Grateful that a course of high dose prednisone appears to be normalizing hemaglobin/bloodwork. Worried that symptoms may recur, if triggered by a future vaccination or otherwise.

Thanks — my son first experienced AIHA after receiving the flu shot and latest Covid shot. Surprised since prior vaccines had not been a trigger. The 80mg was tapered fairly quickly since his numbers all improved well, although after he got down below 10mg his hemolysis and anemia returned, so he’s back up to 40. Hopefully he will find a lasting remission soon (bloodwork tomorrow). He has had different autoimmune blood disorders for many years (ITP and neutropenia), that recur intermittently and are then controlled with effective treatments, but the AIHA is new.

Rick
Thank
you Rick so much. Is Rituxan. What helped you? Are you ok now?
We’re you on Prednisone ever?
Cause they keep changing the dosages on Prednisone and it’s like a roller coaster. And then it blood goes down and I would need a blood transfusion.
Just like that one day you get up and you have AIHA. They have done soooooo many tests but all normal.
Rick thx much for your kind words.
Let me know with your experience. Nice day. Bia

So sorry for your struggles. The good news is that treatments are available and that they can bring remission. Rituxan is often used if steroids don’t seem to do the trick. Good luck. Take care of yourself (eat healthy and avoid infections/exposures as much as possible).

Careful with the transfusions, Bia! I should've had only one, at the time of diagnosis; however, I had another one a little over a year later, when I was stupid enough to still have some faith in doctors. That would've never happened if the Prednisone dose was increased sufficiently. I used to live close to the Mexican border and should've just gone to Mexico and bought the Prednisone I needed.

The second transfusion was almost the end of me... Because of the antibodies, they can't find compatible blood, so they use "the least incompatible". The transfusion should be done VERY slowly! I don't know if they sped it up or the blood was more incompatible than acceptable, but my throat started closing up and I began suffocating. I'll never let things deteriorate to a point of needing another transfusion EVER again!

Rituxan was also pushed on me at every appointment as well as splenectomy, to the point of being "fired" by my hematologist at the time because I kept turning them down. Well, NO, NOPE, NEIN! Sorry about your potential financial setback (Rituxan is very expensive)... You're not playing with my life! At least not while the lesser evil still works.