Anaemia Chronic Renal Disease

[naomi24]

Is it treatable - is it life threatening? Any information gratefully received. Thank you.

[Buenchico]

Scroll down to 'Anaemia' here (athough the rest of the content on that page might also be relevant as well):
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-disease/treatment/

[naomi24]

Thanks Chris. I’ve trawled the internet but it’s all as clear as mud. I was wondering if anyone has any personal experience of this.

[TonyV]

naomi24 is this for you or a friend?

[Toorak]

Why is that relevant? ?

[Buenchico]

OK, this is just from the internet again (indeed it's from the same source as above) but it might help you to focus in on the answer you're seeking. (The capital letters are mine. I'd have preferred to use italics by AB only allows one lot of italics in a post. I'm definitely not trying to shout at you though!):

Quote 1 (from the 'Overview' page on the NHS website):
"Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-term condition where the kidneys don't work as well as they should.

IT'S A COMMON CONDITION often associated with getting older"

Quote 2 (from the same page):
"CKD can get worse over time and eventually the kidneys may stop working altogether, but this is UNCOMMON.

MANY PEOPLE WITH CKD ARE ABLE TO LEAD LONG LIVES WITH THE CONDITION"

Quote 3 (from my original link):
"MANY PEOPLE with advanced-stage CKD develop anaemia, which is a lack of red blood cells"

i.e. as I read it, CKD is fairly common and developing anaemia as a result of CKD is quite common too. My own kidney function is less than perfect but I've not ordered the flowers for my funeral yet!

For further advice, I suggest getting in touch with Kidney Care UK. You might, for example, ask for an invitation to join their closed Facebook group, where you could then get in touch directly with others who've got CKD:
https://www.kidneycareuk.org/get-support/

[Toorak]

Cg

[TonyV]

Toorak quite a lot really.

[Toorak]

Chris - it wasn’t you I was questioning

[TonyV]

OK Toorak you were asking me then?

[Sqad]

Degrees of iron deficiency anaemia are not uncommon in Chronic Kidney Disease sand are easily managed with iron tablets taken as supplementation.
The anaemia in CKD is due to the deficiency in the kidney to produce a hormone called Erythropoietin (EPO)which stimulates the bone marrow to produce red cells.
In the early stages of CKD, anaemia can be easily controlled by tablets , injections or infusions.
Life threatening? Only in the late stages of CKD when one is considering renal dialysis or transplant

[naomi24]

Tony, no, it isn’t me.

Thanks Chris/Sqad. I think what I’m finding confusing is that the person in question was unaware they had a kidney problem until the anaemia was discovered. I can’t get my head around ‘chronic’ renal disease that up until now has had no ill effects. I’m asking myself how ‘chronic’ is ‘chronic’?

[Sqad]

naomi.....you have put your finger right on the problem, that of a layman and that of a medical person.

Chronic to a layman means bad, painful, life affecting,symptoms that are not controllable.

Chronic to the medical person means...irreversible and certainly quite commonly, symtomless in the early stages.

" I think what I’m finding confusing is that the person in question was unaware they had a kidney problem until the anaemia was discovered."

That is quite a common situation as the chronic diseases are often symptomless with an insidious onset sometimes for years before symptoms present and then the symptoms well well be due to another condition.

[naomi24]

Sqad, ‘Irreversible’ puts it into clearer perspective. Thank you.