Recent results

[kamiilos]

Hi, just wanted to share after about a year being on Pegasys 45 mcg fortnightly my JAK2 VAF dropped from 31% at diagnosis to 26% now.Always happy to see progress.

All blood counts in good range except elevated Potassium 5.8 mmol/L which I am not sure why as all previous tests were in range. Shouldn't be high consumption of coconut yoghurts...

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

[hunter5582]

Good news! Glad to see your result moving int eh right direction.

Suggest repeating the potassium lab. See what it looks like then. It likely is not relevant at this point but psuedohyperkalemia occurs in people with elevated PLTs.

[Mishie14]

I was diagnosed ET JAK2+ nearly 3 years ago. Been on peginterferon for 18 months, started with platelets just under 1.4M. It was high because I had been off treatment due to bad reaction to HU. Was totally surprised to find out the first time a blood test showed too high potassium. A potassium reading over 5.2 here meant automatic trip to ER as cardio precaution. The ER doctor said he has seen this many times--high platelets and blood draw techniques cause blood sample high potassium while serum blood test via IV which ER uses show actual values and they were normal. As noted below, it's called pseudohyperkalemia. The ultimate solution was to have a specific potassium only blood test done along with standard tests. That test uses a heparin coated tube (distinguished by green tube cap) which is anticoagulant. So when draw techniques use torniquet, closed fist, small butterfly needle, etc. the sample is not tainted with excess potassium. Getting a retest via IV draw was my temp solution before the use of special blood sample tube was available. Long story short, you may not be in this situation but good to be aware and prepared. I'm in upper midwest US so references may be different from those used in Australia.

[ainslie]

congrats on the Peg going well, I wouldn’t worry about the Potassium , it’s just over range and only once , maybe retest in a month or so, if trend is up speak to Haem, I doubt they would mind at 5.8., I think 5 is top end of normal.

Also, there is something with MPN where we can have a very raised but false reading for potassium, I can’t remember the details but possibly something to do with how the blood is drawn or tubes or how the tubes are handled after the draw, it was on the MPN List forum many times, a good Haem might/should know about it, either way don’t worry.

[kamiilos in reply to ainslie]

Yes interesting point, on the appointment Haem actually asked if nurse struggled to take blood. But process as normal, and so got the referral to repeat it 3 to 4 hours after taking Eliquise.I am thankful about all the knowledge I absorb from within here.

[Mirror368]

Out of curiosity, how did they determine that your JAK2 VAF is lower?

Thanks, Eileen

[kamiilos in reply to Mirror368]

When diagnosed I had BMB to confirm JAK 2 and this time blood studies.