Chemotherapy is quite effective in a number of oncopathologies, but a similar technique has many side effects.
Chemotherapy is performed with drugs active against tumor formations and cancer processes, but along with malignant cells, these medicines also destroy healthy body structures.
After the chemotherapeutic treatment, all the vital areas of the body suffer: the scalp falls out, the general condition deteriorates and the immune status decreases, toxic intramuscular lesions occur, digestive processes are disrupted and the overall picture of blood changes.
Therefore, the patient needs a long rehabilitation.
Norm of leukocytes, platelets, hemoglobin and erythrocytes
Chemotherapy negatively affects bone marrow structures that are leading in the hematopoietic process.
Normally, in adults, these components in the blood are contained in such quantities:
| Substance | Norm |
|---|---|
| Leukocytes | 4,0-9,0 * 109 / L |
| Hemoglobin | Female - 120-150 g / l Male - 130-170g / l |
| Erythrocytes | Women - 3,5-4,7 * 10¹² / l Men - 4,0-5,0 * 109 / l |
| Platelets | 180-320 * 109 / L |
Such parameters are considered normal for an adultof the population, but under the toxic effects of antitumor drugs, they vary greatly, causing serious health problems, such as anemia, leukopenia, etc.
Blood counts after chemotherapy
In the course of chemotherapeutic treatment, the patient is constantly assigned blood tests to monitor the slightest changes in the blood composition. Usually under the influence of toxins, the blood formula changes significantly.
- Leukocytes. The level of leukocytes on the background of chemotherapy treatment is greatly reduced, which can be very dangerous for the patient, because his immune status falls sharply. As a result, the patient becomes vulnerable even to the simplest microorganisms and infectious agents. Therefore, the increase in leukocytes after chemotherapy is an important and necessary task.
- Hemoglobin. Chemotherapy has a depressing effect on hematopoiesis( hematopoiesis).The patient experiences a sharp drop in hemoglobin to critical levels and serious anemia develops. Especially hemoglobin falls after a combination of radiation and chemotherapeutic effects, or during a repeated course of chemotherapy. Normalization of the hemoglobin level significantly increases the chances of the patient for an early recovery, because hemoglobin directly depends on the survival of cancer patients.
- Erythrocytes. Because toxins in chemotherapy inhibit hematopoietic processes, the content of red blood cells in the blood of the cancer patient also decreases. He develops a pronounced erythrocytopenia, which is accompanied by a sharp decline in strength and rapid fatigue.
- Platelets. Decreased and platelet counts, develops acute thrombocytopenia. Such a condition is critically dangerous for the patient, since the patient's blood-tightness is practically zero and the slightest wound can cause severe bleeding with large blood loss. On the skin of the patient, bruises appear, from the gums and nose, and bleeding opens up in the digestive tract.
As can be seen, the picture of blood becomes very dangerous for the health of the oncologist, therefore, urgent measures should be taken to restore blood after the chemotherapy course of treatment.
How to recover?
Restoring the blood formula requires an integrated approach.
If there is a strong decrease in leukocyte cells, the temperature increases, the oncologist worries about redness around the wounds on the skin, severe diarrhea, soreness in the larynx and skin rashes.
The reduced level of platelets leads to gingival bleeding, uterine and gastric bleeding, which is extremely dangerous and fraught with fatal consequences.
Therefore, after systemic therapy with antitumor drugs, rehabilitation and recovery measures are vitally important.
How to raise leukocytes in the blood after chemotherapy?
To restore the leukocyte level, it is necessary to conduct a whole complex of measures, otherwise the patient will develop acute immunodeficiency. Usually resort to medicines and diet therapy.
As an additional measure, you can use the recommendations of traditional medicine, but only after medical approval.
Drug therapy
To increase leukocyte cells after chemotherapy, specialists will prescribe oncobolus drugs like Granacite or Neupogen, which are among the most potent.
If necessary, resort to sparing drugs such as Imunofana or Polyoxidonium. Also, among the prescribed drugs, there may be medications such as Methyluracil or Leucogen, Batilol or Pyridoxine.
In addition, there is a reception of Lenograstim or Filgrastim, stimulating the production of bone marrow leukocytes.
Food
To restore the leukocyte level, it is necessary and dietotherapy.
- After on chemotherapeutic treatment, the patient should include in the daily menu baked / stewed fish, beef and chicken broths, mussels and fresh vegetables like zucchini or pumpkin, carrots or beets.
- If possible, it is recommended to eat red caviar and fish, red wine, as well as fruit / vegetables in red.
- It is very useful to have breakfast with buckwheat, boiled in the evening with boiling water, but not boiled. It is good to add yogurt to improve the taste of cereals.
- It is useful to eat twice a day on an empty stomach on a spoon of honey.
- Sprouted lentils and chicory also have a positive effect on the white blood cell count. They need to be used on a large spoon twice a day.
Folk remedies
There are also many recipes among folk remedies that help to normalize the leukocyte level.
- Tincture of a walnut. Nuts are cleaned from the shell, placed in a glass container and filled with water. For two weeks, the container is left in the light, but is removed from the direct sun. Then it is removed into a dark closet. Take infusion three times a day for a large spoon throughout the month.
- Oat broth. A small saucepan is filled to half with oats, and the remaining volume is filled with milk. Bring the mixture to the boiling point, then 20 minutes to soak it in a bath. Drink small portions 3-4 times a day.
- Barley broth. Two liters of water are poured into 1.5 cups of grain and boiled on low heat until boiling twice. Drink a decoction three times a day for half an hour before a meal of 50 ml. Depending on the taste preferences of the patient, you can add honey or sea salt to the decoction.
Than to raise platelets?
If thrombocytopenia is formed on the background of toxic effects of chemotherapeutic medications in a cancer patient, his blood ceases to fold properly, which is very dangerous for life.
Therefore, such patients are prescribed specialized drug treatment with drugs:
- Dicinone( Etamsilat) - an effective drug against thrombocytopenia and bleeding;
- Sodium deoxyribonucleate( Derinat) - the basis of the remedy consists of drawing sturgeon milk, the medication is of natural origin;
- Corticosteroids( glucocorticoids) - here you can include drugs like Dexamethasone or Prednisolone, which stimulate the formation of platelets.
In addition, the reception of vitamin complexes( B + C) and trace elements( lysine, magnesium, and calcium, zinc) is shown.
It is useful to eat nuts and seeds, sprouted grains, fruits. Among the folk remedies effective is nettle juice, yarrow and other herbal infusions, but they can not be taken alone, the doctor's approval is necessary.
Increase hemoglobin
To increase hemoglobin after chemotherapy, mandatory dietary therapy is recommended with an emphasis on the use of foods rich in iron, B12, folic acid, etc.
But such a diet requires a measure, because with an excessive content of the above components, there will be an accelerated development of abnormal cellular structures. Therefore, more often these elements are prescribed in the form of medications.
If the hemoglobin level falls below 80 g / l, the oncology patient must be transfused with erythrocyte mass.
The preparations of the erythropoietin group, such as Neorecomonom or Eprex, have a positive effect on the recovery of the patient. But they are quite expensive, so they are not always available to cancer patients.
Patients with a low hemoglobin level after a course of antitumor drugs are recommended to eat three times a day on a large spoon magic mixture of lemon and figs, prunes and dried apricots, raisins and walnuts, seasoned with honey.
Juice from pomegranate and radish, beets and carrots, apple, cranberry juice etc.
is useful. Raising red blood cells
Erythrocyte cell structures are continuously produced by the bone marrow and represent red blood cells.
If they decrease( together with hemoglobin), then anemia occurs. Anemic processes of average severity are present in every oncological patient, so this condition is considered the norm.
Gradually, with the recovery of the patient, the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin will be normalized. Only an integrated approach to the rehabilitation of a patient after chemotherapeutic treatment will allow the organism, in particular, blood, to be restored sooner.