Simone,
Either your vet does not thoroughly understand how this works, or she is not
explaining it to you well. Please post this on the anemia list so that
Cindi can explain it better to you.
The antibody build up does not make the bone marrow attack its own cells.
It merely stops working, and the cat gradually becomes anemic again, going
back to the state they were in before they started Epogen/Procrit. If that
happens, and the cat is still doing well otherwise, they can try to give a
blood transfusion or two or three, and hope that the body will start
creating the necessary substance again on its own. Cindi?s own cat had five
blood transfusion while they were trying to control the cause of her anemia.
The blood transfusion were typed and cross-matched, and I believe that every
one of them lasted longer than a week. (A good blood transfusion usually
lasts a month, so I don?t know why your vet even suggested weekly
transfusions.)
My original regular vet also made it sound terrifying, and I regret to this
day that I didn?t understand it better and give it to my first cat, Cassie.
Her anemia was caused by kidney failure, and I know now that she could have
felt better for her last few weeks if I had understood the Epogen issues
better, and had not been made to fear it by the attitude of my vet. (She
had no experience with Epogen, and I believe she was frightened of using it.
I wish I had asked to take Cassie to the specialist, but she made ?end-stage
renal failure? sound so final, and she said all we could do was keep her
comfortable. After seeing how well Jean-Luc did with it, I don?t want to
see any cat go through the anemia that Cassie did unnecessarily.)
I believe that Erica is right, and that the only immediate reaction would be
if there is an allergic reaction right away. If that had happened with
Jean-Luc, I would have felt like we had done everything we could, but it
wasn?t meant to be. And if it didn?t happen, we bought him some more good
quality time. I know that there are always risks, but the fact is that a
cat will die of anemia if left untreated fairly quickly. If you have the
reaction, and the cat does not survive, you only caused the cat to be spared
those final days of lethargy and weakness. And if the cat does not have the
reaction, and survives, and the Epogen starts bringing up the HCT, you can
have your cat feeling good again. It may work for three or four months, and
then the cat may gradually get more anemic again. Or it may continue to
work, as it did in our case, for over two years. I don?t know how long it
could have worked if we had not had the lymphoma come out of remisson.
Again, post your concerns and your vets explanation on the anemia list so
that you can get the references and information from those who understand
Epogen better. They will give you quotes from Dr. Kathy James, who had done
a lot of the feline research on feline anemia and Epogen, and perhaps that
will reassure you.
Hugs and Prayers,
Theresa,
Missouri, USA
-----Original Message-----
From: feline_lymphoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:feline_lymphoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Simone
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 7:37 PM
To: feline_lymphoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [feline_lymphoma] Re: PLEASE help me make a decision re EPOGEN-
time sensitive!
* Erica, as I understand it- there are two types of bad reactions-
the
worst is the epogen makes the bone marrow attack its own cells which
means they need a transfusion every week because there is no way to
make their own cells- this happens apparently and sounds terrifying.
Simone--- In feline_lymphoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Érica Franco
<erifco@xxxx> wrote:
>
> Simone,
>
> Sorry, but I can't answer your question. All I know is what my vet
told me. Before started Epogen I asked her what would happen if
Dominique developed antibodies because of the drug. She told me that
it wouldn't happen anything. She told that when a cat develops
antibodies to Epogen the drug just stop working and the cat became
anemic again.
>
> I am not sure but I think Theresa wrote someting about it.
>
> Sorry but I don't understand why your cat would do a blood
transfusion every week. As far as I know it can be dangerous because
in some cats or after some blood transfusions some cats can have
reaction to a blood transfusion. Matilda had a little reaction after
her third blood transfusion, I think she would be in trouble if she
needed another one.
>
> Sorry if I can't help you, maybe someone else can explain it better.
>
> Érica S. Franco
> São Caetano do Sul - SP
> Brasil
>
> Visite: www.vegetarianismo.com.br
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Simone
> To: feline_lymphoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 8:05 PM
> Subject: [feline_lymphoma] Re: PLEASE help me make a decision re
EPOGEN- time sensitive!
>
>
> I am confused as to why then my vet told me that worse case scenerio
> barring sudden death for unknown reactions is the body cannot make its
> own blood cells and they have to be transfused every week??? Is she
> wrong? thank you! Simone--- In feline_lymphoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Érica
> Franco <erifco@xxxx> wrote:
> >
> > Simone,
> >
> > Dominique is receiving Epogen for more than two months without any
> problems. She also is on Leukeran but her anemia is because of the
> lymphoma (started before leukeran).
> >
> > I think Theresa already told it but the only thing will happen if
> your cat develops antibodies is that the Epogen will stop working, but
> the antibodies won't hurt him.
> >
> > I don't think that a weekly blood word would be necessary because of
> Epogen as soon as your cat is ok. Maybe at the begin to check if he is
> improving. Dominique has a blood work done each 15 days because
> Leukeran not because of Epogen.
> >
> > If I were you I would try it.
> >
> > Érica S. Franco
> > São Caetano do Sul - SP
> > Brasil
> >
_____
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