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Thrombocythemia and need neck surgery: Will surgery make it worse?
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: May 26 9:01pm | Replies (53)Comment receiving replies
Hi Pumpkin1,
Me, too, ET w/ JAK2. My primary sent me to a heme doc at the beginning of the year when my platelet count kept creeping up. Within 2 months numbers went from 481 to to almost 580.
I’m 71, female, petite and otherwise quite healthy. So, the heme doc said let’s try 81 mg aspirin and the supplement Nattokinese. The second one is tricky, you have to take it away from food. I started w/one at night, then he increased me to twice/day. For me, that’s first thing in the morning and just before bedtime.
He said he’d prefer not to put me on the heavier drugs if they could be avoided. I’ve had no real issues w/the Nattokinese. I did look it up online, of course!
Several blood counts later and again last month confirmed numbers are holding in mid-400’s. Maybe it will work for you? Ask your doc before trying this on your own.
Replies to "Hi Pumpkin1, Me, too, ET w/ JAK2. My primary sent me to a heme doc at..."
Thank you, sregiani, for introducing me to this possibility. I will look in to Nattokinese. I am willing to try anything that is not a chemo drug, with my doctor’s approval. I know some people may feel i am risking it by not taking hydroxy, but each person is different, w their own unique circumstances. As long as my platelets stay below 600, I am happy. If they go above, I will reassess. Wishing you the best and hoping your platelets continue to hold in the mid-400s.
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Information on nattokinase from the National Institutes of Health. Sounds interesting, though maybe more useful for those with heart disease than blood cancers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372539/
Nattokinase has since been contraindicated for people with coagulation problems, which might include Acquired vonWillebrand Disease sometimes associated with ET. Nattokinase contraindicated for those with a history of deep vein thrombosis, also associated with ET, because it can loosen stroke-causing clots.
So still being tested for various ailments.
As sregiani notes, ask your doc, and don't self-administer.