“My mother has been advised weekly injections to improve her hemoglobin levels. Will this be a lifelong thing?”
My mother is 70 years old and due to a kidney problem her hemoglobin levels are low. She has been advised weekly injections. Will it be a lifelong thing or will it get better with time?
4 Answers
Mounir Clinton Meslioui
General Practitioner
it is likely that it is a chronic renal insufficiency, by default of production of erythropoietin, Need for the production of red blood cells, try to maintain it has figures of 9-10g / dl, actually it is that the erythropoietin which stimulates the production GR, We are working on the extension of the life-time GR ... in the near future ... which patient.
You did not mention what injection. There are several reasons why a person with kidney disease has a low hemoglobin level. It can be that your mother's kidneys do not make enough erythropoietin, a hormone that is necessary to make hemoglobin. It stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells. People with chronic kidney problems also suffer sometimes of an iron, vitamin B12, and/or folate deficiencies. The erythropoietin, vitamin B12, and sometimes iron are given by regular injections. If your mother has a chronic non-reversible kidney disease, she would probably need regular injections for the rest of her life.
It depends on the kidney condition. If it is chronic, then the answer is probably yes. Ask your mother's nephrologist.
The problem with kidney failure is the production of erythropoietin hormone by the kidneys drop. This is a hormone which helps in the production of red blood cells. The injection is this. Depending on the condition of the kidney problem it could be a lifelong treatment.
