If I am anemic and I don’t want to take a blood transfusion, what other alternatives are there available to me?
The answer to that question is rather difficult to answer in this format. But for general purposes we always recommend you talk to you primary care provider about your options. Not all options are applicable to every patient. We have listed a small few below:
Supplements
In order to efficiently produce red blood cells, the body needs certain levels of:
- Folate
- Antioxidants
- B-12
- Iron
- NOTE: There are some conditions in which the above items can be harmful. Always confer with your MD before starting supplemental replacement.
Erythropoietin (Epogen, Procrit, EPO)
- Synthetic human protein normally produced in the kidneys, now produced in a lab chemically
- Stimulates bone marrow to make more red blood cells
- Conscience matter ONLY because it contains a small amount of albumin used to stabilize it (pertains to United States healthcare only)
- Takes 2-4 weeks to show effectiveness
- Expensive; make sure billing and insurance issues are addressed
- If your faith normally objects to a “blood transfusion,” this is considered a “conscience matter and a fraction”
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