TOPIC:

Hello Lady Elly... I'm in Australia and have been taking the papaya leaf extract for six weeks and my platelets have just started to go on the rise.. so it may take some time for this product to work..

are you taking any type of medicen now?

it could take years for any alternative treatment to work. maybe it could take years. it took years for my symptoms to go away. i realise that that could mean my platelets have risen (i havnt had counts testd for years now ) but it could most possibly just mean my symtoms have gone away. either way i'm just saying, it could take a bit longer than a few weeks or months for these things to work. then again they just might not work at all no matter how long you take them. every body is different

frankie34 wrote:

hi kittieg.................thank you for your information, you definitely did your research. Your research is very informative.Thank you for sharing .Hope you don't have itp. thank you and god bless Frankie34

update. july 4th 2012, recieved my cbc count yesterday,I was disappointed, my platelets droppded to 43 from 53 k in a 22 day period. I asked about the tubes they used. They are coated with edsta, and other solutions. I blieve it was someone in this group who mentioned that this may cause the readings to be erroneus. Also the labs that are used for results. As of today, my doctor told me if they drop to 35k, he wants to use ritaxin, I am not to happy about that. I will continue to use the papaya extract, and take additional papaya tea,perhaps three tea bags a day. I will diminish my vitamin intake to only copper and vitamin D supplements. I started taking the papaya extract on 5/20/12 perhaps it will take a longer period of time. will keep group on my results. thank you all , god bless frankie34

The tube would have had EDTA. This doesn't cause erroneous results but some people's blood reacts to the EDTA causing their platelets to clump which then would result in no count due to clumping. I should also mention that it isn't always a blood reaction that causes clumping, a problem with the collection and sample handling can also cause this.


Kindest regards,
Barry

Hi Barry Thank you for the information, how do I progress from here, maybe I will tell them to us a tube withut edta, as a experiment. You mentioned clumping, is that when the platelets group together,You also mentioned the collection of the blood, would this have to do how long they wait before they test for results. They get their results immediately, they have there own machine. to get there results. Thank you again, take care and god blessyou . frankie

Hi Barry Thank you for the information, how do I progress from here, maybe I will tell them to us a tube withut edta, as a experiment. You mentioned clumping, is that when the platelets group together,You also mentioned the collection of the blood, would this have to do how long they wait before they test for results. They get their results immediately, they have there own machine. to get there results. Thank you again, take care and god blessyou . frankie

Hi,
Thanks for this info im thinking of giving the PaPaya Leaf Extract a go if i can get it here in Aus but i did have one concern, is there any known side effects of using this that you know of? I only ask because im looking at assorted treatments etc and some of them have horrid side effects but given that this is a natural treatment it probably has little or no side effects, thanks for your story.

Hi SamSam,
Im thinking of trying this, anything natural is better than what the docs want to try. Can you please tell me where you get it? I only ask because im in Aus also and not only do i have trouble finding helpful info on itp but the docs dont seem to be on the ball so i would appreciate any help you could give me on where to get the PaPaya leaf extract and does it come with info on how much to take and when etc? Thanks in advance.

I have Large Granular Leukima, I was wondering if the papya leaf would help my plaltes. They are down to 6 and they don't go any placenow I have to take promacet.If anyy body can help me with an answer thank-you

hi Debb As far as I know, I didnot hear of anyone on this website , who had a reaction, from the papaya leaf reatment, I can only vouch for myself, I have been using it since 5/20/2012.Some people have been using it for a year, with no side effects. I guess the only way to find out, is to give it a try. take care godbless you frankie

Hi ladyjo , there was a post by rob, on how he got started on papaya, after recieving numerous , treatments for itp. A nurse, told him about a leukemia patient, who could not recieve additional treatments , because the platelets were low, she used the papaya, and the platelets increased. I wish you luck , I guess the only way to find out, is to try it,Hopefulley it will help. We will pray you have success, take care and god bless you frankie

Hi Frankie 34:

I took papaya leaf extract faithfully for 6.5 months. My platelets are still at 6k. My platelets did go up to 22k in Jan. 2012 for a brief few days and dropped down to 6k. Really had hopes it would work. From what I've read about papaya leaf extract, it needs to be fresh leaves every 3 days. We can't get it fresh off trees in U.S.

Don't know of anyone except 1 person who has said it worked for them.

Keep us informed to your progress with the papaya extract and best wishes.

how long were you on the Papaya leef extract before you noticed an increase in your platelet counts? i have been on steroids since january 2012 (when i fist got diagnosed) and i drop to 10K every time i try to tamper off them. i would be willing to try anything more natural that has even a slight chance of working!

ddinap:

I started on papaya leaf extract on Nov. 29, 2011. My platelets were <10k. I took it faithfully every morning on empty stomach - 2 Tbsp. no water and had nothing to eat for 30 min. to 1 hour later.

12/15/11 CBC 8k
12/21/11 CBC 13k
12/28/11 CBC 14k
01/04/12 CBC 15k
01/11/12 CBC 22k
01/18/12 CBC <10k
01/20/12 CBC 7k

I continued to take the papaya leaf extract for 6.5 months. Recently I quit since my platelet count was not going up.

After 1/20/12, my platelets have continued to stay between 6k - 10k.

I have kept a spreadsheet of all my platelet counts and dates since I was first diagnoised with I.T.P. on May 25, 2010, which was due to a vaccine.

Good luck if you decide to try papaya leaf extract.

Frankie:

The only reason you would need to do a CBC without the EDTA is if they were getting results that showed clumping of the platelets, and even if that happens, it can be for reasons other than the lining of the tube (and it also can be because of the EDTA treated tube).

So I would talk w your hemo and ask if they've ever seen any signs of clumping on the slide. If they say no and you still have a pang of doubt, ask if they can do two tests at the same time - one w the EDTA lined tube (usually purple cap), and one without (usually blue cap).

In all honesty, we pay so much #!@ money to these doctors, I think if you request this your wished should be respected, regardless. it's no extra issue for them.

At the end of the day, they probably would have told you if they've seen clumping. But it never hurts to ask.

And finally an update for everyone: short story, I still have ITP. But also have clumping sometimes, so we are going to continue using two tubes for the next few CBCs. Here's the stats:

6/15: got numbers done - 60k and they saw the clumping (and I wrote the long post about this).
6/29: new test, two vials, one coated w edta one without. 31k in one and 30k in other.

So now we know these things:

1. EDTA is probably not an issue for me.
2. My platelets sometimes clump if sitting for a while (the new lab sends them out, rather than on site testing).
3. The papaya is not helping much, but maybe helping a little?
4. I still have ITP, and my numbers are dropping, but still in a decent range.

The numbers have gone down pretty significantly over the last few months, but staying above 30k with no medication besides papaya leaf is good enough for me. My current dr is fine with not treating at these numbers, and is fine with me taking the papaya leaf as an experiment. So the experiment continues!

I never thought papaya would cure it, but if it keeps me from having to take steroids/winrho/rituxan I'm happy enough with that.

It will be great to talk with experts at the conference in a couple of weeks about these things!

I hope to see some of you there!

hi kittieg Good advise, you make sense, will do what you suggest , the next time, I am schedule for a cbc. You mentioned 30k for platelets, that is exactly what my doctor said, I will continue to take the extract, and have added the papaya tea, perhaps, it may help. If it doesn,t I will handle. again thank you, take care, god bless you . frankie

Hi Lady Elly, I am trying to take the papaya tea, see if this helps, if not will try your method. thank you for your information. take care, and god bless you frankie

Frankie:

Last check my platelets were 6k. Today they were 19k! Wow, I am so excited.

I have been off all medications for nearly 8 months. I believe what may have helped them to go up is taking B12 injections every 2 weeks.
My B12 levels were bottomed out last Nov. 2011.

B12 injections and CBC:
11/29/11 - B12 - <10k
12/13/11 - B12
12/21/11 - 13k
12/28/11 - B12 - 14k
1/4/12 15k
1/11/12 - B12 - 22k


As of 1/11/12, I quit taking the B12 injections every other week as I was thinking it was the papaya leaf extract bringing platelet count up. Of course, platelets dropped drastically the following weeks.

Started taking B12 injections again every 2 weeks on 5/29/12 and platelets were 6k.

Had platelets checked on 5/29/12 at 6k and did not check again until today, 7/9/12 and they were 19k.

Will continue the B12 injection every two weeks. Will have platelets checked 8/24/12. It may be possible that the B12 injection is helping to raise platelets.

Good luck on the papaya tea.

Hi Lady Elly I AM GLad FOR YOU, AND HOPE YOU HAVE CONTINUED SUCCESS, WITH THE B12 AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR POST. KEEP US INFORmed. TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS YOU FRANKIE

Elly:

What is the dose of the b12? Does it have to be an injection (is it really high)?

I do not know the B12 doseage. It is an injection every two weeks. My vitamin levels were checked and the B12 was extremely low. I had been on high doses of Folic Acid which apparently depleted the B12 levels.

Perhaps the B12 did work and will continue working with raising platelets, we'll see. Even tho they are still low, they went up from 6k to 19k which was great!

Will keep you posted.

19k is in a category I like to call "good enough"! Especially when the last number was 6k!

hi Went to the lab for blood work because the sample they took on 7/3/12 for copper didnot register, Today 7/11/12, I had a cbc and copper test, the cbc test platelets went from 42k to 47k in 8 days, I was happy about the increase, the only difference was i started to increase my papaya leaf tea, to twice a day. along with b12 tablets and copper. I asked the lab tech, if she had a vial without edta, she said no this is what they use , by color code. I WILL ask the doctor at my next appointment 8/7/12, if they can use a vial without edta and perhaps one with edta and do a comparison, thank you . and god bless you all frankie

Kittie--I think you have done really well for being off of meds!! I didn't read your posting regarding the "clumping", but I will look for it later on.

Just wanted to mention that look forward to meeting you at the conference. I plan to attend this year (we were going to Colorado any way).

If my platelets didn't always "crash", I would do exactly as you are doing. I don't really feel that bad when my platelets are low.

Hope to see more of you at the conference.

Hi I am newly diagnosed with itp 3 weeks back.My counts has been less than 10 n I was given plt transfusion .it went up to 46 then drop to 25 ...the dr have given me option on watchful waiting or can start treatment...I have read so much on papaya leaf extract .As for today I have not started any treatment except for taking supplement...and taking papaya leaf juice( usually I wash the leafs and extract them)....any advice ....

My advice is to be sure and tell your doctor what you are taking, because that is a type of treatment and the doctor should know about it.
Erica

My advice is to find a haematologist who doesn't immediately resort to platelet transfusions which are not indicated for the treatment of ITP.

Ranjit,
If possible, try to do as much research as possible while you are waiting to start a treatment plan. Do you have a lot of symptoms? There are things you can do (including diet) to help control your symptoms. I would try to work on the reseach and diet until you decide what type of treatment you want to try.