I’m getting repeated bouts of low neutrophils from Ribociclib and I was wondering whether anybody had found any way to boost neutrophils? The nurses at the chemo unit say there’s nothing you can do other than wait. There seems to be little research - though I’ve found vitamin B3, 90% dark chocolate and cold showers mentioned. I do quite a lot of exercise, and I’m fairly light (BMI of about 18) - I’ve wondered whether I need to put on weight.
Any ideas? I don’t like the phrase “there’s nothing you can do about it” (!!!). I like proactive.
I did try the dark chocolate route….probably why I put on over a stone during chemo. Don’t know if it helped. I had a problem with low neutrophils and was also told there was nothing I could do except wait. Sorry it’s not any help.
When my neutrophils went on holiday after first fec, I took lifemel honey, ate a steak a day and had reduced chemo rounds 2-6. I didn’t end up in casa nhs for those rounds of chemo. I don’t know if it was reduced dose or what but I just tried anything. Shi xx
Hi
I’ve tried most things.lifemel honey dark chocolate and it didn’t help. I’m currently on Altrient vitamin C so will find out this week if it’s working.
Frustratingly it does seem that nothing really helps. I had a bad cold last month and was convinced they would be low and they were the highest in months! Make sense of that?
It’s always worth trying something as what doesn’t work for them one may work for you
Good luck xx
Hi there
I am on Palbociclib & have a 35 day cycle (21 chemo / 14 day break) because my neutrophils are always under 1 after a 7 day break. I have been told by my Oncologist that there is nothing that will boost the neutrophils - it’s just the way my body works but the 14 day break isn’t a problem. Like you I keep fit & I’m a size 8, however I hate plain chocolate so can’t comment on that
Hope this helps xx
Hi @blueparakeet my neutrophils were consistently low throughout my chemo and immunotherapy - very frustrating. Have you been prescribed GCSF injections? I was initially only prescribed them after my ‘dense dose’ of treatment (i.e. when I’d had a combination of chemo drugs and immuno), however my oncologist increased the prescription so that I could take the GCSFs after every dose and it helped get the numbers up. For me, I needed at least 2 days’ worth to have the desired outcome. Any less and my cell count remained too low to proceed with treatment.
I’m proactive just like you and found that nothing else I did had any impact on the count.
They tend to come back up after an extra week off, but I’ve been put on 400. Apparently it’s as good as 600? The oncologist didn’t want to do injections because of side effects.
I had a walk in the rain the day before the last blood test (that’s supposed to boost immunity), as well as dark chocolate and a lot of meat (I don’t usually eat much of that). It brought them up well before the usual levels. Make of it what you will…
xx