Thrombocythemia

Hi all I was diagnoised in 1996 with Thrombocythemia It is a cousin to
Leukemia, thats what my onocologist said. I had a bone marrow test.
I was told that this is caused by an over production of Platelets, I was giving Hydrea to bring down my count. Does anyone else have this?
I went in a week and a half ago and my platelets are back up again.

Thank you,
Judy

Hi, did a little search for you, and this is what came up: People with thrombocythemia who don't have complications often don't need treatment — especially males younger than age 50 and pre-menopausal females. A doctor may recommend periodic checks of the platelet count. When needed, treatment may include drugs such as anagrelide (Agrylin) or hydroxyurea (Hydrea, Droxia) to lower the platelet count.

I hope someone else will come along with more info. Sorry I couldn't be of better help. Take care, Jo

Joanne,
Thanks so much for the info. My doctor wants me to see an oncologist but I really can’t afford it at this time. I’m going to see if he will treat me. Like I said I was treated with Hydrea when I was diagnosed.

Thanks for the help.
Hugs, Judy

Hi again,
Since my diagnosis with ovarian cancer (Stage 3) 2 years ago, I have found out that chemo is not the only way to treat malignancy. There are many ways, and they include diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. While you are waiting for treatments, you might want to look into complimentary therapy. Whatever you have, I strongly recommend you to read "A woman's guide to healing from Breast Cancer" by Nan Lu. I learn so much from it. The other one is "Beating Cancer with Nutrition" by Patrick Quillin. Read them, and start healing.

Best wishes, Joanna

Any info with this disease and pregnancy would help; my daughter is 12 weeks along and just diagnosed and having a hard time finding info. thanx so much

Hi Judi, I just read your post about Thrombocythemia, and I hope you have already found the information that you need. If not I have a few that you can check out.

WebMD has a Health Guide A-Z, and it is just www.webmd.com, then you can follow the screen info to the guide. Medline Plus has more info, the site address is www.nml.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article; there is a great deal of information there, and the last one is the University of Maryland website; www.umm.edu/blood/thrombo.htm.

There is a great deal of information availabe on the web, Google, Ask Jeeves, Yahoo, etc. search engines will bring up a ton of information. I like Google the best. I am a medical transcriptionist and that is the site we use most for medical information, spellings, etc.

I also have Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, and that is how I found your post, through a link from an e-mail that I get for reasearch information, etc.

I wish you well, and God's blessings, I will pray for you, and if you are interested in contacting me for a shoulder to cry on or more help with information, I have many books for reference that I can suggest, let me know.

Sincerely, Margaret D.
Boone, Iowa

Hi, my name is Dalene, My husband was diasgnosed with Myelofibrosis in Sept, 2002. Things have went pretty well. The doctor he had was great! (He goes to a VA Hospital, which is fine he has been treated very well.) He now has a new doctor.(Doctors change often.) The new doctor has decided he actually has
Thrombocythemia. Their symptoms are so much alike my husband and I are not real sure what to think. The new doctor put him on Hydrea and it made him so ill. In a week he lose 17 pounds, He could not keep any foods in him. The doctor now changed him to Agrylin. He was doing so well before. We're alittle confused why he would change things when he was doing fine. Maybe he knows what he is doing. Lets hope so! Thanks for listening, Dalene

Dear D, I cannot help but cringe when I hear of VA
teatments, but I won't tell any horror stories tonight. Please know that if he was better, and was also feeling better, that's a great combo! And no, it definitely makes no sense for your dear one to now be suffering! Yes, I believe the new guy DOES know, as most of them are under agreement to promote the overuse of sundry pharmaceuticals that are NOT derivatives, but by-products of the petrochemical industry, of which I was long a part. I have found that most conditions can be reduced to non-issues by achieving balances in the serum minerals & electrolytes, which will also raise the pH in the cells up from the acid state it is no doubt in. An effective means of hurrying this along is by having a couple of glasses of freshly made veggie juices, with an occasional fruit juice blend, spread out through the day for ease of glyc-spikes, and balance, balance, balance!Use of apples, carrots, a little celery, and a few raw sunflower seeds(not in the juice!)will provide all amino-acids, which will permit any repairs, save energy, stimulate rbc production, pick up the hemoglobin while reducing homocystine
and normalizing neurotransmitter levels. This should be a good start toward general health. Call if there are residual problems. God bless, and good health! Sincerely, Michael L M., ND

HI Joanne,

Last Aug 18 i undergo bone marrow aspiration and my hematologist told me that i have an essential trombocytosis... which accounted for the tremendous increased of platelet count...at first i cant believe that i have such disease... but i realized that we should take time for our self and love it... stress free and proper nutrition....
My only question is was this also called polycethemia vera?

My husband was diagnosed a year and a half ago with Thrombocythemia, but he was only told to take an aspirin every other day unless his platlet count reached over a million. Today he was tested and it was a million two. The dr. now wants him to take Hydrea and told him that it has no real side effects. I researched Hydrea on the net and it has so many side effects!! I am angry with the dr. and feel that my husband's care was comprimised because we haven't been given all the information. If anyone is taking Hydrea, can you please let me know what side effects you have experienced if any? Thanks so much!

Lori