Hi to one and all  Its such a relief to find a forum where I can find like minded folks to discuss my concerns.

I have suffered from secondary polycythaemia for the last 20 years,which has followed a regular routine of 3 weekly blood tests and normally venesection.I have one very good consultant,and due to the length of time I have been attending he shortened my waiting time and anxiety(over high haemocrite readings),he has arranged a walk in ticket for me,in that I make my appointment with the appropriate ward 3 weeks in advance,have my bloods taken the week prior to the appointment,then depending upon blood count either keep or cancel the appointment.The reception staff are well used to my routine so it doesnt cause any problems,and I also carry a signed letter from my consultant.

However evrything over the last 18 months have changed drastically,aand trying to keep all the balls in the air is prooving nigh on impossible,so Im turning to the FORUM for advice and assitance?

In Demebr 2017 I was informed out of the blue,that I had a serious heart condition,which turned out to be a severe left ventricle block.During 2018 I experienced 3 heart ops,including stents,and finally in January of this year 2019 had a triple wire heart pacemaker implanted.My immediatae concern was the polycythaemia!!! My heart was now working hard enough already,without the added problem of thick blood, matters could only get worse.The cardiologists gave me the best anticoagulant on the market APIXIBAN,plus the normal thinning drugs,and for a while my blood count remained low,and my red platlets were also well below normal.All was well with with the world.

As we all know both with polycythaemia nad heart problems,one of the biggest changes has to be diet!I changed my diet to that of the "mediterranean diet" which includes among other things fish and fish products.I stuck to the diet like glue,but then my problems started all over,my blood levels began climbing and eventually topped all previous levels and venesection was once again required.

We discovered the problem was down to shellfish,mussels,crab,etc etc,all of which contain enormous amount of iron.The one thing |I have always been warned about is ingesting any type of iron substitute.

It didnt stop there we discovered Cranberry juice full of vitamin B12 and vitamin C also pushed my blood count UP.We tried Coconut water,that turned out to be full of potassium which again builds up red blood cells,In fact most drinks contain strong traces of iron as do large leafy greens!!Even my morning cereals were loaded with B12,and various other B vitamins,plus sodium etc etc.

prior to my heart condition I could take these increases in my stride but now its almost life and death.Without being over dramatic Im desperate to find a safe diet of both food and drink that I can safely enjoy without the worry of raised platlet counts and the extra strain on my heart?(half a heart!!)

If anyone could point me towards both a food diet and safe drinks that I could consume without worry I would greatly appreacite it..thank you and apologies for drawn out woe!!  caskin43