I started my Chemo on the 12th of October and had my second lot of FEC on the 2nd of November, when my blood results came back my Neuts were on the low side and I had to be re tested, they were just below borderline and the oncologist let the treatment go ahead. I am so desperate not to have any delays in treatment, I just want to get the chemo over with - I am sure everyone does! - so was wondering if anyone had any tips to try and encourage those little neuts to increase between blasts.
If anyone has any ideas can you let me know please?
Hi Dena
After my first cycle of chemo my neutrophils dropped to 1.4. I then read a post on this web site stating that manuka honey is a stimulant for increasing blood counts. I thought I had nothing to lose and bought a jar - I took a teaspoon three times a day (usually in a cup of green tea) and after that my neutrophils averaged 3.5. I had no more problems and have since been told that this honey also helps heal sores, sore throats and mouth ulcers. A friend of mine’s husband suffers from stomach ulcers and he finds this honey a comfort. The good thing is that it doesn’t interfere anyway with the chemo - it is just horribly sweet. I suggest you search manuka honey on this site to see if it has benefitted others in the same way it did me.
Vicky
I just finished chemo 12 days ago, 3 EC and 4 Taxol. The taxol I managed to do every 2 weeks without the help of any white blood cell stimulating (GCSF) injection as I had a bad reaction to the one given with first EC and my white blood cell counts were always good except once when I picked up a urinary infection.
Whilst little has been proven to promote white blood cell production the following might help and seemed to work for me.
PROTEIN eat plenty, whilst not exactly a pure vegetarian I don’t really like meat so eggs, cheese, pulses and nuts were my main source.
WEIGHT BEARING EXERCISE I tried to keep up with my dog walks, that became more difficult towards the end of chemo as the fatigue set in though.
AVOID INFECTION seems obvious but, particularly with all the bugs around at this time of year it’s worth being vigilant, keeping away from bugs or people with them, keep away from large crowds as this increases the likelihood of you coming into contact with bugs. Wash your hands constantly, I didn’t let friends kiss me even when they were well…extreme I know but I desperately wanted to finish the chemo as soon as I could.
REST you just have to listen to your body on this one.
I hope this helps. Gosh when I re-read it it makes me sound a bit OCD which I’m not at all…just wanted to do what I could to keep those little white cells multiplying.
yes I also used manuka honey. Forgot to say that. Lots of good reports about it. Careful not to dissovle it in hot water as this can destroy lots of the beneficial elements of it, but it’s delicious on oat cakes and in lots of other ways.
I was sent an email recently extolling the virtues of honey with cinammon…haven’t tried it but can’t do any harm.
Oh thanks for that Vicky, I have some of that in my cupboard, I usually have it on toast though1 i will try it with the green tea, I could do with it sweeter anyway so I will give it a go.
Hope it works like it did for you
Thanks Hope too, I have tried to keep up the dog walking but it does get harder when you are tired doesn’t it? I am just going to try and do as many of the tips as I can as I am so desperate to avoid as many needles and delays as possible! I am such a wuss!
Green tea!! - I drank it all the time during my chemotherapy. Wasn’t aware at all that it was prohibited. To double check I have just read my chemotherapy patient held record book and the foods it states to avoid are:
Raw shell fish, BQ food or reheated food, foods bought from the deli.
Unpasteurised dairy products and soft ripened and blue veined cheeses.
Soft whipped ice cream, live yoghurt and pro-biotic drinks.
Raw egg and foods containing raw egg, e.g. marzipan, mousse.
Black pepper.
There is no mention in my information manual of avoiding green tea and the only reason they recommend avoiding the above is because of the increased likelihood of neutropenia due to drop in blood levels.
I am due a consultation with my Onc at the beginning of December so will ask her if green tea should be avoided.
Vicky
Green tea!! - I drank it all the time during my chemotherapy. Wasn’t aware at all that it was prohibited. To double check I have just read my chemotherapy patient held record book and the foods it states to avoid are:
Raw shell fish, BQ food or reheated food, foods bought from the deli.
Unpasteurised dairy products and soft ripened and blue veined cheeses.
Soft whipped ice cream, live yoghurt and pro-biotic drinks.
Raw egg and foods containing raw egg, e.g. marzipan, mousse.
Black pepper.
There is no mention in my information manual of avoiding green tea and the only reason they recommend avoiding the above is because of the increased likelihood of neutropenia due to drop in blood levels.
I am due a consultation with my Onc at the beginning of December so will ask her if green tea should be avoided.
Vicky
Hi, i have also heard to avoid green tea and i asked when i went for chemo and the nurse said that best to avoid anything like that as its not known how it reacts with chemo. I have a box of sencha green tea waiting for when i finish chemo.
take care
anna
Please feel free to butt in anytime, the more ideas the better as far as I am concerned.
I think with a lot of things the NHS say that they do not recommend it because there is no proof for or against things, I am thinking bio oil, and supplements etc. I think they are trying to avoid any liklihood of people sueing them if things are later found harmful.
Please keep the ideas coming if you have any. I am willing to try anything that avoids yet more needles and delays!
You may find you are offered injections to boost your white cell count.I had Neulasta every cycle and lots of people have Granocyte injections for 5 days post chemo.
I am due last chemo tomorrow and have been drinking green tea throughout and also eating live and probiotic yogurts, which my ONC recommends. Also been taking a multibonita supplement (probiotic) to help with IBS which ONC recommended. Different hospitals, different practices - just check with your ONC first.
Hi Jayney, good luck with the last one, yay how cool. I get my 2nd to last one on wednesday, its so great to be at this end. I only have 3 weeks and 3 days till picc line can come out, yay!
I have been having Neulasta injections but still have had to delay each chemo because my white cells are so low. I guess I’d better go and buy some manuka and beetroot. I’ll try anything.
Kelley
I had netrophils of 0.8 which delayed my second cycle. I now take granocyte injections for 7 days after chemo, plus I take manuka honey and aloe vera gel - but only on my last week to avoid any problems with the honey or gel interfering with the chemo. It worked well for my 3rd cycle but I forgot to take them till 2 days ago this time round and my count was only 2 with chemo due on Wed (high enough to go ahead, though).
Since my very first chemo my white count has been down. I was delayed by a few weeks i the end. I hd neulasta and it did not work ,then I had GSF. I have to have blood tests now three times a week and take gcsf according to the resuts of each test.
It has made chemo very difficult. I do not know how I have got through it , but I have. my last chemo is on Friday.
