Ready to sink into depression.

After my daughter was diagnosed last September with ITP they told us it has a 80% chance of going away. With in a year. So for the last year we have done nothing but wait hoping for the best. Now we went back for a check up and this time to the Mayo in Rochester, MN. Her count was 1000!!! But it has been this low for a year. They say enough is enough and they want to start her on Rituximab. We are all natural people. She has NEVER been vaccinated at anytime. We don't even go to the doctor because we lead a straight life. Now this. I tried looking on the web for some thing we can do that won't destroy her life like these treatment options they gave us but it is so confusing and contradicting:( . PLEASE is there anything you folks have tried that we can do. I heard Alfalfa and Vitamin c? I just need somewhere to start so I can show the doctors next time we go in that at least we are doing something and her platelets are rising. I didn't think it would come to this. I was living in denial but here is reality. I have joined this forum and I will stay till we get though this. My daughter is 7...

Hello Stoic.. I have a 6 year old daughter that was recently diagnosed with itp. Her platelets went down to 3,000 and sw had to have ivig treatment. I feel so helpless I'm constantly worrying. I also thought about giving my daughter vitamin c but I was told that the vitamin c would boost the immune system and the immune system is why is destroying the platelets so by boosting it may cause the immune system to kill platelets more rapidly. Check for a precious post I wrote called immune system. Several people responded and agreed. Hope everything with your daughter works out. Keep us posted. God bless...

Vitamin C won't boost the immune system but it has also been shown in studies not to have any effect on the platelet count.

Alfalfa inhibits platelet aggregation meaning that it stops blood from clotting properly. With a low count it would mean bleeding even more. Do be careful.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16287614

I have nothing against "all natural" but in this day and age I believe there will be a point and time when Medicine will have to be used. Understand your concerns and frustrations with your child. Vitiman C will not hurt. I take it. Please DO NOT let yourself "sink into depression"!!!!!!

nothing instead.

Post responded to deleted so mine made no sense now so deleted too.

It would only be against the rules if you had some financial interest in the product, or if you were posting for someone else who has a financial interest.
Erica

I have calmed down now. Thanks for the info. I will have to put in some hours doing research and get back to this post. So far I have a few leads. Also I have no problem going with what the Medical doctors recommendations are. But when all they have to offer is short term fixes, No solid answers, potential death and/or things that will damage her I lose faith in them. I live in the U.S.A and I don't forget that we have the best medicine has to offer and the most sick people in the same country...Will keep everyone posted...

Qoute"You give your daughter vitamins meant for dogs?"

All i can say is, WOW!

As you can see, I deleted my post. Soooooo sorry. Good luck.

Stoic:

I am fairly anti-vaccine myself but sometimes there are things that you just have to do. I refuse most vaccines, but recently had a rusty nail go through my arm. I wasn't willing to risk tetanus, so got the shot. What would you do in that situation? Accidents happen.

As far as ITP, it's mostly weighing benefit vs risk. No, there are no simple answers or cures, but natural things are not always good either. A very small percentage of people with ITP are predisposed to Lupus. Alfalfa is one of the things that can trigger it. There is even a risk with that seemingly harmless, natural product.

I think we all wish that there were better answers for medical issues, but it is what it is. Sometimes not treating a medical problem can cause harm or death, so there's that. Good luck with your decision.

Oh - ITP can go away at any time. Even if it doesn't remit in the first year, it can happen after that. Chronic does not mean lifelong. I've seen it happen many times. Keep the hope.

Thank You Sandi, I couldn't agree more with your post. I need to lighten up a bit and realize I need to be here for the long haul and not be black & white. This is no time for me to play the "my way or the highway game" either....