Can different cases of ITP be linked together?

Hi everyone, I've only just found this site.
My daughter is 5, she has been diagnosed with ITP at the end of May and so far isn't showing any sign of recovery.
She's not had any treatment, consultant decided to not do any more blood tests until end of September. Her latest count 11 days ago was 7.
My question is, when we went to see the consultant, he told us that the week my DD was taken to hospital he had 5 other children in the same week diagnosed with ITP.
I was wondering if these cases could be linked, we live in a medium sized town and I found it odd that a potentially rare condition could suddenly occur so much in the same town at the same time?

A poster above spoke of her child's doctor having 8 new cases in the last 10 days. He blamed it on a virus. Personally, I believe it might have something to do with the increasing number of vaccines that are being mandated or encouraged for children. ITP was one of the serious side effects of the H1N1 flu shot. And now with the booster shots of DTP being mandated by most schools (though there IS a waiver-it's just not advertised much), I guarantee we will be seeing more and more cases of ITP and other auto-immune diseases. Then, add the fact that many children are seldom allowed to exercise their immune system, it's a recipe for disaster. The childhood diseases actually serve a purpose in the development of the immune system. Nowadays, between vaccines from day 1, frequent antibiotics, fever reducers and suppressers, Prednisone (seems to be the "new antibiotic", since doctors are finally getting a clue about the overuse of antibiotics), babies getting no mother's milk or for only a short time, and the sad state of the average American diet, we are only going to see increasing problems of auto-immunity. When will people wake up, do diligent research and not accept the outright lies of the pharmaceutical companies and their vast influence!?

Don't get me wrong--I do not believe that these are the ONLY cause of ITP, but I do believe they're one of the biggest, especially in young children. When illnesses or fevers or discharges or eczemas are suppressed with these drugs, they may APPEAR to go away magically. In fact, the disease is simply driven into deeper organs and causes more serious diseases--ITP being one of them. Genetics, susceptibility and the high level of stress that is more the norm these days, also plays a part.

Just wanted to comment that my son's haematologist says that ITP cases often come in batches - either based on specific areas or times of year. His theory is that certain viruses circulate and cause the clusters of cases.

Thank you that's interesting to know. I should have added that I'm in the UK, her last vaccination was approximately 1.5 years ago, she had pre-school boosters then.
The last time she was ill was sometime around Christmas, can't quite remember when exactly, so we're really not sure what could have caused it.

I am in Cheshire - whereabouts in the UK are you?

Alison, I'm in Essex

Interesting question. I agree, clusters of cases could easily be linked to viruses going around. I would also agree that you might see more of them right before school starts, when most kids go to the doctor for school-required vaccines. Some of the kids will end up acute and some chronic.

Is it the virus...or is it one of the many over-the-counter or prescription drugs that always seem to be given at the first hint of illness--fever reducers, pain killers, antibiotics, steroids, anti-histamines, cough syrups,analgesics,
aspirin, etc?? Just about every one of these very commonly given medicines, list thrombocytopenia as a side effect!
Tylenol, Benadryl and Prednisone-the three most commonly given pre-treatments and treatments all have thrombocytopenia listed as a side effect. Most of the vaccines list ITP as a side effect. And, what are you told to give your child when he or she spikes a fever, is achey or has a sore arm or has an allergic reaction after a vaccine? Yep-one of these drugs that suppresses the body's natural attempt to mount an immune response and return itself to homeostasis.
We really should learn not to mess with God's design or Mother Nature
Why are we told to "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"!? Just say "NO" to drugs and vaccines.
There are other ways that are safer, healthier , way less expensive, and infinitely more effective.

Whoa - easy there! In the current society, most people believe in following doctors advice. We can't just tell people to go AMA and stop all drugs and vaccines. While I agree that drugs and vaccines can cause harm, so can leaving an illness untreated. Each person has to decide what works best for them.

I am pretty anti-vaccine, but believed it to be in my best interest to get a tetanus shot recently when I had a rusty nail go through my arm. My idea, unprompted by any medical personnel. I went to the ER for the shot, not to have the wound treated.

I have had at least 3 incidents with my children that, if I hadn't initiated medical care, would have resulted in their deaths. One - appendicitis. Two - pneumonia. Three - severe asthma attack.

This isn't like the Nancy Reagan campaign. Not at all.

I never said anything about refusing treatment for someone who is ill. What I am saying is that our bodies were intelligently designed and the fever-producing and rash-producing childhood diseases are important to the development of a healthy functioning immune system--that is, one that responds appropriately , at the right time, and in just the right amount. Those with ITP, their immune system is confused, it overreacts. I simply do not buy the lies that vaccines are safe or effective, as I've seen too many families who have gone through totally pointless suffering , financial devastation and poor quality of life, due to the cruelties of vaccines.

You say that each person has to decide for themselves. Yes, I agree with that. But, parents are NOT being fully and adequately informed about the true dangers of vaccines and other medications. And, there are so many other ways to treat an illness than conventional Western medicine, that does not involve drugs, does not harm the body in the process or cause further side effects, and does not require you to spend your entire life's savings in order to buy a few more weeks of poor-quality-of-life end time.

I have six kids, the oldest is 25, the youngest, 12. So, we have 109 "kid years" in all. We have somehow managed to get along just fine, with only 2 Tetanus shots (one stomped on a rusty nail that went through his sock and shoe, carrying much of the material deep into his tissues. The other was when my DD got her face smashed in by a metal snow shovel-weilding kid on the sled slopes.) Both of those were given without my consent, too, or they would not have had them, either. Even the doctor agreed that getting a Tetanus shot AFTER an injury, is fairly useless, as the toxoids attach to the nerves rather quickly (as far as I understand, there is still no definitive answer as to how soon this happens.), and it takes too much time for the body to develop antibodies to it. The only reason for giving it at the time of injury is to try and prevent any future infections--but, it won't do any good for the rusty nail in your arm now. And, even future protection doesn't make sense, as getting tetanus naturally does not confer immunity...so, how can they claim that getting it through a vaccine is effective, when not even natural exposure can keep you from getting it again??

When we get a puncture wound or injury that one would usually seek a Tetanus shot for, I give one dose of a homeopathic remedy called Ledum palustre 200C (or, Ledum 30C, every 8 hours for a total of three doses), followed 24 hours later by Hypericum 200C (or Hypericum 30C, every 8 hours for a total of three doses.) We've used this for dog and cat bites, after puncture wounds from insects, sting rays, rusty nails, metal cuts, dental injections, B-12 injection hitting a raw nerve, etc. This duo is called the "Homeopathic Tetanus Vaccines", though it doesn't involve any vaccine, really. Rather, it is given on a sweet, sugar pill.

I'm not saying one should never go to the doctor or seek medical counsel. I am saying that there are many different sorts of doctors and other health professionals, and there are thousands of treatments that don't involve any drugs at all. I practice homeopathy, so that is what I tend to use almost exclusively. Yet, it's not the only way-there are many paths to health that don't include drugs.

I am not suggesting that anyone forgo medical consultation when faced with something serious. The problem is more with these young moms that freak out because their child has coughed 4 times during the night, or they have a fever or they threw up a couple of times. This is not the end of the world, nor does every little sniffle require a trip to the doctor and a dose of antibiotics or Prednisone.

Every one of these things you mentioned, "appendicitis, pneumonia and severe asthma attack, can respond to homeopathic remedies very quickly. Even if medical treatment becomes necessary, homeopathic remedies can be given while waiting for medical help. Many ER trips have been averted with the right remedy. Part of my training was learning to recognize when someone should be referred to seek a doctor's assistance. I recently had a mother I was treating by phone. She was wanting some help with her son, because he'd been complaining of a stomach ache frequently. She rather thought he was exaggerating and it was just a ploy for attention. I recognized the symptoms of appendicitis, though, sent them straight to the hospital, where it was discovered it had already ruptured, and he now had peritonitis! He's now benefitting from a remedy that is useful after a septic condition in the body.

My husband's extremely severe asthma attacks have disappeared under homeopathic treatment, along with his dangerous allergy to cats, which would trigger the asthma. Yes, the ER docs surely saved his life many times with their treatments, though they never worked very quickly. Homeopathy, though, has completely removed that allergic diathesis in him--no more allergies of any kind.

Pneumonia, too can be treated homeopathically, though it requires close supervision as the state can change rapidly.

The possibilities to health are limitless in reality. The only limits are in one's mind. See the possibilities!

In regards to the relative safety or not of prescription drugs, please read this and keep it in mind:

From Dr. Joseph Mercola:

Drugs are known to cause well over 125,000 deaths per year in the US when taken correctly as prescribed – yet the FDA allows fast-track approvals and countless new additions of poorly tested drugs to the marketplace that must later be withdrawn due to their lethal consequences.

It is simply incomprehensible that any rational approach would seek to vilify supplements over drugs when the data in no way, shape or form supports it. The most likely motive for this position is financial greed that can put your life in jeopardy. According to the US National Poison Data System8 the following drug categories are among the most lethal:

1. Analgesics, sedatives, hypnotics, and antipsychotics
2. Cardiovascular drugs
3. Opioids
4. Acetaminophen combinations
5. Antidepressants

Slightly lower down on the list you find drugs like muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones, antacids, anticoagulants, and antihistamines.

Time to Start a New "Just say NO!" Anti-Drug Movement

The anti-drug slogan coined by Nancy Reagan in the early 1980's is just as applicable for today's prescription drug problem as the recreational drug problem of the past. The only difference is that today prescription drugs have eclipsed illicit drugs as the number one source of poisoning deaths. Prescription drugs have also been identified as the primary "gateway" to illegal drug use, beating out marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes.

According to a July 6 press release:

"... Since 2000, the drugs sending people to their graves or to rehab have been shifting away from illicit drugs and toward prescription drugs. The 2011 report on the subject from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made it clear: prescription narcotic pain reliever overdose deaths now exceed the number of deaths from heroin and cocaine combined.

... 'Our own clients and people calling in daily for information about our program or help have told us story after story about addictions starting with the use of prescription drugs,' stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead, a premier drug rehab facility in Southeastern Oklahoma. 'Sadly, prescription medications have become the newest of the gateway drugs. Sadder still are the losses of life and other severe consequences that go hand in hand with drug abuse, which is especially the case with prescription drug abuse.'

Hallmark adds that those addicted to prescriptions will often end up needing treatment or will even start taking illicit drugs. One of the most common examples of this is the connection between those addicted to painkillers that then start taking heroin..."

It's important to understand that there is a risk of side effects every time you take a prescription drug. No one (except for those who intentionally overdose) expects these medications to kill them, but they can do just that, and it happens far more often than you might think. In a 2011 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), officials emphasized that people should not assume there's no risk in prescribed medicines10

The truth is, the best way to avoid all risk, including death, from prescription drugs is to not take them at all. Remember, it's your body, not your doctor's and not your pharmacist's, so it is up to you to make the decision of what drugs to take, if any. Be SURE you are aware of the risks of any medication prescribed to you, and weigh them against any possible benefit. Then you can make a well-informed decision of whether it's a risk you're willing to take.

Do you really get given Prednisone for minor childhood ailments? My children never had it. I'd never had steroids myself until ITP came along.

I agree with you that people are too quick to take drugs. People here talk about taking drugs for sleeping and so on which is way out of my experience. It just wouldn't occur to me to look to drugs for that sort of thing.

But of course I don't agree with you that vaccines are bad. Those who don't get vaccinated should thank those who do because the various diseases are kept at bay by them. We see time and time again how after a vaccine scare, the uptake goes down and the disease comes back and affects large numbers with some children dying. Then people see the sense of vaccinating again and the disease rate goes back down. And so the cycle continues.

Yes--it's insane! Nearly every child I've seen in the last 6 months who's been to the doctor first, has been prescribed Prednisone. From a simple cold to earaches to diarrhea, to allergies, Prednisone seems to be the new 'antibiotic'. Doctors are finally realizing the monster epidemic that's been created from overusing antibiotics: MRSA infections are rampant here! And, they are deadly at times. I know quite a few who have lost fingers, toes or entire limbs to MRSA. Two of my sons nearly died from it--one when he was 11, and the other was 8. This was many years apart. The 11 year old got it when he had surgery to repair his septum after breaking his nose. His was one of the first cases around here, but it was all very hush-hush. They isolated him in a room and the entire Infectious Disease department was swarming about. That's the one and only time that any of my kids has had antibiotics. Unfortunately, the nature of MRSA is that it's become totally resistant to any of the usual antibiotics, so they had to keep trying new ones

What's going to be the longterm effect of giving steroids for every minor thing is alarming to think about. The other thing that's even more troubling is how they are prescribing anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs and anti-psychotic drugs for younger and younger children. Really!? 3 and 4 year olds! I wish I was kidding!

There are many misconceptions surrounding vaccines, herd immunity being one of the big ones. Here's a recent article that exposes some of these:
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/07/30/whooping-cough-vaccine.aspx

But, of course statistics and such can be manipulated to whichever side you want. I absolutely cannot accept that vaccines are a good thing, after seeing the 'up close and personal ' damage that they've done to kids. On a military base near me,
1 out of 16 kids has been diagnosed with autism! And there doesn't seem to be any exploration as to why. It can't continue forever at this rate.

When we just say no to vaccines, babies die. Pertussis usually doesn't severely affect adults, but they pass it around the community and infect babies, who die from it. Every year, thousands die of ordinary flu, and enormous resources are wasted treating preventable flu and pneumonia. Some really can't take vaccines. Those who can owe it to themselves and their community to get the generally recommended vaccines.
Norma

I've seen the results of children not being vaccinated. Have nursed many children left severely brain damaged after measles and other diseases, the side effect of which can be meningitis. Have also nursed many rubella babies whose mothers weren't vaccinated or immune and got rubell during pregnancy.

According to the CDC, Center for Disease Control, the prevalence of autism is 1 in 88 and that includes the mildy Aspergic (if that's a word!)

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html/

I never said anything about refusing treatment for someone who is ill. - Quote - April

Yeah you did.

You said:

Just say "NO" to drugs and vaccines.

More later.

I agree with Ann and Norma. And as a health care professional who sees dozens of children each month, I question whether the incidence of autism is truly increasing or are we just getting better about applying labels to children who don't fit into our definitions of "normal".

Fair enough, parents need to be informed about the potential side effects of vaccines and medications.... but you have to counter that with equal information about the potential effects of the diseases themselves. Then let the parent decide whether to vaccinate or not. Risk my kids getting Pertussis, Hep B, or Polio...no thank you!!

Now why on earth are these posts all out of order? Something really strange going on with this Forum lately.

Sandi wrote: Now why on earth are these posts all out of order? Something really strange going on with this Forum lately.

I was wondering the same thing Sandi. Today is the first I have noticed the latest posts on the left of the page and the order of the posts.

Crossroads514 wrote: Risk my kids getting Pertussis, Hep B, or Polio...no thank you!!

Polio is a good example. There used to be children living in iron lungs for months on end, if they survived at all, and who were crippled for life afterwards. Then Sabin and Salk produced their vaccine and we just don't see polio in the west any more.