Transplant

[Kim2007]

How long did it take to be transfusion dependent after bmt. How long until you felt better after saa?

[Neil Cuadra]

Kim,

I assume you are asking how long to become transfusion independent after a transplant. My wife was transfusion dependent before and during her transplant. She had 5 transfusions in the 4 months following the transplant, and none since then.

[dfantle]

Hi Kim, my understanding is transfusion dependence varies for each patient.

I had a non-myeloablative unrelated donor transplant end of January 2013, & was platelet transfusion free by week 2 (after needing them every 2-5 days previously) with normal platelets by week 3 or 4, and red blood cell dependent by 3 months, but was told this can take 1 year. Though I'm now almost 9 months post & have been transfusion free since end April, my hematocrit finally reached normal (36 for women) end Sept at month 8. my hematocrit was at 35 for 4 months so I was thrilled to finally reach normal. The only remaining count we're still waiting to become normal is my IG-G (immunoglobulin G). I've still needed an IG-G infusion every 2 months, though my team has told me this can take a bit more than 1 year post to reach normal, they typically stop IG-G infusions at 10 months to encourage patients systems to produce it without assistance.

[Heather8773]

Kim my husband has needed blood and or platelets every couple days since being admitted. He just recied blood and platelets 2 days agoand he is on day +16 . I figured it was just due to them wiping out all off his stem cells and maybe agrivating his PNH as those cells were being destroyed. But that was just a thought not something I ever verified.
His team seems to feel like its normal to need blood products that's one reason they do a CBC every morning. But everyone has a different amount they will need. their only concern on the transfusions is the iron (which I'm sure you know)
Can't say I wasn't shocked though from him going from 4 wks between transfusions to a couple days between so I hear ya.