Hydroxyurea and Sun Exposure

Well, I'm a street photographer (avocation, not occupation. No one pays me except the Social Security Administration), so I do spend time in the sun (a couple of hours or so when the light is right for film noir silhouettes), but other than that, I'm not a sun whorshipper by any means. When my hematologist and I began the Hydroxyurea, I had a platelet count that was in the millions and ET that had been undiscovered and untreated for 10 years. So, I had quite a challenge in getting my platelet count down to the normal range. My hematologist had to tinker with the dosage to get it right, but he was impressed with my tolerance for the Hydroxyurea and it took months to find the right dosage for me. I'm taking 500mg daily, and we worked the dosage out to one per day for two days, then 2 doses for a day, then back to one for two days. So, my dosage is 1, then 1, then 2, then back to 1, and continues like that. This keeps my platelet count below 400,000, but I have had some foods that spike my platelet count, such as dairy foods, green leafy vegetables and fatty fish (salmon and tuna). Once I discovered this, I eliminated those foods from my diet and my platelet count then returned to normal. So, what I have learned is that we can't eat whatever we want to, even if it is foods recommended by doctors and nutritionists. Their recommendations are for the general population and for people with Essential Thrombocytopenia (low platlet count). Trying to find foods I can eat while maintaining a normal platelet count has been a problem. On the one hand, a high protein diet keeps type 2 diabetes away, but, according to doctors I've had, it is a burden upon my kidneys. Despite this, I have had NO symptoms of kidney disease at all, yet, these doctors (four of them, so far) keep telling me I have kidney disease. The only evidence they have for this is my eGFR, which started out at 2, back in 2009, rose to 3 by 2014, then 3a by 2017 and, according to doctor number four, is now "wavering" between 3a and 3b, although she told me, in 2024, that my eGFR had dropped from 3a back down to 2.

@jodyjazz Yep, I've been aware of sunscreen for decades, but I haven't tried it since having ET because I haven't been convinced that the rashes are from sun exposure. Prior to the pandemic, I had no rashes and my face wasn't turning red from being out in the sun. So, I assumed the rashes were "mask rash" from wearing the Covid masks. However, since that ended, the rashes are still there on my cheeks. If I do spend much time in the sun during the summer, my face does turn red and I feel lethargic. But this subsides after I'm indoors again, after a few hours. If, on the other hand, I am out in the morning when it's relatively cooler (in Seattle), I avoid the red face.

What I have read about ginger oil is that it is good for skin health in general. It's not a substitute for sunscreen, that I know of, and that's not why I want to use it. I want to see if it can eliminate the rashes on my face, though. I'll let you know if it works.

Please do! I use vitamin C religiously and believe it helps protect my face from sun--a bit. I also do not go out much after 10am and before 4pm............I hate the restrictions, but hate the red bumpy face too.

@garyr443 Sorry. I got you confused with someone who is newly diagnosed. Lotta traffic on this thread that has strayed from original topic. Not interested in alternative treatments discussed here, so will butt out of this convo. Best of luck to you!

No problem! Have a good one.