Shitake mushrooms helping to stabilize white blood cells

Question

My white cells were dropping and went into the low range.  I asked the nurse 'is there any certain food or beverage that I could use that would help to build the white blood cells?'  They don't allow herbs in the trial and no rescue meds.  Anyhow, my very helpful study nurse did some research on it and said that there had been some studies indicating that Shitake mushrooms had shown that they can help to build the white blood cells and the immune system.  She told me to get some and wash them really well and eat them cooked.  I did that and was eating them in some form or fashion just about every day last week.  I had my blood draw on 6/25 and by 6/27, my nurse called me to tell me the good news that my whites had stabilized and were actually a couple of points higher.  So, I'm going to be eating some more shitakes.  I just clean them and chop them up and throw them into other dishes that I'm cooking.  I made some mushroom soup with them one day.  On another day, I put them on some flat bread pizza.  On another day, I put them in a stir-fry I made.  Anyhow, since I can't have Neupogen, this is going to have to work.  I'm also heard that yogurt with the live cultures in it helps your immune system, etc.  I've been eating the for awhile.  I just thought you might get some use out of this info.

Susan

dointime · Answer

Hey Susan,

Just dropping in to wish you all the best with what you are doing, and thanks for the advice on the shitakes,

dointime

susan400 · Answer

The shitake mushrooms was supposed to help to stabilize or increase your white blood cells, not lower them.  It was recommended to me when I was in a clinical trial and my white's were dropping and the trial did not allow any rescue drugs.  The study nurse told me that I could try to eat them.  She suggested cleansing them thoroughly and then, cooking them in like soups, stir-fry's, casseroles, things of that nature.

Susan400

jbohaj · Answer

Please tell how to Eat the White Mushrooms in Order to Decrease White Blood Cells Count in a 31 year old Woman. Should I consume it Raw Or Cook it??.

My White Blood Cell Count is = 26.2 H according to the Test.

PasoPerson · Answer

Oh Susannah!!  I am SO happy for you.  Do you know your latest VL yet?  Still praying about this study being the answer to SVR for you.

God bless,
PasoPerson

PS - Hi everyone.  I've been off list for months on end.  Just too much going on in my family (have TWO teenagers now and me being older than dirt ... phew).  I was not in shape to be of assistance to anyone; and what I needed assistance with had nothing to do with Hep C.  Hope I can stay on here more regularly now and contribute off and on to someone's well being.  (Can hardly WAIT to get my Hep C shield and wear everywhere.)  Also, planning to get a Hep C ribbon tattoo, will be my first at age 62, above my ankle - to generate response.  So, guess if they look high they will see the shield pin and if they look low they will see the tattoo, lol.

ladybug52 · Answer

Well, I bought some shitake mushrooms tonight. Ladywhy told me about your post. I only have the dried version at the local store, tomorrow I'll drive into the big city and try to find fresh ones. 
Thanks,
Bug

FullOfHope77 · Answer

I think you're ok as you've always been very careful to be very conservative and honoring of the study in your comments, so I don't see you have any concerns there. Seems to me that Wheatgrass is more a food too but I guess really we drink it and therefore not allowed. The structure of Chlorophyll (molecular level) is so close to a red blood cell it's such a pitty we can't assist our blood with something so natural and works so well... anyway, good luck on the 'food' that you're allowed to used to assist with your anemia and stay healthy. I'm hoping for you! -hope-

susan400 · Answer

This was suggested to me by the study nurse.  It's a food and not an herb.  I know that the grapefruit and grapefruit juice is not allowed, she did tell me that.  She did tell me about no herbs.  But eating the mushrooms as a food and not as a pill, was not a listed item as being not allowed on the study.  She gave me a list of all the non-allowed meds, etc.   It would probably not be a good idea to eat anything in a pill form though.  I am trusting that since she's working at a major medical clinic (well known) and is my regular study nurse, that she knows what she's talking about.  She did not suggest this to me in the beginning, but after my white cells had started dropping.  I'm not on the Riba and my red blood cells have not dropped.  

I don't want to say anything further, because they really don't want you to talk that much about the study.  I was warned about not talking about the study drug at the beginning and I don't want to get into trouble with the trial.  

But, I thought that just giving the info that I was given about the shrooms might be okay.

Susan

FullOfHope77 · Answer

I was not allowed to take wheatgrass (which I KNOW will help with RBC growth; and that is due to the study and surprised that they will allow this to be used? did you confirm or just going forward with it anyway?) Just curious as I know a couple things could help us but so far everything I've asked about has come back with a big NO that we can't use that during the study...

Pdilly · Answer

I too had low wbc.  I wish I had known.   Have you started your trial yet?   I have not been on but sporadically.   Hope you are doing okay.

Pat

orphanedhawk · Answer

I love solutions like this. At the worst, they are benign. At the best, they work and they are delicious.   Thanks for passing this along.

susan400 · Answer

I found this link when I googling for some more info on them. 
 
http://www.answers.com/topic/shiitake-mushroom-1?cat=health      

Anybody that knows me, knows that I am not a 'naturalist' or 'herby' pushing person.  Far from it.  But, when the study nurse was trying to find something for me to try when she found out about my low whites and of course, we can't take the rescue meds on the trial, she did come across these studies on the shrooms.  

I just decided to try it out and see if I could tolerate eating them throughout the time period between the CBC on the trial.  I bought them fresh at the produce market and didn't do the dried schroom or pill thing.  I just kept chopping them up and adding them into different dishes.  Anyway, I'll keep doing it for awhile and see if it keeps up my whites.  This write up says that they are supposed to even be good for helping with your cholesterol.   It mentions that they have antiviral and antibacterial properties to them.  These sound like things that will be helpful to me.  It says on here that people with HIV, on their meds, can safely take them w/o it interfering with their meds, so that's another positive.  

But, here again, I'm not trying to push my discovery off on anybody.  I'm just sharing with you what came across during this time in my treatment. 

Susan

ladywhy · Answer

I love shitake mushrooms..all shrooms. That's great, I am gonna take your advice. My wbc is continually dropping. Sounds much better than neupogen. Thanks for the info.
Yvonne