Has anyone had problems with their hemoglobin constantly dropping?

Question

My mother is 78 yrs old and a diabetic. For over 4 years she has been in and out of the hospital and getting blood transfusion due to her hemoglobin constantly dropping and it seems that the doctors have done all kinds of scopes (upper and lower gi's) etc.. to try and find out where the bleeding is coming from with no luck. At one time it actually dropped down to 7. She is currently taking a shot that cost around $2000 each time to try to keep her blood count up so that she will not have to get so many transfusion but that hasnt' been to successfull either. The doctors cannot find anything wrong with her and are at the point where they feel she needs to go to Mayo Clinic and also get a 2nd opinion. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before? Any information would be appreciated.

Answer 1

My mom is in her 40s and had the same problem last summer. They gave her so many blood transfusions and she had all kinds of tests with nothing being found. She got infusions that cost somthing like $2000 everyday for a week every month for a few months and it didn't seem to work either. Finally they found out that she has some kind of immunodefeciancy disease that effects her vitamin B-12. So every week she gets a B-12 shot and has had her levels around 12 for the last 9 months. (In the hospital her levels stayed at 6 for a long time and the doctor said he had never seen someone talking to him with that number.)

Maybe you could mention this to them and see if it works for you mom. I hope ya'll find something to help her.

Answer 2

Your mom sounds like she is in a real predicament. Has your mother had a bone marrow biopsy. There are so many possiblities for what is causing her drop in Hgb and Hct. She is probably getting Procrit shots to make her body make red blood cells. They are very expensive.
I see pts do this. Sometimes it is anemia of chronic disease. Sometimes the bone marrow is not efficient at making red blood cells and we call this myelodysplastic syndrome which occasionally turns into leukemia. The reason I asked if your mother has had a bone marrow biopsy is to find out if she has been checked for diseases in the marrow such as leukemia. Mayo clinic is excellent and I am sure they will be very thorough and check for blood problems.
Your blood counts can also be affected by your kidneys and since your mom has diabetes, this may be a potential problem. Diabetes affects kidney function.
Just know your mother is going to the best possible place to have this checked out. So much could be said about it, it cannot possibly fit into this space.

Answer 3

I am sory for your mother, and I know how would I desparatly try to save mine, but dont you thing 78 years is almost end of life.
And while I would also spend so many to save her, is she consious, why do you not ask her opinion about dead and dieing,
I hope you are religius, bring a priest or a pastor.
Get your family together and have a chat if possible before she is gone.
Say goodbuys.
Dying with familiy and dignity is as important as living.

Answer 4

I sympathise- I'm sorry to hear that. With all the blood transfusion. and all they could do is not working... I really have no more ideas. I wish her the best of luck. But remember, science only goes so far.

Answer 5

I am not a medical doctor. However, I suggest that you analyse your mother´s eating habits, the medicines that she is taking and the events or state of mind preceding the drop of the hemoglobin.Also, make sure that a good kidney specialist sees her.Good luck !