HELP!!! He can't stop itching!!

Matix has low platelets again and is going in tomorrow morning for infusion therapy. He has never done this before, but he is itching all over and can't stop scratching. I do not see any "bumps" or possible chicken pox (he has already had twice since ITP). He cries and says it itches so bad. Has anyone ever had this happen before with platelet drop?

Theoretically, there is no reason to be itchy with low counts. Has he had any treatments lately? If so, what? Have you tried Benedryl?

Maybe a cool bath with baking soda or Aveeno?

No new treatments lately. He started this in the night last night. Yesterday his legs were hurting, but he didn't have petechiae yet. Then in the night he started itching and crying saying he couldn't stop itching. I have not given him Benadryl, as I am very cautious about what I give him. He has Winrho one month ago. We just had a plethora of labs drawn for Immunology appointment coming up because he is still so sick all the time. Of course, every time it scratches he makes the petechiae so much worse. I am a Pedi nurse and know that when I worked on the floor in the hospital some of the kids with low RBC would itch really bad, but I didn't know about petechiae.

Petechiae shouldn't itch - they are broken blood vessels. Plus, the scratching probably caused the petechiae. I'd call his doctor tomorrow but you probably already planned to do that.

I've never known low platelets to cause itching, but:
1. My daughter's lower platelet count often came at the same time as a flare-up of eczema;
2. My daughter's platelet count often lowered while she was fighting a virus, and many viruses can cause itching.
Has he had chicken pox or the vaccine? (I would assume you would have seen a rash already if it were this; and, I assume all kids are getting the vaccine these days. But it doesn't hurt to ask and think.) Hope you have this remedied soon.
Norma

Never itched when my counts were low but thought i'd share.

When I was a kid and still to this day. I would get hives sometimes I'd look like I had welts all over my body like someone beat me sometimes there would be a rash but sometimes there would be absolutely nothing just a horrible itch. When i'm crawling I've been known to cry because it drives you nuts.


We determined when I was a kid that it came from something I ate or touched. Didn't always find the answer. The ideas Sandi gave are exactly what I use. Sometimes a good bath/ shower would help specially if it was from something I had come in contact with.

He has had chicken pox twice this year and the vaccine twice. He is not immune, but this does not look like chicken pox because there is nothing there. Did the Avenno bath, lotion, etc... no such luck. We are at hem/onc now. Thanks for all of the advice

Let us know! Sounds like some sort of pruritus, but they'll have to figure out why.