Guest guest Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 - >My mother, on the other hand, says she has never felt better, lots more >energy, etc etc, and is reluctant to take the pills. > >I know you all aren't doctors, but I was wondering if any of you have run >into anything like this before? Bearing in mind that I'm not a doctor and that I'd never heard of this condition before, consider what the NIH's medical encyclopedia says. >>DEFINITION >> >>Polycythemia vera is an abnormal increase in blood cells (primarily red >>blood cells) resulting from excess production by the bone marrow. >> >>CAUSES, INCIDENCE AND RISK FACTORS >> >>Polycythemia vera is an acquired disorder of the bone marrow that causes >>the overproduction of all three blood cell lines: white blood cells, red >>blood cells, and platelets. >> >>It is a rare disease that occurs more frequently in men than women, and >>rarely in patients under 40 years old. It is not known what causes >>polycythemia vera. >>The disease usually develops slowly, and most patients do not experience >>any problems related to the disease after being diagnosed. However, the >>abnormal bone marrow cells may begin to grow uncontrollably in some >>patients leading to acute myelogenous leukemia. >> >>Patients with polycythemia vera also have an increased tendency to form >>blood clots that can result in strokes or heart attacks. Some patients >>may experience abnormal bleeding because their platelets are abnormal. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000589.htm It sounds to me like even a return to normal RBC production could be considered polycythemic (when not caused by medication, anyway) by a doctor unfamiliar with the effects of proper nutrition, so I'd be inclined to suspect your mom has nothing to worry about, particularly given that she feels much better than she used to. That said, you should probably try to find out whether increased stroke and heart attack incidence is correlated with some particular RBC level or threshold, and whether your mom's increased production has merely pushed her into normal levels or boosted her into abnormal or possibly even dangerous overproduction, though this certainly strikes me as unlikely. And provided your mom doesn't bleed too profusely and long when cut, there's no reason CLO (albeit preferably with butter oil) shouldn't become part of her diet too, which would provide some protection against stroke and heart attack. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 , My Dad has Polycythemia Vera. He was diagnosed about 4 years ago. He's now 73 years old. He isn't taking any meds for it at this point. He goes in to get his blood tested for elevated hematocrit. When it gets as high as 43 they do a phlebotomy (about one unit of blood drawn), which ath this point is about every other month. This helps to reduce the volume of blood. The need for meds won't happen for a while. Not until the blood gets too thick and the body is making so much that monthly phlebotomies don't help. The average lifespan is 7 to 15 years after being diagnosed. Several things your Mom can and should do immediately. First is to get her on Cod Liver Oil and plenty of it! According to Bruce Fife from his book, The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil, he says: " An even more important factor in relation to cardiovascular health is the blood's tendency to form clots. Special proteins in the blood called platelets cause clotting when they become sticky. Numerous studies have demonstrated that all fats - beef fat, lard, butter, vegetable oil, and even canola and olive oils - promote platelet stickiness. The more you eat, the stickier the blood gets, and the greater the risk of developing blood clots. The omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, are an exception. They have the opposite effect on blood platelets. This is the main reason why they have been recommended for those at risk of heart disease. " Another group of fats that don't promote platelet stickiness are the MCFA in coconut oil. These fats are burned up immediately after consumption and, therefore, don't affect platelet stickiness either one way or the other. Of all the dietary fats, MCFA are the most benign. " The second thing that she should be doing to taking lots of high quality grape seed extract. This will keep her veins strong. When my Dad gets his blood drawn monthly, they can't believe have healthy his veins are. The grape seed/grape skin extract helps *if* there is a blood clot. Personally, I would question the doctor about the level of her hematocrit and see if occasional phlebotomies may be all she needs to combat her polycythemia vera, without the drugs. As for her feeling energetic, that makes me think that her hematocrit isn't that high. Dad says he can always tell when it's time for a phlebotomy cause he starts really getting tired out. The phlebotomy makes him a bit anemic for about a week, and he stays a bit tired during that time. Honestly, this really is a serious disease, but I'd sure question the doctor's desire to slap her on meds right off the bat. Hope this helps Rhonda --- In , " Sagehill " <sagehill@p...> wrote: > I have a question about increased red blood cell counts. My mother, who's > 80, went to the hematologist on Friday and was told she had polycythemia > vera, a genetic tendancy of the bone marrow to make too many red blood > cells. The doctor gave her a prescription for hydroxyurea, 500 mg. once a > day. Here's the kicker... my mother has usually been anemic most of her > life, but now suddenly, upon going to a hematologist for the first time, she > has a genetic tendency to make too many RBCs?? > > Now *I* think it's something else: This summer Mom finally listened to me > harping about healthy eating and started drinking a lot of goatmilk (I raise > goats), several glasses a day, plus a boatload of fresh organic veggies, > eggs and chickens that I've been giving her all summer long. Even more > importantly, she went gluten-free, of her own accord, for nearly three > months now. > > I think the combination of these things has increased her RBC counts to a > healthier level, but because she's always been somewhat anemic, the doctor > was alarmed by the sudden reversal... quick! prescribe something to make her > anemic again! > > My mother, on the other hand, says she has never felt better, lots more > energy, etc etc, and is reluctant to take the pills. > > I know you all aren't doctors, but I was wondering if any of you have run > into anything like this before? > > thanks, > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 Thanks for the NIH definition of Polycythemia... it definitely sounds a bit different than just too many RBCs, though I'm still inclined to think that it's good nutrition as well as going no-gluten since she's feeling better, not worse. Good to hear that she may be able to control it through blood letting. thanks again for your help! Re: increased RBC count Bearing in mind that I'm not a doctor and that I'd never heard of this condition before, consider what the NIH's medical encyclopedia says. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000589.htm It sounds to me like even a return to normal RBC production could be considered polycythemic (when not caused by medication, anyway) by a doctor unfamiliar with the effects of proper nutrition, so I'd be inclined to suspect your mom has nothing to worry about, particularly given that she feels much better than she used to. That said, you should probably try to find out whether increased stroke and heart attack incidence is correlated with some particular RBC level or threshold, and whether your mom's increased production has merely pushed her into normal levels or boosted her into abnormal or possibly even dangerous overproduction, though this certainly strikes me as unlikely. And provided your mom doesn't bleed too profusely and long when cut, there's no reason CLO (albeit preferably with butter oil) shouldn't become part of her diet too, which would provide some protection against stroke and heart attack. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 , What are your Mom's counts? I'm a med tech who heads a hematology dept. I always recommend that patient's get copies of their results. Usually, before a person is diagnosis with polycythemia, Their rbc has to climb well out of the normal range. Also, many people who develop this disorder have a history of anemia or other one marrow problem. If your mom's counts are really elevated, and repeat blood counts show this, she can opt not to take the drugs and just to have a unit of blood removed when she has trouble with shortness of breath and or circulation. This is called therapeutic phlebotomy. If she meets Red cross guidelines for donation, she can get this done for free and help save a life too! If you have any question's, I would be glad to try to answer them. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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