Intravenous iron and itching.
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hello all,
I had got to the tching stage in my CKD- I am at Stage 4. it was driving me crazy. I was taking EPO for anaemia but not intravenous iron as my iron store (ferritin) was good and my transferrin saturation was 26%. However after a few EPO injections, my iron store dropped significantly and TSAT dropped to 16% and so I was given intravenous iron. Immediately, the itching stopped. has anyone else found that?
1 like, 4 replies
helen54849 LynQ
Posted
Itchy dry skin can be due to low iron but also high phosphate especially during the later stages of our lovely CKD. Ask your neph what your phosphate levels are and they can give you binders if the itching comes back. These help, hope fully the none itchyness will stay away. Phosphate itching is horrible as it is an itch on the inside rather than the outside and no amount of scratching can ease it. Good luck
LynQ helen54849
Posted
Hi Helen, My posphate levels are Ok and now I have had the intravenous iron, the itching has largely gone. I'm feeling much better now. The canula left a huge swelling and bruising though! I hope all is well with you.
helen54849 LynQ
Posted
Hi,
Hopefully it was due to the low iron then (i mean that in the nicest possible way of course) when my iron was low I had terrible dry skin that was itchy but I have eczma so am an itchy person anyway but I had no skin left on my legs ouch. Glad that your itching has stopped. I had a couple of iron infuisions my first one the nurse laughed at me as people had told me they stab you in the bum, I said to her where will you be sticking that then and she laughed and said not where you think we don't do that anymore for which I was glad. When I had my son due to my kidney issue I had to have steriod injections for his lungs, they wanted to stab me in the bum then and I said no my arm, they were horrified and actually wrote in my notes that although i was perfectly sane I asked for it in my arm lol. My infusion lasted 18 months then the next one the same, then I had another just after my transplant and that was that. I didn't even have to take EPO all the time as I took them together it did the job EPO doesn't work on its own needs the infusion to work at its best I was told.. So glad you feel better, you will be skipping round like a teenager soon
. I am not bad have a cold at the moment which causes creatinine to go up and GFR to go down also have a trace of BK virus they test you like mad for it after transplant but my team are on it so no worries from me. I can't even explain how much better I feel its mad I can't even remember feeling crappy now and I did as you know for so long. It must be like having a baby you soon forget the nasty bits. its brill I can stay up late and do loads hubby said to me the other day you would never have been able to do all you did today before and he was right. I feel like I have been to bed when I get up its fab I am so lucky to have such a kind beautiful selfless friend. Keep me posted on how you go lovely x
LynQ helen54849
Posted
Thank you! Your messages always cheer me up. You have such an optimistic approach to everything. I am really glad the transplant is working well for you and that you have got a good quality of life back now. You are only young yet and have hopefully many years to go and you have young children who need their Mum- though mine still need my help quite frequently and they are 46,44 and 33!
I am already feeling better and doing things I could not be bothered to do before. I have always had a very busy life so had wretched feelings of guilt about doing so little.
Yesterday at the hospital, I met a former university student of mine. She was with a very pretty young woman of about 20 and she reminded me that 20 years ago, she phoned me at 2am from the same hospital where she was in the first stages of labour. We had spoken a few weeks previously and she had told me that she had noone to be with her for the birth. I volunteered to help if she did not find anyone else she preferred and heard no more about it until the phonecall. I went to the hospital. It turned out that they were a midwife short that night, so I had to roll up my sleeves and help. The young woman was the baby I had helped deliver!
take care.
Lyn