Alcohol consumption and ITP

I'm simply a university student who likes to go out and have a good time, but I can tell that this might need to change with all I've read about alcohol consumption and platelet reduction. I don't have ethanol-induced thrombocytopenia but can someone be honest with me about the dangers in relation to drinking alcohol and/or if there is a general limit?

I want to be able to have fun but not if it's going to put my health at risk. However all I get from doctors is a raised eyebrow and an unrealistic "you should always drink in moderation anyway" answer... I'm not an excessive drinker by ANY means but as a girl who goes out with her friends and takes shots here and there I just want to be realistic and would like to know a real limit so I never have to play the guessing game and end up in a hospital by the end of the week.

I know every ITP case probably varies with this, but any knowledge or insight would help!

Has never made the slightest difference to my counts at all.
3 months of abstaining, on doctors orders when first diagnosed, made no difference nor does sinking 4 or 5 pints on a Thursday afternoon prior to platelet count first thing the next morning.
Quite a few threads on here which can be found just by typing 'Alcohol' into the search box.

Can you limit it to a few beers instead of a few shots? Alcohol can inhibit platelet production and although it might not make a difference for everyone, it never hurts to err on the side of caution for a while.

Alcohol is a factor on ITP.
If somebody drinks alcohol and if it affects Thrombopoetin production then its results are permanent.
stopping alcohol for couple months or for a week will not reverse that.
Thrombopoetin is produced in the liver which is where alcohol is synthesized.

If drinking impacts platelet production so dramatically why isn't the rate of ITP so much higher in Europe where they start drinking at a young age? The doctors at the PDSA conference seem to suggest that unless you are drinking to excess it is not a problem. I certainky do not promote over doing it, but an occasional drink seems to be irrelevant to the course of the disease. I am not a medical professional just my opinion.

Exactly, moderation is the key.

When you have ITP your immune systems is already stressed out and there is no point introducing another variable into this. You are aiming to get that remission magic so trying to get as much healthy as possible is the goal.

Good point, Jay. To go a bit farther, some alcohols contain yeast and when mixed with steroids, can alter body chemistry for the worse.

It is a good point Jay but as someone who is partial to a pint of real ale I am not giving it up completely. ITP impacts on my life as it is. I'm not prepared to let it rule completely

Alcohol and the socialising that goes with it is good psychologically and therefore good for the general health. May sound outlandish but no dafter than some of the other theories given.

The PDSA had this on their FB page the other day.

pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh21-1/42.pdf

That article is about alcoholism. We know what that does, it wrecks the liver which drops the platelet count. But it's not ITP. ITP has nothing to do with alcohol and normal social drinking has no effect on ITP. Scaremongering doesn't do anyone any good.

My experience: I have tried weeks of abstaining with dropping numbers, and a 5 day straight attitude adjustment visiting wineries and breweries with rising numbers. Since we are talking ITP everybody's experience will be different in every way. However, I will say I firmly believe alcohol mixing in with treatment drugs (mine is Nplate) will increase side effects and their intensity. I trade a bottle of wine, good food, friends, campfires, and live music for sore feet, and a few back spasms at least once a week. I don't recommend this regimen, Doctors will always advise against it, other ITP patients will have their own opinions, but I just want to get back to my normal like everybody else! FYI, I just returned from my weekly treatment, there was an extra day between shots due to the holiday and my count jumped 45 to 188. But, my Hematocrit dropped enough to hit the low range, I will blame that on alcohol consumption.

Anon - I know the difference. Posting the article was hardly scaremongering. I was only repeating what the PDSA posted just a few days ago. It said:

"Are you aware? Alcohol, in excess, can cause low platelets and interfere with clotting. It can impair platelet production and shorten the lifespan of platelets. And those are only a few of its detrimental effects on the blood. For those in the US, have a safe and fun Labor Day holiday."

I totally understand that alcohol induced thrombocytopenia is different than ITP. However, it is known that alcohol can inhibit production and clotting, ITP or not. People struggling with low numbers will try everything possible to get numbers up, including abstaining. I'm not against drinking by any means, I did it too while I was treating even though my Hemo advised against it. However, I didn't do it very often and was careful about how much I drank. People seem to judge whether or not drinking affects them by the next CBC, but what if the affects are not so obvious and are more long-term if frequent social drinking is the norm? Everything is fine in moderation, but everyone also has a different definition of that word. I learned that it's possible to socialize and have fun without alcohol. I had to because I now have another disorder and the meds and alcohol cannot be mixed.