Need help for my husband

Polycythemia Vera
#1

trying to find answers here. sorry my shift key is not working so everthing will be lower case.
my husband is 37, not over weight, non-smoker. he went for multiphasic health screening the last 2 years. here is what he was last year

wbc 10 range 3.7 -10.5
rbc 5.40 4.40 - 5.70
hgb 17 13.1 - 17.3
hct 50.1 39.8 - 50.2 percent
bun 21 high 7-18
total bili 1.1 high 0-1.1
creatinine 1.0 .6 - 1.3

all these were high normal except for the high bun and bili
we atributed these to being dehydrated due to fasting 12 hour before the test. he works midnight shift and worked the nigh before this test.

now this year he took the night off from work so he rest before the test.

wbc 9.8 range 3.7 -10.5
rbc 5.80 high 4.40 - 5.70
hgb 18.1 high 13.1 - 17.3
hct 52.8 high 39.8 - 50.2 percent
bun 19 high 7-18
total bili 1.0 0-1.1
creatinine 1.0 .6 - 1.3

he took these to our family doc and she had him checked for Hemochromatosis they called and said he did not have Hemochromatosis
but they set him up an appt with a sleep doc.

i started doing a little research and found that Hemochromatosis and polycythemia were similar except for iron levels and hy husbands were 135 reference 55-175. here my questions

  1. do we need to be concerned about pv with his number not extremely high

  2. why would the doc send us to a sleep doc. he only snores on rare occasions like when he has went without sleep for a long time.
    we have a very high deductible we are trying to not make any unnecessary bill as we will have pay ourselves.

could he just go and donate blood a few times and see if that helps bring down his numbers. we can do another multiphasic health screening in oct

  1. what is the process of dx’d pv

  2. should we be seeing a specialist or can a family doc dx this

thank you for any info

cathy

#2 
 The PA at the VA diagnosed me... He also scheduled me for a bone marrow biopsy to find out what kind/flavor of PV I have... my numbers were a little higher than your husbands... 
 So, I would think that a regular doc could diagnose it... but, I would imagine that a very good medical practitioner would schedule additional tests to back him/her up... 
 Just my opinion, I hope that it helps...
#3

My doctor did the exact same thing for me. His tests were almost identical to mine. After being diagnosed with PV, was checked for Hemachromatosis, sent to a sleep lab which was a waste of money and time, I also work midnights, but sleep well, and a year later I took the night off before my test and drank water. My BUN, etc was all normal.

#4

Hi Cathy. In order to know for sure if your husband may have Polycythemia, he shd be referred to a Hematologist. He would first look to see if the red count is too high. Also sometimes the white count may be too high. I can't tell by the info you typed. Look online and ask what a normal red count shd be for men. Womens is different. Hope that helps.

Then, if it is too high, he would test to see if the Jak2 gene is mutated or not.

Harris22