What are the treatments for secondary polycythemia?
Secondary polycythemia is treated primarily by treating the underlying condition causing the disorder. For example, patients with Gaisbock’s syndrome are often taken off diuretics and encouraged to lose weight. Lung disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may cause secondary polycythemia; treating the lung disorder generally improves the polycythemia. Some medications may also be taken to treat symptoms caused by polycythemia. For example, antihistamines can alleviate itching, and aspirin can soothe burning sensations and bone pain. Until the underlying condition is controlled, doctors use bloodletting (phlebotomy) to reduce the number of red blood cells in the patient’s body. In most instances, a pint of blood is drained from the patient as needed and tolerated, until the hematocrit (the proportion of red cells in the blood) reaches an acceptable level. Chemotherapy is not used to treat secondary polycythemia; however, it may be used to treat the primary form.
