HCT improving ...how ?

[Chris1919]

So recently I've had a fairly odd experience. I've got PV and just have aspirin and venesection to treat and at my last two blood tests my HCT has actually been lower than before. This is not due to venesection as these are interim tests to see how it's going and my venesection was normally a month or two before hand and I'd had the higher reading since - a little confusing as in one case it fell over a period of a month (from .43 to .42) and the second time it fell from .44 to .43 over a 2 week period.

Don't get me wrong I'm happy it goes down but just wondered if anyone had had similar experience or had heard of this.

Thank

Chris

[piggie50]

Hi Chris 1919,

Mine went down to .42 at one point, the lowest it's ever been! since gone back to .44 and .45 I don't know why, I just run with it and am grateful not to have a venesection. I have PV and take clopidogrel and hydroxy.

Best wishes

Judy

[Hidden]

Hi Chris, I used to find that if I completely drowned my system with water before my blood test my hct was consistently lower, so I didn't need a vinesection for some years! So I do think it's effected by what you take in before your blood test, which may account for the fluctuations. I had PV for 16 years before progressing to MF 18 months ago. I only ever took low dose aspirin during the PV years, now I take Ruxolitinib, which appears to be working well.

Take care

Christine

[Inca in reply to Hidden]

Wow, mine is sky high just now...I drink loads of water thru the day,but my tests are always 8- 30am.....must try next time to be up extra early and drink a lot before.....usually I do not eat or drink before the test. P V.Hydrea ,Plavix,verapamil...Thanks Christine for info.

[Hidden in reply to Inca]

Hi Inca, my bloods are usually taken on Mondays so I increased the water intake over the weekend - hope it helps!!

[Inca]

I am tested every month ,nurse comes to our home ,normal here in France,so I could top up easily enough.....had P V 7 yrs..at the moment H C T is stubbornly high,so on extra Hydrea,plaquettaire very low....such an up and down disease!

[piggie50 in reply to Inca]

I'm always worried that drinking extra, more than normal, before a blood test will give a false reading and hct will be high at other times when I don't go over the top with water???

Just my worry maybe?

[Chris1919]

Thanks for the replies - I must be honest I try to drink 2ltrs of water every day to be consistent. Not easy to start but sort of got into the habit !

[Inca]

Well I do down more than 2 litres every day.....H C T still stays up at the mo!!!!what do we do ????

[cwayman11]

I did a detox thing in may last year and was drinking 3litres a day of water. Now closer to 2litres and taking on this water consistently also improved my kidney function which had been very low to highest in 4years. Room temperature water is best as cold water shocks the system apparently. I know many people here also say plenty of water is good for our conditions.

[jane13]

u could just describe yr HCT as "stable", or "normal" as the changes are minimal: presumably the venesection frequency is spot on? U could look at readings over time for white and red cells, assuming that one or both of these usually push your HCT high enough to need a venesection?

[digijools]

Hi there. I was diagnosed just over a year ago with a HCT of 56. I had one Phlebotomy and blood work every 3 months. My HCT has been stable at 40-41 for more than a year. Doctors have no explanation. I take aspirin. My platelets are around 1100.