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Low blood count after Kidney Transplant
Transplants | Last Active: Aug 9, 2020 | Replies (9)Comment receiving replies
Hi @parojulie and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm tagging a few fellow kidney transplant members to share their experiences with you, like @rosemarya @stephanierp @jolinda @rrrowbal @gingerw @ca426 @lindajo @mollyv and others.
It sounds like you had some bleeding complications specific to you. Can you explain more what you mean about being opened up two times to wash the blood? If the blood loss was explained as a side effect of internal bleeding while in the hospital, then I, too, would want to understand what is going on now that you're at home. I encourage you to call your transplant team to let them know what is going on. Do you know what was the cause of your anemia pre-transplant?
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@colleenyoung thanks for responding
The anemia was explained as side effect of CKD that I was suffering during pre transplant. It was usually managed via iron infusions initially and later through Aranesp shots once a month. Due the poor kidney condition ( GFR below 10) kidneys failed to produce a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO). EPO prompts the bone marrow to make red blood cells.
Post Transplant ( 4th day) the 1st episode of internal bleeding was found via CT scan. I was operated to wash the blood out and look for any injured blood vessel. Two days after there was yet another bleeding episode found via second scan and excruciating pain I was experiencing. I was operated again to wash out blood. All these repeated surgeries made me lose blood which was compensated via blood transfusions.
I was under observation in the hospital after the second washout surgery for a week so the kidney function improved and blood count stabilized. Even though the kidney function was normalized , the HB count was unstable. It would stay at 10 or 9 a day after transfusion but drop to 7 later. There were follow up CT scan done with no evidence of Hematoma developing as before.
So I was released home after 2 units of blood transfusions the day I came home. All was well 4 -5 weeks with hemoglobin rising to 12 and then gradually dropping by week.
This week it dropped to 7.3 so was Transfused again yesterday. Its been 7weeks post Transplant so I doubt I am bleeding internally. There was a repeat CT 10 days ago which was mostly normal.
I am wondering if this drop in Hb level is normal post transplant due to the immuno drugs we are on. I have already seen drop in Platelet count due to Tacro.
I am following up with my Transplant coordinator
to see if all this is normal