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Anybody else experience this?

This topic has 3 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 19 years, 1 month ago by Suzanne.

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March 10, 2005 at 6:34 pm #4681

KP2112
Member

My Dad was disgnosed with RA about a year and a half ago. His Doctors tried Epogen for 3 months and determined it was not working. Recently, his hbg count fell to 4.7 and he received many units in the hospital. They were wondering why he had lost so much blood. The checked for internal bleeding but that was not the case. They then thought it might be autoimmune so they prescribed prednisone. Being on that, my Dad was doing everyday things. However, his blood sugar levels became very high and the Dr. took him off of it.

My problem is the Dr. do not know why his counts are dropping so quickly. I suggested to the Dr. that perhaps it is autoimmune and that prednisone in a smaller dose might be effective and maintain a normal blood sugar level?

What other cause for such a drop can there be? The Dr.s do not know?

Kind Regards,
Karen

March 10, 2005 at 6:42 pm #4682

Neil
Member

Hi Karen,
When was his last BMB?
Whenever my counts change by a significant amount my hemo sets up another BMB to determine if there are changes in the marrow that would account dor the drop.
Did they check his iron levels? Epogen needs iron to function.
Have they considered Aranesp? Might be a long shot, but there are a few who did not respond to Procrit/Epogen but did respond to Aranesp. Could be worth a try. Revemid and Arsenic Trioxide are other possibilities.

March 10, 2005 at 6:52 pm #4683

KP2112
Member

Hi Neil,

Actually he went yesturday to the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. He got a BMB, lung x-ray and blood tests.

His iron levels are very high. 1500-1600. The dr. kept on telling me he has not had enough transfussions for it to be high. That is one of the reasons I went to see another dr. Is this type of stored iron useable with epogen? Or does the iron have to be ‘fresh’?

Is it possible the RA has transformed to one with blasts? I thought about this but some indication would probably show up in all the blood tests they preform?

I was thinking it could maybe be bone marrow failure but his other counts are just a lower than normal, it is just his hbg.

Thank you
Kind Regards,
Karen P.

March 10, 2005 at 6:57 pm #4684

Suzanne
Member

They did not find blast in my blood when I progressed to AML and it was 75% in the marrow. I don’t know of any way they can be sure what is going on without a BMB.
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