Questioning Dr's judgement...

[medicmommy]

So, with my HGB at 9.4 and my HCT at 28, shouldn't this put me in the Procrit catagory? Or do the docs go by how symptomatic you are? I'm at week 12 of txing, and my Dr keeps telling me I'm "stable" and not a candidate currently for it...Yes, my labs slowed their drops at 8 weeks, only dropping .2-.5 per week...I'm weak and wobbly and yearning for my life back! (A typical txing whining, huh?...) Maybe I can talk him out of an oxygen tank... :)  Anybody else experience this?  ~Melinda

[medicmommy]

Thanks for your input! Yah, walk up stairs? AS IF! LOL...When I feel the "leadened limbed" and the spots start, I sit...doesn't matter where...I get the horrible feeling that, if I don't, the floor will be the next stop...and the Paramedics here know me from work...They'd gleefully cut my clothes off and stick large needles in me! (Some friends, huh?) Needless to say, I'm NOT going there if I can help it!

Manny, I hope you never need to know what Procrit is...When you get to the point of being so anemic and feeling so crummy you'd roll an old lady for her oxygen tank, You think of it a a point of hope...May your labs never get that bad...   ~Melinda

[MannyC]

I'm in my 13th week of TX and I have no idea of what Procrit even is...I hope you get it If that will make what your going through easier.

[charm27]

My doc said if it goes just under 10 and I have palpitations,feel weak, and have trouble breathing I  would go o rescue. Ive been between 10.5 and 11.5 so far.
Averaging 10.6.

No rescue drugs yet...But if I were you I would insist.. thats low.
Feel better.

[charm27]

Amazing.....but true.

If you have a sense of humor can be funny for about a minute as well. :}

[fuzzy1dar]

I agree with all above....you should insist on the Procrit since you're experiencing a gradual drop in HGB...9.4 is low.  The Riba warnings say to stop tx if hgb gets below 8.6 and since it takes a few wks for the procrit to work I think you should be starting it now.  I know how hard it is to function with such a low count!  Hopefully your doc will agree!

good luck.....

[FlGuy]

We, on this forum, have taken the practice of second-guessing medical advice to a highly developed art form.  In this case, the previous comments are correct.  I think that you previously wrote that you have a family and are now worn down from the rigors of tx, bascially induced by the doc.  It's a strange set of circumstances when a highly-trained world-class athlete can use EPO to run from point A to point B (a distance of 50 meters) and a functioning human needs to take a rest in a 20 foot trip to take a pee. They don't call them rescue drugs for nothin'.  Hopefully the doc can see the light and get a grasp on how important it is for you to reach the finish line of treatment and live to talk about it.

[jdwithhcv]

I had reservations about Procrit because of the blood clots warning.  My doctor explained that she would monitor my cbc carefully and if my hgb went to or above 14 we would stop the Procrit.  Thats the danger zone for clots.  

Hgb of 14, HAHAHA!!!  No risk that I'll see 14 during this tx, after months of Procrit I'm hovering between 10.2 and 10.5.  

The clot issue is a valid concern but you are nowhere near the numbers that would be considered risky.  Call that doctor and insist!  (I would say jump up and down and insist but at 9.4 I'll bet you're not doing much jumping.)

[Deb_c430]

Is his concern (GI) about the procrit itself? My GI at one point did not want to give it to me, because of blood clots,   I showed him that this was mostly for cancer patients.

Black box.    

Deb

[Deb_c430]

So agrees with JD,  this is nothing to play with! ADVOCATE for yourself, Insist!  

I went through all that as well, could not breath,  fainted, headaches from  h*ll, Total weakness!  How are your RBCs?  Also your   sugars? have you had a metabolic panel?

One thing you will note, after procrit,   your levels maybe slow to come up,  but your body adjusts.  Your lungs  adjust to lower oxygen levels,  

I am with JD on this,  that is to low!

Deb

[jdwithhcv]

With hgb at 9.4 you should be on Procrit, I'm shocked that your doctor won't prescribe it.  Meanwhile, BE CAREFUL!!!  No driving, and don't climb stairs if you can avoid it.  You don't need to pass out and/or fall.    If you have any vision problems (glare, whiteout, blackout or anything) dial 911 immediately.  

I  had a bad episode of hypoxia that landed me in the hospital (admitted) when my hgb got to 8.9, almost into the transfusion universe.

You might want to call your doctor and insist - until you actually experinece hgb that low it must be hard to imagine how debilitating it is.

Oxygen tank, LOL, but it would be funnier if it weren't so close to the truth.