Treatment for Myelodysplasia (Refractory Anaemia)
On Fri, 13 Aug 1999 17:32:52 +0100, "Victor A Hill"
Quote:
>My father has been diagnosed with myelodysplasia (refractory anaemia - RA).
>He is 75 and has no symptoms except for a low and falling haemoglobin count.
>He is now due for his second {*filter*} transfusion. (First time round he was
>down to 7.4). A course of Prendisolone (corticosteroid) has been judged
>ineffective. The specialists say that Epoetin (Erythropoetin) would not be
>appropriate for patients with dysfunctional bone marrow. They are
>considering cyclosporin - another immunosuppressant.
>Can anybody advise the latest thinking on medication as we believe that so
>far my father has only been given palliatives.
>Thanks in advance Victor
Erythopoetin is worth a try, even with the dysfunctional marrow.
Generally, it takes higher doses than in other situations. I also
have used Vitamin B-6 and testosterone tablets in an attempt to reduce
transfusional requirements. H2
