Epoetin Alfa Dosing

Epoetin alfa dosing is determined by a person's weight, among other things. The suggested dose for anemia due to kidney failure is 50 to 100 units per kg of weight three times a week. For anemia caused by zidovudine, most people take 100 units per kg three times weekly for eight weeks. Epoetin alfa dosing for anemia due to chemotherapy is given either once or three times a week.

Epoetin Alfa Shots

Epoetin Alfa Dosing: An Introduction

The dose of epoetin alfa (Epogen^®, Procrit^®) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:

How you respond to epoetin alfa (as measured by blood tests)
The cause of your anemia
Your weight
Other medications you may be taking
Other medical conditions you may have.

As always, do not adjust your epoetin alfa dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.

Epoetin Alfa Dosing for Anemia Due to Chemotherapy

There are two different epoetin alfa dosing options when treating anemia due to chemotherapy:

Once-a-week dosing -- epoetin alfa 40,000 units per week
Three-times-a-week dosing -- epoetin alfa 150 units per kg (about 68 units per pound) three times a week.

When treating anemia due to chemotherapy, the injections under the skin, rather than the IV, are recommended. Your healthcare provider will check your progress frequently, using a blood test that measures the amount of hemoglobin in your blood (hemoglobin is a good way to measure anemia) and will adjust your dose in order to gradually increase your hemoglobin level up to 12 g/dL.

(Epoetin Alfa Dosing Continued: Page 2)