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70 + year women with Thrombosis

Posted by rch552320 @rch552320, May 11, 2024

My mom diagnosed with high PLT count during routine health checkup. Presently using HydroxyUrea 500 mg two tablets per day. Any suggestions to remediate the condition. We are worried about her. What are the future conditions arise with this health condition ? Please advise precautions. We are losing sleep thinking about her.

thank you, SC

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janemc | @janemc | May 13, 2024

Thank you for supporting your mother through this diagnosis.

Wondering if she is also taking low-dose aspirin? That's good for our cardiovascular systems too when our platelet counts are high.

For me, taking HU with milk works well. Drinking lots of water through the day helps too.

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nohrt4me (Jean) | @nohrt4me | May 14, 2024

Continuing to follow discussion and hoping rch552320's mom will get some traction with the meds and feel better soon.

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Rhonda Gregory | @rjgregory440 | May 14, 2024
In reply to @rch552320 "Thank you Lori for your detailed guidance and explanation. HU currently she is taking one a..." + (show)
Profile picture for rch552320 @rch552320

Thank you Lori for your detailed guidance and explanation. HU currently she is taking one a day and two every alternative day. But her count in Feb 29, 2024 was around 988, but went up again in May May 9, 2024 -1185. Doctor has advised her to use two HU for a day. But mom complains about stomach upsets and has to drink plenty of water.....

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Your mom should try taking the hydrea with a meal (I don't take it at night because I have digestive issues as well) and drink at least 60 ounces of water every day. The water helps to flush the medicine through her system and to keep her hydrated.

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rch552320 | @rch552320 | May 14, 2024
In reply to @loribmt "It’s encouraging that your mom is being seen by a hematologist. Often, though knowledgeable, primary care..." + (show)
Profile picture for Lori, Volunteer Mentor @loribmt

It’s encouraging that your mom is being seen by a hematologist. Often, though knowledgeable, primary care physicians aren’t necessarily the best doctor for treating blood conditions. Since your mom just started taking a higher dosage of HU a couple of days ago, she may need to give herself more time for her body to adapt to the medication. I don’t say this lightly because I’ve had my share of medications over the past few years and the first couple of week of adjustments can be very trying. So tell her to hang in there! 😉
And encourage her to drink that water! I’ve found I’m able to really take in a lot more water if I drink it at room temperature.

Is she taking the HU with food? Other members have mentioned that it can help lessen the tummy queasiness. She might try some candied ginger candy to help with that.

I’m sure her doctor is expecting that with this higher dosage of HU, mom should see her platelet numbers decreasing in subsequent blood work. It can take some tweaking to get a good balance of meds vs return. If her numbers drop appreciably she might even be able to return to the lower dosage at some point.

How often are her blood labs done?

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She is taking 1000MG of HU every day after her meals and drinking plenty of water and she sees her doctor every six weeks to check her blood work.

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rch552320 | @rch552320 | May 14, 2024
In reply to @janemc "Thank you for supporting your mother through this diagnosis. Wondering if she is also taking low-dose..." + (show)
Profile picture for janemc @janemc

Thank you for supporting your mother through this diagnosis.

Wondering if she is also taking low-dose aspirin? That's good for our cardiovascular systems too when our platelet counts are high.

For me, taking HU with milk works well. Drinking lots of water through the day helps too.

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Can you provide more details on low-dose aspirin ? can she take this along with HU 1000MG every day ?

Pls advise

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Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | May 14, 2024
In reply to @rch552320 "She is taking 1000MG of HU every day after her meals and drinking plenty of water..." + (show)
Profile picture for rch552320 @rch552320

She is taking 1000MG of HU every day after her meals and drinking plenty of water and she sees her doctor every six weeks to check her blood work.

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Adapting to meds isn’t easy so I hope your mom will start to adjust to her higher dosage soon. Feeling queasy is no fun. I’m sure you’ll both be eager to see what the next labs show! Fingers crossed that the HU starts lowering those platelets to a normal level. As you can see, there are a number of members here who are taking HU and are concerned about your mom. So please let us know how she’s doing.

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janemc | @janemc | May 14, 2024
In reply to @rch552320 "Can you provide more details on low-dose aspirin ? can she take this along with HU..." + (show)
Profile picture for rch552320 @rch552320

Can you provide more details on low-dose aspirin ? can she take this along with HU 1000MG every day ?

Pls advise

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Only her doctor can decide what's appropriate for your mom.

Still, I believe the great majority of ETrs do take both a low-dose aspirin (to thin the blood) and HU (to curb over-production of platelets).

Together, these medications help reduce the burden of our platelet-heavy blood on our cardiovascular systems and our bone marrow.

If your mom's doctor does suggest adding low-dose aspirin, please be sure to get a buffered form. It's so much easier on the stomach.

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