased number of red blood cells, and overgrowth of these blood cells in the bone marrow and commonly an enlarged spleen.
Symptoms include:
- Headache
- Difficulty concentrating
- Pain in the fingers and toes
There is a danger of the formation of blood clots or hemorrhage.
The treatment for polycythemia vera is periodic removal of some blood (phlebotomy) and radiation and/or chemotherapy with anti-metabolyte drugs such as Cytoxan.

Secondary Polycythemia (also known as erythrocytosis)
Here the cause for the increased red blood cells is the body's response for a perceived need for increased red blood cells. Prolonged lack of oxygen at high altitudes, chronic lung problems such as emphysema or cardiac insufficiency or other heart disease are conditions which commonly cause secondary polycythemia. Here, the treatment is directed towards the underlying medical cause for the increased red blood cell production.
You should be asking questions such as 1) what type of polycythemia is this (primary or secondary)? 2) If there is an underlying medical cause for the polycythemia, what is it? and what can be done to treat it? 3) What is the plan to treat this condition? and will this include phlebotomy?

[tyefly]

now that  I have changed clinics because of nxstage stuff..... I had to beg to get epo and now my hemoglobin is down to 10.1.... and my red blood cellls are down to 2.53.....  Since I have been doing dilaysis my RBC had been slowly going down.....   how can I get my RBC up.....     I am going to run out of Red Blood cell  ......

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Thanks Karol for the info. Sounds a bit scary but if it may be the cause of it I will have to ask the questions with my neph.

Sullidog what was the surgery you had for this?

Thanks for all replies.

[KICKSTART]

Come on admit it Ken ..you've been knocking back the guinness !!!

[Stoday]

Are you sure the boil on your bum hasn't exacerbated your hemogoblins? 

[Zach]

What would be the treatment for this apart from draining a pint of blood off every so often?
Has anyone else been in this situation?

I have had high hemoglobin in the past, and "dumping" the bloodlines and dialysis filter full of blood is the standard operating procedure.

Also known as a Phlebotomy ... not to be confused with a Lobotomy.

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Are you sure the boil on your bum hasn't exacerbated your hemogoblins? 

ut

My haemoglobin has always been around that level but the boil on my bum (why am I even writing this!?) has only arrived recently.
Kickstart I hate Guinness I have an alcohol problem in reverse since starting dialysis. I can only tolerate small amounts before it starts making me feel nauseous. I don't want to get rat arsed but I can't even get tiddly anymore. Thats what I hate most about dialysis, 

[Sunny]

So, apparantly we can have problems with too much hemoglobin as well as too little hemoglobin.
It is a fine line we tread. Does this mean you have lots of energy Ken?
Tyefly, if your hemoglobin level is 10.1 you should be getting EPO shots to build red blood cells. Medicare pays once you are below 11.0.
I just ran into this issue last month. Bring it up with your doctor.

[sullidog]

Ken it was from my fistula surgery, I lost some blood which brought my hg where it should be ironically enough.
Troy

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Does this mean you have lots of energy Ken?
Luckily yes, though I'm on dialysis I've never had any symtoms that make me feel less than 100% except after I've had bloody dialysis!

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Does this mean you have lots of energy Ken?

Luckily yes, though I'm on dialysis I've never had any symtoms that make me feel less than 100% except after I've had bloody dialysis!

[Ken Shelmerdine]

My Neph said I have to have a CT Scan to see if the reason for my high Haemoglobin level is KIDNEY CANCER! WTF
I explained to her that I have always had a haemo level of between 14 and 15 surely if it was KC I'd have known about it by now! She couldn't give me a proper answer.

I keep telling myself its arse covering by the NHS but there's also the nagging thought that all this time I have been misdiagnosed and the lack of kidney function is maybe a slow growing tumor and not PKD. I have had many MRI scans and CT scans in the past and as recently as 2months ago I had an abdominal CT scan although this was to look at a cystic skin lesion I had in my groin and not kidney related but surely if I had a kidney tumor it would have shown in that scan wouldn't it?

Jesus my neph is really making me panic!

[sullidog]

If you don't trust her judgement, get a second oppinion.
Troy

[Stoday]

surely if I had a kidney tumor it would have shown in that scan wouldn't it?

Did it show up the boil on your bum? 

Sorry, I can't help myself

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Stoday my last MRI scan was  lower abdominal to look at the boil on my bum so if there was anything cancerous in my kidneys surely that would have shown as It was a full loweabdominal scan