Sorry, same HGB questions.

I know there are threads on this all the time, but just to save "searching", what is the HGB level that is getting critical?  As I posted on my ALT report Hgb still dropping; in 9 weeks from 11.8 to 10.8, so watching closely.  Not a fast drop off and I'm doing weekly CBC day before the shots and have 5 to go.  If below 10, get rescue drugs?, or can I watch carefully for a few more weeks? Nervouse about the Procrit black box warnings.

http://www.procrit.com/

G

[ladybug52]

I think it depends on your dr and your pretx hgb. I started at 14.7 then dropped to 11.3 then 10.1 in first month. My PA didn't quibble about the .1 but I have heard of dr's that do. My PA was considering my pretx hgb when she made her decision, luckily I had that drawn by my PCP and gave her a copy. BTW, mine went up ater 4 weeks and I was afraid to take it due to black box warnings. When I pointed this out to my PA she said "go by your symptoms, (I was short of breath and felt like it was much lower) the normal range for females is up to 15, just space your shots farther apart. I hadn't been doing any shots, and I could tell the difference. I did the procrit that day and of course felt better in 10-12 days.
BUG

[painterlady13]

procrit takes several weeks tokick in that is why they start it at 10.  My doc said that if hgb actually got to 7 then he would have to consider pulling me from TX.  it never did.  But I went on procrit and have been on it, weekly shots since last september.  no side effects from it.  or at least none I have seen.  

[traveler65]

You can take a look at the thread I started on the other side.
My doc waited to long to put me on procrit. I was down to 9.2 before he prescribed it and then it took 5 days more before I got my first shot. After 4 shots (2@40000 & 2@60000) over 4 weeks I am at 8.5. I got another 60000 yesterday and hope that helps.
You should start yelling for the procrit before you get down to 10 if you start with a hgb of 14 or 15.
Good luck

[pigeonca]

My doctor put me on Procrit at 11.5.  I'd dropped from 15.6 in 4 weeks - that's a point a week.  Doc said that usually they start people as soon as their hgb hits 10.9, but symptoms matter more, especially when there's a precipitious drop.  I'm very glad I started as soon as I did, because it took another month to kick in.

[headshop]

My dr didn't want to but finally at 9.1 after several weeks of not sleeping, short of breath, irritability and chest pains. She prescribed it and funny it didn't take a month to get approved like she said. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Just took mine last night.

[headshop]

I don't get it with my hep team, My normal was 15.5, I went more than a point to 9.1 in less than 4 weeks, no wonder I was flipping.
I see get a cbc this Thursday because I started Procrit last Friday. The NP said my hemoglobin had improved but stayed the same, wha?

I have read that such a sudden drop in hemoglobin causes the more severe sx, I guess my Dr. didn't read that.

[nygirl7]

As you can see the normal number is about 9.  But...the drop is just as important because your body will, in time, adjust to the lower number.  

As everybody knows cause i"ve said it 9000x, I dropped six points in just ten days. From 15+ to 9 during week 3 (i was double dosing riba and it was just too much for me). I kept fainting dead away because there was just no way for my body to compensate for the lack of oxygen.  I had NO Idea it hurt inside your head to faint like that!

However when my hemo DID go up thanks to the procrit.....living at 10.5 was fine.  Go figure - but that is a very common thing to hear.  You'll be surprised when that happens.  But it will so you just gotta hang on until then. Keep monitoring for now and perhaps make sure your insurance company is already on board and willing to pay for it if/when you do get down to 9.  Find out what their policy is.

Do you know for sure your doc will prescribe?

The black box warnings - if you worried about everything on treatment you'd NEVER do it.  The doc will watch you closely and won't over prescribe it for sure.  It costs about $6,000 for a box of only ten so they really don't give you too much (epogen) - your shouldn't raise all that fast. It only happened to me when I started double dosing it twice a week to try and keep up with the riba. Then I had to back down to every 5 days.

----------------------------------------------------------

My hemo now after almost two years post tx is only 12.6 or something.  Now that I know I'm SVR I gotta start taking iron because I swear sometimes.......I feel just the way I did back then.

That just made me curious as to wonder what other peoples hemo's are up to post tx?

[zazza]

My hgb is back to 15 now post tx.