Hi,

I just found this forum, and wanted to tell my story. I was diagnosed with PV in 2015, and have been going through phlebotomies ever since. I started with weeklies, and half the time or more, my blood was so thick that they could not even complete the treatment. Into 2016, treatments stabilized into every 2-4 weeks. I tried various dietary things to make the PV better or reduce the frequency, including ridiculous amounts (4000mg/day) of fish oil, and kimchi (fermented vegetables are very good for you), and I was getting a 4-6 weeks out of it.

May 1, 2022, I started a carnivore diet, minimizing carbs, and basically eating all meat and meat products. It was the recommendation of my GP doctor because I was getting close to becoming pre-diabetic. I was able to lose 45 lbs, get off my BP meds (and my BP is lower than it was on the 2 meds and eating a standard American, carb-heavy diet), stopped taking my statins, and am in much better health. My PV seems to be reduced. I actually had phlebotomy on 4/27/23, and my hematocrit was 51. However, the experience was totally different, because instead of the nurses laboring and trying to force blood out of me, it flowed normally, and they were done in 25 minutes rather than the hour plus phlebotomies used to take.

I think this diet has reduced the effects, if not reversed my PV. I have been searching online for verification of this, however, aside from forums like this, I have only found sites that say things like "for PV, you should eat a low fat, plant-based diet, and any meats you eat should be lean and mostly protein." Which, I'm here to tell you, is not my experience.