Low blood platelet count and have questions

A recent minor surgery that was scheduled revealed that my platelet count was only 59,000. I was referred to a hematologist who did a bone marrow biopsy. It was explained to me that the Bone Marrow biopsy displayed no discernable abnormalities indicating a leukemia condition as of right now. However, the Hematologist told me that the only explanation for the decrease in blood platelets is either a precursor to Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), or ITP. 3 days before the minor surgery I had taken about a dozen Acyclovir (Zovirax) tablets in one 24-hr period as I had a cold sore developing that I wanted to knock out. The hematologist didn't think that had any significance, but I've since read that among the side effects of Acyclovir is that it can cause a decrease in blood platelets. Could this have contributed to my low platelet count? If so, how long might it take to get back to normal readings if this were the case? Or am I grasping for straws here and I'm still looking at something more severe such as MDS or ITP?

Admittedly a quick search but here's some webmd info indicating rare side effects: www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-941-Acyclovir+Oral.aspx?drugid=941&drugname=Acyclovir+Oral&pagenumber=6

I didn't locate anything else that was as specific as this so it's hard to know how authoritative this is.

Hi,

No, I don't think you're grasping at straws. It seems a reasonable conclusion to me, and certainly worth investigating.
I have seen a handful of patients whose ITP also started after using one of these cold sore suppressing drugs.
I am a homeopath, and over the years I've seen that anytime that a drug or procedure is used that suppresses a natural body function or suppresses a disease, then deeper pathology develops. This can be suppression of cold sores or other eruptions, such as eczema (suppressing eczema frequently results in asthma), suppression of fever (some research points to this as one cause of autism), suppression of sweat, suppression of a cough, suppression of a wart by burning it off.

Of course, even if you're correct, and even if your doctor should decide to agree with that as well--that knowledge alone, will have little impact on your platelets. Here is a little trick that you could try, to help reverse things.
Many people have seen a good jump in their counts after trying this simple measure, that I've posted in the Natural Treatments section:

www.pdsa.org/forum/8-natural-treatment-methods/12854-how-to-attenuate-side-effects-to-medications.html

I think the Acyclovir could totally have caused your platelet drop, especially as it's listed as a side effect. Let's hope that you're one of the lucky ones who's platelets go back up now that you're not taking the drug.

Lily

The drug may have caused the drop, or it may not have. You wouldn't really know for sure unless you'd had a platelet count a week or less prior to taking the drug.

Sometimes ITP resolves when the drug is the cause and sometimes it does not. It all depends on the way the drug affected the body. The time it takes for counts to get back to normal is different for everyone.

I know there are no solid answers to this, time is the only answer. The good news is that your counts are still at a very safe level (maybe not for the surgery you need though).

I must attest to how well making a homeopathic remedy from the drug works! We had to do it twice. Once with prednisone and once with benadryl and both times we had platelets within hours. Before doing the benadryl antidote we couldn't get off of zero for nothing. We hit 15K and couldn't budge past that. As soon as we did the prednisone antidote the boy jumped up to 35K right away. It can't hurt, and it might help.

A question that needs to be answered is how were you feeling ane what other problems you have had in the previous 3 months. I was diagnosed when I went in for knee surgery. I had been feeling tired, miserable and had lots of ached. My energy was low. I had an outbreak of purple spots on my legs, but since it went away quickly I did not pay much attention to it.

Is there any chance you had any thing like purpera, strange bleeding, skin seeming to be thin , etc

Put together a list any usual health issues, and then discuss it with your Hematologist. I had all kinds of symptoms that I saw my GP about. But he had not seen a case of ITP and therefore did not check my platelet count. Now he has 2 other cases, because he learned from me.

Just for info...my thoughts that my decreased platelet count could be attributable to a side effect of ancyclovir were just squashed! My GP confirmed a steady decline over the years of my platelet count. He told me that until now, he hadn't given it much credence because of being treated by him in the past for some sort of infection that could have been a contributing factor in the diminished platelet count. Oh well...I guess I need to research what I'm in for now.

Probably the same thing you would have been in for if the drug had caused the drop. I don't see that as a big determining factor in how ITP plays out. There have been some people here who swore a drug caused their ITP, but they went through the same treatments as the rest of us. As I said, drug-induced ITP does not always resolve.

Actually, a slow drop over a period of years can be a good thing...much better than a sudden bottom out.