Polycythemia Support Group

I had 3 phlebotomys in 6 days and it helped bring my blood pressure down and relieved pressure in my head. It brought my level down a point.

I have had 3 phlebotomys so far. The doctors said it should make me feel a lot better,but I can't say that is the case. I think it helps some but not a lot.

OK, I dont know anything about you. Phlebotomy will relieve some dizzyness, but it will not make you feel completly better. It is just part of a treatment for this disease. I suggest you look at your diet, exercise, weight, and stress levels. This is all part of living with this. You can live a very normal life I think. Mine was less normal till I moved to Asia. The food, the heat, and my lifestyle keeps me more normal I think. There is a doctor in Mexico also that once provided diet information that made a big difference in how I felt. I can give his name, he is on the internet. He is also a real doctor. My friend also recommends, the herbdoc.com for treatments to flush out your system. With polycythemia, even digesting your food can cause you to be dizzy. Something to think about when you are eating.

I just had a phlebotomy and not sure if it has helped my blood levels, but I went in there symptom free and for 2 days after the procedure I've had a really bad headache with the neck and shoulders tightening. Extreme dizziness and fatigue. Sweats then chills. A blood vessel popped in my right eye. My ears were ringing and the pressure was so bad that I could not hear anyone speaking to me. My skin turned purple and blue. I felt great before I had this done and now I'm wondering if it really helped.

I may have had 100 phlebotomys over a 20 year period. One time, they even had to take out two units. I just got up and walked out pretty quickly, I felt very good with the blood removed. I do note some exhaustion after the procedure, but usually later, or hours later. I have bleed from my eye, but it had nothing to do with the photobotomy. I have heard that this procedure in older people might take a longer procedure. Taking an IV, salt solution and resting for several hours. If your blood was too thick, even after the phobotomy, then you could have symptoms like you described. I still left a note down below, and I still believe what I said there.

I suppose that my blood was too thick as my HCT was 60% at the time of the procedure. I also do yoga every morning and am on one of the strictest diets ever as I also have lupus. I'm feeling better this morning, so maybe the phlebotomy will help. It's just very strange that I had no symptoms when my HCT was so high; earlier in the year it was lower and I felt awful, lots of symptoms.