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.

ah .. the winter's so white, the fall is so colorful, the spring brings new growth, and the summer is nice and warm .. all seasons are beautiful, I think

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.

My first phelbotomy went well, the second I turned white at the end so they had to give me the IV (I made the mistake of looking at the blood bag). The third phelbotomy the blood bag only filled half way.
The nurse did not give me the ball to squeeze because she said she forgot to.
The fourth phelbotomy went well as the RN got the results of my CBC first then gave me the saline before and at the same time I was giving the blood also she a ball for me to squeeze if I need plus I found a book of the Psalms so I got the Royal Treatment. ( The other 3 different nurses did not give me this treament as it was in the doctors orders to give me the Saline.
I found out from a professor ot a medical college that I could have gone into cardiac arrest without the saline treatment..
(so I know now). It seems you have to be your own advocate so read the documents before you sign and check the doctors orders etc.

My Hematocrit was 48.7 on 12-21-09 right before my first phelbotomy.
My Hematocrit was 49. on 12-28-09 after my first phelbotomy.
My Hematocrit was 49.9 on 02-1-2010 after my second phelbotomy.
My Heamatocrit was49.3 on 02-15-2010 after my third phelbotomy.
My fourth phelbotomy was on 2-15-2010 and I will know the results when I see the Oncologist on my birthday April 22, this will be on the next cycle of my red blood cells( every 4 months)
The high on my Hematocrit before the Phelbotomy was 53.7 then 52.50 then 50.50 and then 4 months later went back to 53.7 then down to 48.7 before the first phelbotomy.
My platelets have been staying in the 165 range and the WBC 6.5 to 8.18 range. The HEMOGLOBIN is 17.4 to 17.9 the lower number was before phelbotomy and 17.9 on the third phelbotomy.
I have been feeling well and being positive thru prayer, reading the bible and watching my diet, meditation and exercise.
I have been taking a baby aspirin for the last 3 weeks (2-28-2010) after my oatmeal in the morning with a glass of water.
I have cut a lot of my cereal as I did not realize the high iron content so have been eating organic cereal.
I read that coffee is not to good to go thru the liver so I cut that out also helped bring my blood pressure down.
I need to change my thinking and the way I look at everything.
Take Care and will let know more.

I just had a phelbotomy after beign told by Dr. the week before that my platlets were up and some other things. (I had noted that I felt better in the past after I had numerous labs done and given a lot of blood for them). They took a pint and at the very end as they were taking out the needle and I was still lying down, I passed out for an extended period and nearly again o the way home. I noted somewhere it was mentioned they should be giving a saline IV befor eand during?? They didn't do that. Just did the draw. Should I insist on a Saline IV next time??

Mention this to your Doctor

I have polycythemia vera and go in about every 3 months for a phlebotomy. It doesn't seem to bother me. I make sure I eat something and drink water before and after the procedure. Also another thing that is very helpful is to have your doctor prescribe lidocaine creme for you. It will numb the area where they put the big needle to where I sometimes don't feel the needle at all. sometimes just barely. You will also need tegaderm patches to cover the creme while you wait for it to work. I put it on at least an hour before the procedure to get that area nice and numb. Sometimes longer than an hour may be needed. Kinda experiment with it...but it sure helped my anxiety about the needle.

I found out in March I had PV...well I went weekly for phlembodmys and after 3 of them I felt better...I went weekly for 12 weeks and my levels are were the dr wants them.I feel so much better.As of today It has been 4 weeks without one and feel pretty good still...They have worked for me I am a totally different person.

I seen my oncologist after the 4 phlebotomies (december 2009 thru 2-15-2010) on 4-21-2010 and my Hematocrit 51.7 and Hemoglobin 17. Then I started my first phlebotomy on the same day after the blood reading. Then I had 3 more.
4-30 my Hematocrit was 49.3 and Hemoglobin was 17.1. On 5-07 my Hematocrit was 46.9 and Hemoglobin 16.5.
On 5-17 my Hematocrit was 47.8 and Hemoglobin 16.9.
I went back to see my oncologist today 7-28-2010 and my Hematocrit is 54.5 (higher than my 53.7 for the year since i was diagnosed with polycythemia. So the doctor has me scheduled for 4 more starting today which i just complete but he put in the notes that if my Hematocrit goes below 50.0 not to do any until seeing him.
I noticed I don't have the red in my face like I have had in the past.
My platelets are low in the normal range and have been and my white cells are good and everything else.
I don't know if the phlebotomy is helping as the numbers go up and down and seemed to be ok with out the phlebotomy.
I only did the one today to be on the safe side and I will see what the numbers are on the next 3 cbc.
I am not taking the H medicine even though the doctor was trying to push on me in the beginning. I am taking aspirin 4 or 5 days a week (81mg).
I am leaving this all up to God and I will let the holy spirit guide me through this.
Even though I was not a happy camper about the rise in the number, my blood pressure was good at 132 and I was not anxious at the phlebotomy so I am looking at the positives and a better looking face not all red.
I will be in touch so everyone take care.

On 7-28-2010 my rbc was 54.5, this is the first time it went up in a year after eight phlebotomies.
Every 4 months my rbc would be 53.7 before any phlebotomy and would go down in the normal range near 48
I had a phlebotomy done on 7-28 and then I had a cbc done on 8-6 my rbc was 48 and the on 8-13 it was 49 and on 8-18 my rbc was 51.
The Oncologist said in his notes that if my rbc in these four were below 50 not to do the phelbotomy.
I elected not to have the 4th phelbotomy done because my platelets were 147 and the low normal is 150 mine are usally 165 and during the last 9 months they would be about 160, 155 or so.
I only had one phlebotomy done this round, the other two times before this you can see in my previous post.
In conclusion on my part the redness had pretty much gone away in my face. My blood pressure has been about 125-126 in the last month but I attribute this to handling stress better and watching my diet also cutting the coffee and tea completely for the last couple months.
During the phlebotomy and in between other phelbomy in a 4 week period my rbc would be 48 or 49 and only once dropped to 46.8. and then the number would go up after 2 in a half months.
I don't see a difference in the numbers of the rbc with or without phlebotomy.
I believe i will hold off for 2 or 3 month and have my rbc checked and go from there.
I am continuing my bible study and prayer also going to church and rely on God and allow him to direct me.
God is the ultimate healer also he gives me strength, wisdom and guidance.
I am not saying that doctors are not good but sometime they experiment.
My oncologist suggest a few months back that I go onto the radiation pills but I don't see the need when I am very healthy as his registered nurse practitioner told me except the red blood cells a little high. In fact when I mentioned to the Oncologist my rbc number went down on its own before the first phlebotomy he said that could have been a misreading.
I know the platelets can drop when you do to many phelbotomy, if someone has a high platelet number no big deal.
I don't take any blood thinners as this may lower your platelets.
I have been taking the 81mg of aspirin 4 or 5 days a week for the last 6 months.
Every situation can be different because are blood cell numbers are not the same.
I hope all of us can find some peace and hope through all of this and continue on forward.
I thank God for every day.