sickle cell

[india81]

why can sickle cell disease patients NOT receive procrit therapy? Is it because there rbc's are already being attacked?

[Lindaz]

Hi India
I have thalassemia and I know it is different to sickle cell, but I have been told that I will be prescribed procrit if I need it when treatment starts for me......

Good luck to you India81

[CoWriter]

Good question.  All the medication insert says is to notify your doctor if you have sickle cell disease.  But it doesn't say why....so I'm going to have to make a (hopefully) educated guess....

When somebody has sickle cell disease, they produce red blood cells that are shaped like crescent moons (instead of the normal round cells).  Normal red blood cells move easily through your blood vessels, but sickled cells can get stuck and block blood vessels ..... and Procrit can cause blood clots....so that would increase the risk of blocking the circulation to different organs.    

Also....Procrit stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.....but on  someone with sickle cell, it would increase the production of crescent moon-shaped cells.

Anyway....that's my story and I'm sticking to it.