How can I raise my platelet count? (With food)

Thanks to bobweller's "short summary" as presented. Hope it is useful as you can also find many of these writings by scanning various entries in google.com. Be careful with the contents since it is not really supported by true scientific studies. Again, may we have the authoritative paper or summary article from a combined effort of Mayo's nutritionists and hematologists and other ++ to guide us all. Why not teach us in more spisific and detailed manner as to what foods ( and amounts ++ ) and/or what supplements ( and levels ++ ) and others for a better outcomes and even cures. Really, if so far, we are just just based on good-intention guessing, hear-say and - - - , please tell us so; it is OK for us. Do you, and Mayo's medical institution authorities, really know the origins, compositions, and treatments of Platelets ++ ( Not finger-pointing at all ) for our advanced research and development efforts to help all patients in need of solid inputs??? No offense or defense here; truth shall guide us for the advance of the field. This forum exchange can be positives and also negatives; may we again asking Mayo's authority to offer their best and solid inputs via their experts. Thanks in advance. KSL.

Hello, this is dde83. I have a mild case of MDS and have had success with retacrit injections. However, for the last couple of years the numbers have been up and down a great deal. I also take a D vitamin weekly because those levels have been low. My oncologist doesn't seem to be concerned with the fluctuation of the numbers and has not recommended any types of diet or supplements. I tease with my wife telling her I need to eat more fried chicken to get my numbers up...she doesn't buy that! Appreciate the information others have shared on this issue.

Hi @dde83! Wouldn’t that be great if fried chicken was the cure for MDS?!? There’d be lines around the block at every KFC or Popeyes!
Alas, food or supplements aren’t the answer to raising blood numbers when there’s an underlying issue with the bone marrow’s ability to produce an adequate amount of certain blood cells, as with MDS. Retacrit injections are helping your body to generate red blood cells and it sounds like it’s been very helpful for you.
However, eating a healthy diet high in fiber, rich in antioxidants / anti-inflammatory foods and low in processed products/unhealthy fats are always recommended. Haha, that may exclude some forms of fried chicken. 😂.

By the way, welcome to Connect! I’m one of the mentors in the Blood Cancer & Conditions support group. We have some great discussions with members who have MDS. You mentioned that you have a ‘mild case’ of MDS which I take to mean that you’re at low risk for progression.

I took the liberty of doing a quick search for you and found a lenthy list of conversations with mention of Low Risk MDS. You can look through a few of the links to see where you might be interested. Feel free to pop into any conversation with comments or questions.
Here’s the link for you:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/?search=Low+risk+MDS
How long ago were you diagnosied with MDS? Was this found in routine bloodwork or were you having any symptoms which lead to the diagnosis?

Low platelets count.. my son drinks a lot of milk... we believe it helps. They have NOT found the underlying condition. They are going to try him on doptolet... He has been quite sick..no cancer has been found. He has currhosus and enlarged spleen. He feels like a lab rat.. 8 yrs and No diagnosis..

Very well said! The retacrit (was taking Procrit) has actually helped all blood count numbers including platlets. Diagnosis came after extensive testing by oncologist and verification at Southwest University Cancer Center back in 2014. I had been referred to the oncologist by my GP because of concern about numbers dropping and my continued problems with weakness, dizziness and low energy. The oncologist and Southwest wanted to start me on some heavy cancer meds but my wife did a lot of research and the oncologist agreed to try the Procrit. I give myself injections by weekly and so far has kept the numbers within acceptable ranges. I am so grateful to God and to the physicians for the progress. I have had friends not survive MDS and know it is serious. Very much appreciate your assistance

If you don't mind sharing his name will put him and your family in my prayers. Does he also have low white and red blood counts? Did they do a spinal tap to test bone marrow?

thank you. His name is RYAN

Yes, he is low on white and red cells too. Never use to be until they injecting him with Nplates 2024. Then when the hematologist found out he was going low in white cells, he gave him GCSF injections and how white cells went chronically low. It worked opposite of how they are suppose to, regardless long term injections. Short term raised them for 1 day, then drastically dropped worse than where he started off. They still try to insist giving him these, and I am like enough. they sneak them in. so when he was in ER, they gave him 4 straight days of GCSF. It almost made his spleen rupture. Then they discharged him in that condition. This young man has just been tortured and through enough bad doctors, that now I am trying to get him to Mayo in Phoenix. I am done with Fred Hutchinsons and all of them here. Yes, he has had spinal taps, bone marrows, biopsy, lymph node removals, it is enough and my foot is down.

This new hematologist wants to dry the doptolet??? It has been approved, am hoping that helps his platelets, but we still have the white and red cells to be concerned about. IVIG helps that, but to do both of these together, IDK??

We will pray that the new procedure does have good results. He has suffered enough.

I've had a low platelet count for over a decade. I switched to an alkaline diet and that doubled my platelets from 60 to 120, where they have been steady for this decade. You'll find charts online showing which foods are alkaline and which are acidic. I simply swapped out foods: like now using almond butter instead of peanut butter. The hardest swap for me was switching to green tea from black tea, but I've found ones that I like. Milk is actually slightly acidic. Lastly, I recently learned that low copper levels can cause low platelets. I just had mine tested and my level is below normal, so my doctor has just added copper supplements and we shall if that helps. MDs don't believe that diet has anything to do with this, but I'm not giving up this diet since it is the only thing that improved my platelet count -- and it is an anti-inflammatory diet, so that's good for anyone.

I think diet, exercise, all of that has to do with levels.. son has ITP too... Not one thing, except aggressive meds, I can consistently for sure say they destroy platelets and white cells...red cells seem most stable..