Low platelet count, normal clotting time, elevated red blood cell count

Hi all,
I haven't submitted a question in a very long time but, after my latest blood tests results, I wanted to reach out to see if others have had this experience also. A little background first - I was initially diagnosed in Jan. 2014 with ITP and given the standard treatment at that time of high doses of prednisone. I would stabilize until the dosage was systematically lowered then my count would plummet dramatically. This went on for several months. Then, my doctor tried the dexamethasone route for awhile but that treatment would only give me a temporary spike in count and then I would plummet again after a couple of weeks. Next, we went the IVIG route on my insistence. Same results - temporary spike then much lower counts (up to 100,000 then down to below 10,000). My hematologist wanted to go straight to Rituxan and surgery. I was scheduled to start the Rituxan but then backed out after I researched the side effects. I already didn't feel like myself. I had given up working out, yoga, outdoor activities, etc. at the insistence of my hematologist and I was tired of feeling bad. So I travelled to see an environmental doctor after I started taking Liposomal Vitamin C and Glutathione. He ran extensive tests on me, as had other doctors, and I had no other health problems/diagnoses aside from ITP. His only concern was my very low platelet count (below 10,000) and the fact that some substances had shown up in blood and urinalysis testing that shouldn't have been there - primarily ethylbenzene, benzene, styrene, o-xylene, (in my blood) and chromium (in my urine). We discussed the possible reasons for these results and arrived at the hypotheses that, since I live in a town where both an oil refinery and a tire manufacturing plant are located and these substances are used in those industries, these solvents/essential elements were probably affecting my environment and I was absorbing them through air & water. This doctor was out-of-network as far as my insurance was concerned and I couldn't afford to continue seeing him but he advised me to keep up with my liposomal therapy as well as my aloe vera. Fast forward three years later to now-my clotting time is normal as measured by PT and has been for two years while my platelet count is around or below 16,000. (All of my platelet counts for the past 3 years have been below 16,000). Recently, my latest CBC shows that my red blood cells and my hematocrit is slightly elevated. My doctor did not mention this development to me and I only found it by going over the latest CBC test results. Has anyone else had this experience? Should I be concerned? The reason I decided to ask on the forum is that I have learned far more from reading posts here than from my hematologist, who currently isn't technically treating me now because I've refused all of her suggestions for treatment, and my GP who is learning along with me as I'm her only ITP patient. Any help or information you could provide would be appreciated. Thanks so much!

Dona:
All I can tell you is that I never, ever have a CBC where everything is in 'normal' limits. If the doctor isn't concerned, I wouldn't worry about it. I've even had results where the doctor was concerned and wanted me to see another specialist, but I waited until the next result which was back to normal. Anything that is lightly above or below the reference range is usually ok, like if the platelet range is 150 to 400 and you get a 147, you're not going to worry about that.

As for the normal bleeding time....that is great! That's supposed to happen.

Sandi,
Thanks for your reply! I appreciate your time and your expertise. I try not to get too concerned but every now and then, something is out of the ordinary and triggers worry.

dona, I like to use the PDSA 'search' capability a lot. For example, here is a search on the words 'red' and 'hematocrit' on PDSA:

pdsa.org/discussion-group/search.html?query=hematocrit%20red&searchdate=all&order=inc&childforums=1

I read through the first page. All the discussions were about low hematocrit. Might want to read through yourself. Also, because of misspellings, you might want to search on 'hemat' word fragment too.

About Rituxan. After reading about it, it scared the pooh out of me too. It was only the low chance/probability of an adverse reaction that got me through it.