High platelet count

[Guest guest]

How high is your patient's platelet count? hydroxyurea is an

antimetabolite used to treat bone marrow disorders and cancer such as

leukemia. If the platelet count is very high perhaps she should get a

bone marrow exam to make sure she does not have a hematological

disorder. Stress and steroids can both make the platelets rise

somewhat, maybe to 500,000.

 

If there seems to be no underlying pathology perhaps you can treat

the platelets by addressing the problem they might present. For

example, is it a concern that the patient might have a tendency

towards clotting because of the high count. If so, I would think

unblocking qi herbs and blood moving herbs would be helpful, but only

if a malignancy has been ruled out. And ofcourse it would depend on

what else is going on with her. I am just a beginner in TCM.

[Guest guest]

gabriellemathieu

 

How high is your patient's platelet count? hydroxyurea is an

antimetabolite used to treat bone marrow disorders and cancer such as

leukemia. If the platelet count is very high perhaps she should get a

bone marrow exam to make sure she does not have a hematological

disorder. Stress and steroids can both make the platelets rise

somewhat, maybe to 500,000.

 

If there seems to be no underlying pathology perhaps you can treat

the platelets by addressing the problem they might present. For

example, is it a concern that the patient might have a tendency

towards clotting because of the high count. If so, I would think

unblocking qi herbs and blood moving herbs would be helpful, but only

if a malignancy has been ruled out. And ofcourse it would depend on

what else is going on with her. I am just a beginner in TCM.

 

Thanks for the reply. She could not give me an exact count of her platelets but she has been told by the most eminent heamatologist in scotland that the medication Hydroxy urea is her only hope and that she will suffer strokes and such like if she dosent take them.I was hoping to not only address the clotting but a possible causative factor within tcm.

regards M K Karim

[Guest guest]

My mother has the same/similar disorder. She has been told that it is a self-limiting malignant condition and that it must be kept under control because of danger of stroke etc. She has been on a medication called Agrylin (sp?) which has been helpful, though it also is pretty toxic and they monitor her carefully. A couple of years ago, she flew cross country and a blood vessel burst in her eye, damaging her vision. She had not checked her platelet count before the trip.

She is highly allergic to many herbs and won't risk herbal treatments, but even if this wasn't the case. I think, depending on the severity of the condition and how quickly the platelet count changes, that this is one of those conditions that it's too risky to depend only on CM. At least not without very careful, frequent, monitoring of platelet levels and working with an MD.

 

Catherine

 

Catherine Hemenway, L.Ac.Mirasol: Arizona Center forEating Disorder Recoverywww.mirasol.net

 

 

-

M K Karim

Saturday, March 02, 2002 1:19 PM

Re: High platelet count

gabriellemathieu

How high is your patient's platelet count? hydroxyurea is an antimetabolite used to treat bone marrow disorders and cancer such as leukemia. If the platelet count is very high perhaps she should get a bone marrow exam to make sure she does not have a hematological disorder. Stress and steroids can both make the platelets rise somewhat, maybe to 500,000.If there seems to be no underlying pathology perhaps you can treat the platelets by addressing the problem they might present. For example, is it a concern that the patient might have a tendency towards clotting because of the high count. If so, I would think unblocking qi herbs and blood moving herbs would be helpful, but only if a malignancy has been ruled out. And ofcourse it would depend on what else is going on with her. I am just a beginner in TCM.Thanks for the reply. She could not give me an exact count of her platelets but she has been told by the most eminent heamatologist in scotland that the medication Hydroxy urea is her only hope and that she will suffer strokes and such like if she dosent take them.I was hoping to not only address the clotting but a possible causative factor within tcm. regards M K Karim Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education.

[Guest guest]

I don't have much experience with TCM diagnosis of this, as I am

still a student. Simon Becker, who sometimes reads this forum,

prepared an article on hematological abnormalities for the Journal of

#66, June 2001. If you would like an copy of the

article, it is probably easily available in Europe. If you would like

Simon's e-mail address, I don't think he would mind a question or two.

(E-mail me off list)Simon mentions " quickening blood and transforming

stasis, an aspect that has been found of great importance in the

treatment of marrow malignancy or fibrosis. "

But there is much more to the article, as it is a very complex subject

 

Keep us posted of any sucesses. I loved hematology when I was in the

health care field.

 

Regards, Gabrielle

 

 

, M K Karim <mkkarim@n...> wrote:

> gabriellemathieu

>

> How high is your patient's platelet count? hydroxyurea is an

> antimetabolite used to treat bone marrow disorders and cancer such

as

> leukemia. If the platelet count is very high perhaps she should get

a

> bone marrow exam to make sure she does not have a hematological

> disorder. Stress and steroids can both make the platelets rise

> somewhat, maybe to 500,000.

>

> If there seems to be no underlying pathology perhaps you can treat

> the platelets by addressing the problem they might present. For

> example, is it a concern that the patient might have a tendency

> towards clotting because of the high count. If so, I would think

> unblocking qi herbs and blood moving herbs would be helpful, but

only

> if a malignancy has been ruled out. And ofcourse it would depend on

> what else is going on with her. I am just a beginner in TCM.

>

> Thanks for the reply. She could not give me an exact count of her

platelets

> but she has been told by the most eminent heamatologist in scotland

that the

> medication Hydroxy urea is her only hope and that she will suffer

strokes

> and such like if she dosent take them.I was hoping to not only

address the

> clotting but a possible causative factor within tcm.

> regards M K Karim

[Guest guest]

High platelet counts can occur from several conditions. But you a

reight-it is something that should be monitored, and it does seem

that it would be difficult to treat

 

, Catherine Hemenway <chemenway@b...>

wrote:

> Re: High platelet countMy mother has the

same/similar disorder. She has been told that it is a self-limiting

malignant condition and that it must be kept under control because of

danger of stroke etc. She has been on a medication called Agrylin

(sp?) which has been helpful, though it also is pretty toxic and they

monitor her carefully. A couple of years ago, she flew cross country

and a blood vessel burst in her eye, damaging her vision. She had not

checked her platelet count before the trip.

> She is highly allergic to many herbs and won't risk herbal

treatments, but even if this wasn't the case. I think, depending on

the severity of the condition and how quickly the platelet count

changes, that this is one of those conditions that it's too risky to

depend only on CM. At least not without very careful, frequent,

monitoring of platelet levels and working with an MD.

>

> Catherine

>

> Catherine Hemenway, L.Ac.

> Mirasol: Arizona Center for

> Eating Disorder Recovery

> www.mirasol.net

>

> -

> M K Karim

>

> Saturday, March 02, 2002 1:19 PM

> Re: High platelet count

>

>

> gabriellemathieu

>

>

> How high is your patient's platelet count? hydroxyurea is an

> antimetabolite used to treat bone marrow disorders and cancer

such as

> leukemia. If the platelet count is very high perhaps she should

get a

> bone marrow exam to make sure she does not have a hematological

> disorder. Stress and steroids can both make the platelets rise

> somewhat, maybe to 500,000.

>

> If there seems to be no underlying pathology perhaps you can

treat

> the platelets by addressing the problem they might present. For

> example, is it a concern that the patient might have a tendency

> towards clotting because of the high count. If so, I would

think

> unblocking qi herbs and blood moving herbs would be helpful,

but only

> if a malignancy has been ruled out. And ofcourse it would

depend on

> what else is going on with her. I am just a beginner in TCM.

>

> Thanks for the reply. She could not give me an exact count of

her platelets but she has been told by the most eminent heamatologist

in scotland that the medication Hydroxy urea is her only hope and

that she will suffer strokes and such like if she dosent take them.I

was hoping to not only address the clotting but a possible causative

factor within tcm.

> regards M K Karim

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the website tip, Simon.

 

 

, " Simon " <s.becker@l...> wrote:

> For further information on hematology and Chinese medicine, you can

also see

> the website we put up as a " companion " to my book (Blue Poppy); go

to

> www.chinesemedicalhematology.com. Everything I translate about

hematology

> eventually ends up there. E-mail me for further questions.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Simon Becker

>

>

>