On my 5th Episode of ITP

Hello there fellow ITPeers,

I haven't been on this forum for a few months now but I thought I would post to let you all know that I am currently on my 5th episode of ITP

Each ITP case is unique and mine happens to be that I get acute cases and this is my 5th acute episode. My other acute episodes seem to get resolved after a few months on prednisone.

This time around I have confirmed that my trigger is STOMACH FLU!!! Whenever I get stomach flu, a week later, my platelets plummet. When I discovered it this time around, my platelets were at 4k a week after an 6 hr bout of stomach flu.

I started with a pulse of dexamethasone this time around followed by prednisone. I am currently on 60 mg of prednisone and my platelets are 314k this week so I am tapering slooowly. I find that I do not like a fast taper because it makes my bones ache and gives me tremors.

Hoping my counts stay stable after the taper!! :laugh:

Pawee

No one likes prednisone, but I'm glad it works for you. I'm gonna believe with you that they will stay good with the taper.

I hope you get another good remission! Fingers crossed!

Stomach flue I guess is flue in the stomach....

at least with it being your 5th episode you are getting to know how you respond each time...

I have had it about 8 times though lost count really and find it easier to say I have been diagnosed 16 years. In the past there been a 18 gap so to speak and they suddenly drop for no apparently reason and I respond well to prednisolone and ivig though this time was my first time with just prednisolone and very nearly at the end.... next week and one shall see if prednisolone be enough for me in the future.

This time been the hardest with prednisolone. I normally had red colour coating on them and the only side effects has been hunger. This time they been plain white. And I have bounts of nausea and just when I think all that had cleared up, the monthly periods came and had a nausea morning yesterday... one very mild experience of dizzyness. and occaisional aches. Though last sunday I confess I had completely forgotten to take them and by evening i was feeling distinctly under the weather as one friend whom I text suggested. Somehow I remembered hadn't taken them and took it within 10 minutes. By an hour later was okay again. My body had suffered as had blood blister next day but knowing what had happend I decided to wait and see and my count was normal on wednesday...

but glad you are kind of getting comfortable with how it is for you. next time you have stomach flue you might ring the hemo sooner so they could have things ready for you?

My platelets were at 352k on Tuesday so I am tapering again this week. I am now on 40 mg :woohoo:

Rhianon, glad to know you are responding to prednisolone and tapering like me, hope your counts stay good as you try and get off the pred.