EPO

[Foxy52]

I was started on twice weekly subcutaneous injections of erythropoietin for severe anaemia last week. While it seems very effective, it's also extremely expensive. Has anyone on here had any experience with EPO, such as any expected side-effects, duration of treatment, and where to buy it in Chiang Mai (other than the Ram whose charges are a bit ambitious)? Many thanks

[Sheryl]

Moved to Health Forum.

 

This is a category "S" drug so can only be gotten on prescription, which in Thailand usually means at a hospital though you can try seeing if, with a doctor's note. Fascino's would sell it to you. There are a variety of brands here of varying cost.

 

The least expensive source of this will be a government hospital. Will cost less even than at a pharmacy (if one will sell to you) as the government has negotiated a mass price discount. However, government hospitals are sometimes  in short supply of the government-issued stock, in which case they may  buy at retail price fro ma pharmacy and charge accordingly.

 

I suggest you go to Fascino's with a doctor's note and ask if they have it and if so, the price. Be sure to specify least expensive brand.

 

The duration of treatment depends entirely on the underlying cause of the anemia it is correcting. It can be lifelong if the cause is an incurable chronic condition like chronic renal failure.

 

If the cause is temporary (e.g. side effect of chemotherapy) then treatment is usually short-lived, but has to be individually tailored based on blood test results.

 

If the cause of your anemia is unknown, this needs to be ascertained on an urgent basis.

 

 

 

 

[Foxy52]

Thanks Sheryl, the anaemia's due to chronic kidney disease, which was caused by prolonged chemotherapy with an old platinum-based regimen in 1989/90.  I don't have renal failure and, after just two injections, the improvement has been dramatic, to the extent I no longer need a wheelchair if I need to walk more than about 10 yards or so.

[Sheryl]

With chronic kidney disease, you may need the injections, on and off, for the rest of your life.

But the frequency will always be based on blood test results. There isn't a fixed schedule.

It should not have happenwd that yoyr anemia progressed to that degree of severity. Epo should have been started well before that point.

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