Advice on platelets and haemaglobin

[Iwillbeatit]

Coming up to chemo 6 all prior to debulking for stage 4 serous as the ovarian cancer on liver and spleen not gone down enough after chemo 4. Any ideas on how to keep platelets, haemoglobin and white bloods cells up so chemo 6is not put off. Resting and eating well but is there anything else I can do?

[Hidden]

Papaya and papaya leaf tea allegedly support platelets and neutrophils.

For hGb, iron:

swft.nhs.uk/application/fil...

this is by far the most useful of many similar ones I’ve looked at , but no fish….next two are a bit massive but useful as long as no tendency to OCD!

foodnutritiontable.com/nutr...

(5 along within minerals) and the next is similar

nutritiondata.self.com/fact...

My top picks:

• Blackstrap molasses, or Panda Liquorice bars

• Fish roe

• Black pudding

• Offal

• Dried fruits

• Nuts and seeds

• Fortified breakfast cereals

• Brewers Yeast

[Iwillbeatit in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Mac27 that is so useful I will read all your attachments and will be off shopping this afternoon. Really appreciate your tips. Do you know if can you buy papaya tea in health food shops like Holland and barratt? Thanks again Gillian

[Hidden in reply to Iwillbeatit]

no idea... I get mine online from Buddha teas

[janmark43 in reply to Hidden]

I was told not to have dried fruit when on my chemo with cisplatin and etoposide - strange bacteria may be lurking!

[Hidden in reply to janmark43]

How interesting....I'm on that at the moment and no-one has mentioned it.

I tend to think there are so many strange bacteria lurking in so many places, it would be tough to single one out.... but I'll ask the pharmacists tomorrow.

[janmark43 in reply to Hidden]

I was also advised not to eat live yoghurt, soft cheeses and uncooked eggs , very much like pregnancy advice. However when I had carboplatin and Taxol one year later at a different hospital none of this was mentioned!

[Hidden in reply to janmark43]

I asked two of the more experienced chemo nurses about this advice yesterday. They felt this possibly would be standard advice to haematology patients, but generally to chemo ones unless they were having significant problems with neutrophils in particular. I think our bodies are pretty wise at steering us clear from stuff to avoid by how we feel at the thought of it! Steak tartare, blue cheese.... not for me at the moment. But soft cheeses, soft boiled eggs, yoghurt....yummee.

I didn't take much notice of the pregnancy advice either - a particular scare going on at the time was listeria.

People carry on buying bags of salad, supposedly washed. How many scandals have there been about those? Food prep and storage isn't mentioned as something to be ultra-cautious about, but should be.

So much inconsistency. I heard of a primary school which will not allow kids to take peanuts in any form in their packed lunches, in case one of the others with an allergy comes into contact with it. Caution is wise of course. But they don't require all children to have had the full suite of vaccinations.

The list is potentially endless.

This has turned into a bit of a steroid-fuelled rant! And it all started so innocently. x

[Iwillbeatit]

Oh thank you i will look on their website. Thanks again.

[Hidden]

I would suggest liver and green veg for iron levels. I don't think you can do a lot about the white cells, they repair themselves but yes rest is essential. Stay away from anyone with flu, shingles or chicken pox

[Iwillbeatit]

Thank you Suzuki for your suggestions. will get husband to buy liver.

[Neona]

Iron is absorbed better when taken with vitamin c eg orange juice or similar. Tea, coffee, milk and a few other things inhibit the absorption of iron. Try googling as I can't remember them all.

[Iwillbeatit]

Thank you Neona I appreciate all the advice.

[harpist_UK]

If your haemoglobin goes below a certain level you should be offered a blood transfusion by your onc/team of doctors. This fixes it!

[Clarissa]

There is an iron supplement called Ferrograd C which contains vitamin C to help you absorb the iron as mentioned above. Good luck! X

[Hidden]

or Spatone taken in a glass of orange juice

[Iwillbeatit]

Thank you Clarissa I will go online and look for that.

[Iwillbeatit]

Thanks again Mac 23 I will look at stations too. I really appreciate the advice.

[Iwillbeatit]

Oops sorry predictive text spatone. Thanks mac

[Maxjor]

I am on Olaparib which notoriously lowers platelets. Mine starting going down each test (147, 137, 127) then I bought the papaya leaf tea and have religiously had one to two cups per day and last test (6 weeks from the the 127 number) it was 139. So I am a believer as have done nothing else differently and will continue. I get Papaya Leaf Buddha tea from Amazon.

[coksd]

I would suggest an organic wheatgrass I buy frozen shots that are local in the healthshop, I add them to smoothies, I also make a green shake for breakfast and lunch, its based with KOKO vegan milk, fresh organic Kale, Spinach and cucumber, Fresh ginger sourced from peru, Green apple and squeezed lime with two shots of wheatgrass. Then I snack on blueberries and strawberries for vit c to absorb the iron.

[Iwillbeatit]

Thank you coksd for the suggestions

[Iwillbeatit]

Thank you everyone for all your helpful replies. Read everything researched and sent husband out shopping. Have ordered papaya tea off the internet. Thank you

[January-2016-UK in reply to Iwillbeatit]

While you’re waiting for the tea to arrive, you could buy a papaya. I preferred the taste of papaya to the taste of the leaves as a tea (understatement, didn’t like the tea at all but used to drink it quickly) but I do understand the tea has more of the desired ingredient.

[Iwillbeatit]

Thank you January 16 if i don't like the tea I will try that better some than nothing.

[ElayneZ in reply to Iwillbeatit]

Hi - drinking a cup of the papaya leaf tea - and the extract daily - I believe was key for me during weekly chemo. I added a drop of honey and a few drops of lemon juice - and honestly the taste was fine! I bought the tea and extract from Amazon. Blessings!

[Iwillbeatit]

I have got my tea Mac thank you