I am confused

[dhgblow]

I am 49, pre menopausal and candidate for hysterectomy surgery. With that said my ob gyn has told me hgb is 8.6 since last labs which were slightly higher. She is giving me 3 weeks to get blood up to 11 with 65mg of feosol 2x daily and told me to eat plenty of iron rich veggies and liver? Cannot do surgery until my hgb levels are up. I have been anemic since i was a teenager. Should I be seeing a hematologist? And what is procrit?

[Idyllic]

Do you or did you have Hepatitis C? I am guessing if your doctor prescribed an iron supplement because  she  suspects the cause of your reduced Hgb levels may be due to Iron Deficiency Anemia rather than  other types of Anemia (i.e., Hemolytic Anemia) in which Procrit is often prescribed.

Since your doctor is familiar with your medical history it seems she believes a  diet rich in foods rich in Folate, B12 & B6 will resolve the type of Anemia you have.  In short, (thankfully) you probably do not have the type of Anemia that would benefit from using Procrit.


Here is a chart that shows the different types of Anemia and the suggested  cause and treatment for each:
http://adam.about.net/reports/Anemia.htm

[hrsepwrguy]

This is a hep c based forum but I will try to answer your questions the best I can.

Should I be seeing a hematologist? Has your doctor refered you to one, I would follow my docs suggestion on this matter.

And what is procrit? .

INDICATIONS AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
INDICATIONS
Anemia Due to Chronic Kidney Disease:
PROCRIT® is indicated for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD), including patients on dialysis and not on dialysis to decrease the need for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion.
Anemia Due to Zidovudine in HIV-infected Patients
PROCRIT® is indicated for the treatment of anemia due to zidovudine administered at ≤ 4200 mg/week in HIV-infected patients with endogenous serum erythropoietin levels of ≤ 500 mUnits/mL.
Anemia Due to Chemotherapy in Patients With Cancer
PROCRIT® is indicated for the treatment of anemia in patients with non-myeloid malignancies where anemia is due to the effect of concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy, and upon initiation, there is a minimum of two additional months of planned chemotherapy.
Reduction of Allogeneic Red Blood Cell Transfusions in Patients Undergoing Elective, Noncardiac, Nonvascular Surgery
PROCRIT® is indicated to reduce the need for allogeneic RBC transfusions among patients with perioperative hemoglobin > 10 to ≤ 13 g/dL who are at high risk for perioperative blood loss from elective, noncardiac, nonvascular surgery. PROCRIT® is not indicated for patients who are willing to donate autologous blood preoperatively.

PROCRIT® has not been shown to improve quality of life, fatigue, or patient well-being.

PROCRIT® is not indicated for use:

•In patients with cancer receiving hormonal agents, biologic products, or radiotherapy, unless also receiving concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy.
•In patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy when the anticipated outcome is cure.
•In patients scheduled for surgery who are willing to donate autologous blood.
•In patients undergoing cardiac or vascular surgery.
•As a substitute for RBC transfusions in patients who require immediate correction of anemia.

You may get better answers in the blood disorder forum just follow the link

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Blood-Disorders/show/930