It's been three months since I stopped zidovudine but my anemia hasn't been resolved. I had another CBC last friday and my hemoglobin went down again to 63. Now I need another blood transfusion.
Why does my anemia persist despite having stopped zidovudine? Perhaps it's not zidovudine that caused my anemia? Could it have been co-trimoxazole? Or isoniazid? Or a combination of those meds?
It's frustrating me that the medicines that are supposed to keep me healthy are keeping sick. I'm treated for HIV and I get anemia in return. If I stop my prophylactic meds, I risk getting TB or pneumonia. Take one away and get something else. This is crap.
My only hope right now is to wait for my next CD4 test and hope that my CD4 count shoots up to a level where my body can defend itself against infections without prophylaxis. Until then, I need to continue with co-tri and INH.
Konting tiis pa.
ok lang yan... must be the other meds and not INH or Co-tri.
ReplyDeletewhat's your baseline hemoglobin?
baka naman you are really anemic to start with?
My baseline was 140. A month after I started taking meds id dropped to 130, and after another month it dropped to 84 ata.
ReplyDeleteI can't begin to think that it's my other meds kasi changing ARVs is not an option. Besides I don't think Nevirapine or Lamividune can cause anemia, whereas, INH and co-trimoxazole can.
Ano sa palagay mo?
yup, victor's right.. being on a no-meat diet makes you deficient on Vit B12 kaya nagiging anemic din.. it's a possibility..
Deletendi ka inorderan for a peripheral smear?
I had PBS and reticulocyte count last friday. Reticulocyte count pa lang nakukuha ko ang result, 0.001 ang result, 0.001-0.015 ang normal range. I'll get the result of PBS tomorrow.
DeleteBy the way, I'm not vegetarian. Hehehe.
It could be nutritional. maybe you're missing out on vitB12, and or iron especially i you've been on vegetarian diet for a couple of years now without any supplements.
ReplyDeleteI used to take ferrous sulfate and other supplements (i take usana essentials and proflavanol-c). But the doctors asked me to stop all supplements because it didn't seem like it's iron-deficiency anemia. The only supplement they allow me to take is VitB complex.
DeleteI'm not sure if I made it clear in my blog that I'm taking 8000 i.u. erythropoietin shots thrice a week. That didn't help either.
where is your treatment hub?
ReplyDeleteRITM
Deletegood blog :) here's a website about anemia if further info is needed http://www.whatisanemia.info
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, I'll check it out. My doctors already have a term for my condition: autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
Deletehow much is the erythropoitein shot? is it in RITM?
ReplyDeleteIt costs around 850 in RITM, the brand is Epox (4000iu). I also tried getting it in NKTI, and it costs around 700, the brand is Eposino (4000iu).
ReplyDelete