Can I take iron tabs during tx?

[Shehabi]

I have problem with my hemoglobin it is going down every week and my white blood cells as well, the Dr. said if they can't be stabilize we will have to stop the treatment which i don't think i want to do, the Dr. didn't mention anything about the risk of taking of taking iron during tx but i read somewhere and i don't really remember where that it is not ideal or something like that, my question is have anyone faced the same and what you did if yes? is it ok to take the iron tablets?
please advise
Thanks

[Bill1954]

My best guess (based on reading in here as well as perusing scholarly studies) is that roughly 30% of patients on HCV treatment will require some sort of intervention due to ribavirin.

Bill

[WriteItDown]

Does anyone have a sense of how common it is, during treatment,  to needeither Procrit or transfusions?

[alagirl]

I'd talk to your doctor.  Typically they upper limit of what they want you to use procrit to achieve is between 11 and 12.

[Marcia2202]

Oh, I understand.

You must half felt 3/4 dead when your hgb went down that far. It sounds dangerous. I cannot imagine having such a low count. Hope you're feeling better now.

[HCA]

Lots of people have queried the use of the word 'comfortable'.
I meant 'safe' , a level that doctor and patient could be comfortable with.
I didn't mean the feelgood factor of the patient.
In cases of haemolytic,ribavirin induced anemia my doctor and I believe others try to maintain the haemoglobin at around 10 during the course of treatment.
I suffer very badly from ribavirin induced anemia and procrit does not work for me so I know all about the physical discomfort.
As I mentioned in an earlier post I have been as low as 5.4 during current treatment so I have been in some pretty horrible territory.

[jdwithhcv]

With hgb at 12, I would ask about discontinuing the procrit.  My oncologist told me a few years back that the risk of clots begins to outweigh the benefits at about that point.