Causes and Treatments for Anemia

When you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), the body often doesn’t make enough of a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is used by your body to make red blood cells. When your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells, anemia occurs.

Common Symptoms

Here are some common symptoms of Anemia:

• Drop-in energy

• Skin can be paler

• Feet and hands may be cold

• Irritability

• Brittle nails

• Poor appetite

• Increased headaches

• Poor sleep

• Rapid heartbeat

• Restless leg

If you experience some of these symptoms, ask your doctor or healthcare provider to test your blood for Anemia. Because Anemia is common for people living on dialysis, their care team will regularly test hemoglobin levels to check for Anemia.

Treating Anemia

For people on dialysis, the most common way to treat anemia is with medications called Epogen and Aranesp, which is prescribed by the doctor to give you more energy.