Theresa...this is what I was told...in some cases (not in all)
according to the manufacturer - the antibodies slowly recede which
may take up to a year. meanwhile you need to supply sufficient RBC's
with transfusions even if the bone marrow has not shut down with Pure
Red Cell Aplasia which SOMETIMES only happens. the antibodies do not
just appear over night, and there are two kinds of settings:
One is just antibodies and you stop. The other more frequent one is a
development to antibodies of the own erythropoietin that the kidneys
are still producing; in that case you stop epogen, but the antibody
system is continuing to attack its own red blood cell production by
neutralizing , setting out of action, all of its own epo-hormone as
it passes by to stimulate new red blood cell building. then in
addition to that the bone marrow may just quit, that is called PRCA
but that is more rare. So Aplasi and antibodies and anti
erythropoietin anti bodies are three different things.
Does that explain it a bit? Not sure- Thank you so much! Simone
--- In feline_lymphoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Tbug57" <tbug57@xxxx> wrote:
>
> 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
> > >
>
> _____
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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