Hi everyone - I had my 4 monthly blood tests results yesterday and whilst they are not astronomically high they have been steadily increasing to the point in a year they have doubled.
I am wondering if the my diet is contributing to the higher platelets as since Xmas I have been having smoothies every day and these are either:
Spinach, carrot, banana, apple and kiwi or Strawberry, beetroot, carrot, blueberry and banana.
I've just done a google and it says that spinach, kiwi and carrots plus a whole host of other foods can increase or normalise (whatever that actually means!) platelets.
How much should I read into this, should I go back to an unhealthier diet?? My nurse said yesterday that she didn't think either diet or exercise would make much of difference.
I am still someway away from getting to the levels of other treatments and count myself extremely fortunate, but I must admit this has actually thrown my very positive attitude somewhat - perhaps I need to include tonic water, alcohol and cranberry juice to help reduce them - anyone for a G&T!!
On serious note if anyone has advice please share.
Thanks as always
Jim
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jimb7174
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I think you have to eat a lot of something before it makes a difference.Grapefruit I know,is a tricky one.It effects a lot of medication for some reason.But doctors should know.....
My grandmother used to say "A little of what you fancy does you good!" She was a lovely person who I remember with great affection. I do think that a sense of humour is worth cultivating, along with a reasonably heathy diet that allows for the occasional pleasurable "lapse"! It is good to make what life we have fun for as long as we can, and fun for others too... I am sure that does help with healing both body and mind (and if I'm wrong, well at least life has been more enjoyable!!).
As to the platelet production and the rate of "climb" this does seem to vary a lot from person to person. We are put together differently, and the muddle and mix of dud genes and mutations that have triggered this strange condition that we have, are probably as individual as the shape of our nose or our finger prints! Some people have modestly elevated, but quite stable counts for many years; others, like myself, experienced a very rapid increase (and I am quite sure that my diet had little influence on that!).
Regards smoothies, I did read of someone who I think had PV and made themselves rather more unwell through having either spinach or broccoli (I can't remember which) as smoothies. This boosted their iron too high.
It is a very difficult thing learning to live with a body that we cannot entirely control!
My platelets are almost always way too high, (c. 800s-1M), and I am aware that exercise, (especially intense exercise), can and does raise platelet levels.
However, I am uncertain that just food on its own would make too much of a difference if any. At least in my own experience, I cannot say that I have seen any evidence pointing in that direction. Naturally, I could be mistaken of course...
In any event, I hope you mange to have it all sorted soon...
hi Steve, yes I also do pretty vigorous exercise several times a week, love mtb'ing, getting into running and use rowing machine plus body weight hit workouts . in fact in my 42 years on this planet I've never actually felt healthier tbh feel a bit of a fraud. oh well will carry on. thanks for the feedback.
isn't that just hiding the truth? if I reduce the exercise leading up to the blood test, won't this just fudge the figures of whats actually happening or am i inversely affecting the platelet levels and causing them to spike higher than they should be.
Well I am not a physiologist. Merely just another person w/ an MPN. I have MF Jim & I do try to stay at some level of fitness, however, I am not so young as you (59). Nevertheless, I use to push myself too hard causing myself to exacerbate my bone & joint pain. However, when I backed it all off some, well things generally improved.
Jim, I also create & keep quite a meticulous record of all my tests, and my bloods in particular do show elevated platelets after periods of intense exercise, as opposed to if I haven't exercised for 24hrs prior...
We are all just a tad different in our body chemistry too, & it is always possible the same does not hold true in your case (?)
Perhaps you could test the theory for yourself...
When I was first diagnosed, (May 2016), I also suffered from a high BP, which I was taking med's to reduce from those higher levels. However, since I changed my diet/exercise regime. My health improved, I lost some kgs, & my BP returned to better than normal levels for someone of my vintage (128/78) etc...
Now I just do enough exercise to stymy my adding more unwanted weight, and to assist me w/ my anemia, which I believe causes my breathlessness. It appears to be a fine balance that is required, in my case at least.
In any event, I hope you find a solution that suits your needs.
I have a kiwi every day and various other fruit and veg including most of those you mentioned. My platelets have been up a bit and down a bit but I don't think it's been related to what I eat. As Swede said grapefruit is one I have to avoid due to other medications I take for blood pressure but I haven't been advised to avoid other fruit or veg. As Peter said our ET progression is different for all of us and if it was diet related I think it would have been flagged before now, keep eating healthily 😁
You probably wouldn’t want to subsist on an iron rich diet of red meat, spinach and kale (would anyone?!) but I doubt the quantities consumed in your smoothies are going to make much difference. And a smoothie is going to be better than a fry up any day. 🤣. As with everything it’s a question of balance. All things in moderation etc etc. Enjoy!
I think that eating healthy would be good for all of us as would maintaining a proper weight and BMI. Must admit I am not doing well maintaining either of those. I can say that when I visited a mpn specialist at the Cleveland Clinic he told me that what you eat has no bearing on the course of these diseases, at least to this point in time there is no proof that it does.
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