Newcomer

Hi everyone.
First of all, thank you all for your help and advice, I have been reading this Forum for weeks now and you all have helped me understand and cope with the disease.

I was diagnosed with ITP about a month and a half ago. Started to have small bruises on my legs, while on vacation in Portugal, and the once small bruises quickly turned into huge bruises (looked like I had gotten beaten up with a baseball bat). My platelet count was at 40k. Ended up being hospitalized for 10 days until they got to the right diagnoses. After prednisone and over a week in the hospital for all kind of tests and blood work, I got discharged with a count of 154k.

Two weeks ago I went to my PCP for blood work, my count was at 152k. Today I went to the bathroom in the morning and noticed a little of blood in my stool and I feel a little bit more tired then usual. So my question is, how worried should I be? I don't have any other symptoms, and have checked my whole body for bruises, and fortunately I can't find anything else. Should I schedule an appointment with the PCP or hematologist right away or should I wait for a few days to rush into more blood work?

Thanking you all in advance for your time and patience,

Joana

Hi Joana - are you on any mediation now? Being in the hospital for 10 days is a long time - did your count go below 40k?

Personally - why keep worrying, call your hematologist and get a count done. Read the quote in my signature, it's a good one to follow.

Keep us posted! Hopefully this is nothing!

Hi Melinda, thank you for your response.
As of right now I'm not on any medication for ITP, only for high blood pressure which "showed up" after a few days of my hospital stay.

I already called, waiting on them to get back to me as to when they can get me in. I guess I just wanted to know, from someone with more experience on the matter then myself, if I should rush to the doc every time I have a symptom, as small as it might be, or should I give it a couple of days, to see if it goes away or if it gets worse...

Thank you for your input!

Joana

Hi Joana. It can take a while to learn when to be concerned and when not to be. 40k isn't all that low and I'm surprised that you had symptoms that bad at that count. Some people also have problems with platelet function and it might be something to discuss with your Hemo. I've never seen anyone hospitalized for 10 days with a count of 40k.

Blood in the stool can have a few different causes, hemorrhoids being one. It would be strange to have bleeding in that area with no other apparent symptoms. As Melinda said, get a count and go from there. It's possible that your counts have dropped...they didn't seem to keep you on any treatments long enough.

Steroids can cause high blood pressure so if you were given high enough doses, it could have been the cause. Either that or the stress of the diagnosis.

Get the count and go from there. Let us know, okay?

Glad you called - no point in making yourself miserable worrying - the doctor is working for you (us) Any time you have a concern it isn't "nothing" and you should not ever feel your concerns are nothing.

That's great you aren't on any med now - good for you! How is your blood pressure now that you are off prednisone?

Let us know how you're doing - ok?

Thanks for your input!!
I know it is not a black and white disease, and symptoms can vary from person to person, that is why I figured I should get some input from people whom have been dealing with this health problem for longer than myself. My only two symptoms were excessive bruising and more bleeding when on my period.. that is why I wasn't sure what to make of this mornings symptoms..

Well, this all happened while I was in Portugal, and the health system there works way different (and better in my personal opinion) when compared to the health care system in the US. They didn't let me out of the hospital until every test result came back, which included x-rays, MRI, Immunological tests, blood work every day, a specific test to check platelet function (also came back negative) several ultrasounds (kidneys, spleen, heart, kidneys with doppler) and a bunch of heart exams to figure out the high blood pressure. They found absolutely nothing wrong except for the low platelet count and high blood pressure, so they assumed the high blood pressure was because of all the anxiety I started having while in the hospital (my uncle passed away with Leukemia a few years back, so I was terrified it was that for the first few days).

I will keep you posted when my count comes back!

Thanks again!

It has been 120 over 80 for the past month, but with medication.. When I was at the hospital and before the daily meds it was at 160/120.. I feel like it is slowly getting better and my PCP already lowered my dose two weeks ago and my numbers continue to be the same so I am assuming it was just the added stress from being in the hospital (my anxiety was off the charts and had a couple of panic attacks after getting discharged, but I am way better now thankfully).

I will keep you posted.

Thanks again Melinda, I really appreciate it

I misunderstood - thought the bruises started in Portugal and you were put in the hospital once home. Guess because my little red dots started while in Tokyo and it was after we got home that the bruising started and I didn't go to the doctor until I looked like I had been beaten with a 2x4 in a back alley - red dots & bruises have been my only symptoms. We then moved to Tokyo and from there Hong Kong - my hematologist in Tokyo was fabulous, however I felt guilty since being an ex-pat I was given appointments at the hospital where he was while the "natives" had to come early in the morning and it was 1st come 1st served.

Can certainly understand the panic attacks - all of a sudden you are smacked with something that you never ever thought of. Glad to hear your bp is doing better and the medication decreased - hopefully you will get off of it. And lets just keep our fingers crossed that your platelets stay up there and that decrease was just a fluke!

You are doing great Joana - keep it up!