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Epoetin injections?

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Posted 7/7/2013 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
A month ago, my GI prescribed Epoetin injections as my anemia is persistent. These are subcutaneous injections that aim at elevating the number of red blood cells. I only took 2 injections with an interval of 5 days. I became perfectly well then. Now, I have shortness of breath and dizziness all the time. Should I have a cbc test and ask for these again? Has anybody tried these injections before?
Any replies are highly appreciated.
Posted 7/8/2013 1:16 AM (GMT 0)

I was immediately interested in this, as my Daughter has anemia and can't seem to tolerate iron supplements of any kind, too constipating.

I did a quick search, and it seems that there certainly are some side effects, (as with every drug), associated with this. I would suggest you do some research, and maybe meet with you Dr. about it.

Posted 7/8/2013 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
I already had 2 before. I think he def outweighed any risk, hopefully.
Posted 7/8/2013 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
73monte, I take "ultimate iron" by Enzymatic Therapy company. I was anemic (cbc @ 8 around Christmas time) and could not tolerate any iron either, due to constipation issues. A lady at church suggested this natural iron supplement at our local health food store. It worked for her, and it worked for me...I was back up to cbc count of 12 in a few months. I have no constipation side-effects, or any other side effects with this natural iron. Not sure if they make a kid's dose, but maybe she is old enough to be okay with the dosage. I thought it was worth mentioning.

minnietoty, sorry, I haven't ever been on the injections that you are taking. Hope you are able to get ahold of your doctor!
Posted 7/8/2013 11:42 PM (GMT 0)
73monte and psalm18:30, thank you very much. I can appreciate your concern. I browsed the net and found a lot of sites warning against the use of this injection. This is the case with cancer patients and people who suffer from heart and lung problems as there might be a risk of blood clots. I assume my GI knows my physical condition and can evaluate what work best for me. Hope my trusting him is correct. I had similar concerns as yours when I started Imuran but it was mentioned that the small dose, we Crohnies take, does not threaten our lives. I'm not selling this med but I'm trying to rationalize why my GI prescribed it from the first place. My hemoglobin was not that low (11) but the other blood components these MCV, MCH, MCHC were going down rapidly especially after taking Imuran. A 3 week interval between the first CBC and the second one showed this rapid decline. However, the RBCs, Platelet counts were within the normal limits except for the WBCs which were high as usual.
Posted 7/9/2013 9:55 AM (GMT 0)
Is this the same injectable that was known by the brand name Procrit or at other doses Epogen? I used it about 17 years ago when I was a kid & my mother used it about 12 years ago when on Chemo (i did her injections). If we're talking about the same medication (and it sounds like we are, I'd be happy to share all the info I remember (and I can ask my mom if she remembers anything more.)

Get back to me & I'll look through my records.

I got a CBC every 2 weeks during the time frame I used it.
A tip my mom's chemo RN gave me was if you take it out of the fridge a half hour before you inject it, the fluid stings a lot less while its being injected. (Having anything in our lives being a bit more comfortable or for that matter just a bit less uncomfortable can make an okay day out of a bad day, or dare we hope a good day of one that seemed only okay!)

Feel well & post back if you need any info.
-Nicole
Posted 7/9/2013 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
Nicole, thank you very much. I really appreciate it.
Does it entail any risk? Since you and your mum have taken it for a long time, how far did your red blood cells got improved?
Wishing you and your mum good health.
Posted 7/9/2013 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
So I'll start with all the major points I recall off the top of my head & see where that gets us. If you need more info after that I'd be happy to spend a little time searching my very old records &/or doing some research.

After I posted last, I did verify that it is the same medication, so that simplifies that! Also as a matter of note my grandfather also used this medicine when he had low counts from chemo, it helped all 3 of us & none of us had any significant side effects.

Effectiveness: My RBC counts & other related numbers (Hemoglobin & Hematocrit) did go up to normal within a few weeks on my prescribed dose, & kept bringing the numbers back up for the 8 months I used it. (The decision to discontinue use was mostly related to the temporary nature of the improvement - purely because without a diagnosis, they didn't know why my numbers kept going back down, so in that specific case it was masking potentially significant symptoms.)

For my mom her numbers improved enough so they could continue her chemo without overwhelming concern or transfusion (which was ideal). (She is cancer free for 13 years this month!! Thank you so much for the well wishes.)

The biggest concern they made me aware of at the time was over correction. The numbers getting to high can have some nasty effects. Also mentions of being wary of high blood pressure, migraine-like headaches, & the potential for clots. You should read the whole list of side effects & other warning from the drug company, just so you can make an educated choice. (Even with my family I only have 3 people worth of research.)

I'm not really certain if this has helped, I hope it gives you a little more; comfort, info, support, confidence in a decision... Something.

If you want to read up on your own Procrit.com or drugs.com/Procrit are both good, there is also webmd, but I haven't looked into that site extensively.

Wishing you SOOO much good luck with this & good health in general.
-Nicole
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