My experience with itp

Hello everyone my name is Bet,
I grateful I found you guys, this website is God sent, I have heard great information from sandi, momto3boys Mrsb04 and many others you guys are so amazing, great encouragement from you guys, this website has changed my perspective about itp, Thank you guys.
I was diagnosed with itp December 2015 with count of 50k in my 4th pregnancy at 35weeks, 4th pregnancy with 5 children, before then I never in my life heard the word (itp). At first I was transfused with blood and platelet because I was also anaemic, my hematologist started me on 40mg Prednisone then my count started going up I then had my baby at 39weeks. after I gave birth my count went back to normal, but I was hit with postnatal depression and side effects of Prednisone. My GPS put me in anti depressant medication for 6 months. 3 months after birth I asked my GP to fix copper coil for me to avoid the 6th child lol. all this time I didn't still recognise itp as illness not until I see myself in the hospital 3rd Dec 2017 with blood blister and gum bleed then count was just 2k I was terrified. I was given Prednisone 40mg for 2 weeks, 30mg for 2 weeks, 20mg 2 weeks, 10mg weeks then finished. Count up to 204k. In 2months count came down to 176k, my next blood test is in May I will let you know what count I have. I pray it remain in a safe count. I know with God on our side we will conquered. Please any advice is appreciated.
Thanks
Bet

Welcome Bet,
Congratulations on having successful pregnancies! It sounds like your counts weren't too low for the most part, and that makes it easy to manage treatment during the final weeks.

It is also good news that you are so responsive to Prednisone. If you are able to maintain your current count range 170-200k then hopefully you can avoid any further treatment and might get a remission from just your brief course of Prednisone. Unless your count goes below 30k in the future, I would just keep doing periodic bloodwork and follow up with your hematologist. At some point if you stay stable you will only have to get checked every few months.

Right now your counts are normal and I hope they stay that way for you!

Hi Bet! Looks like you are doing great! That is a very good Prednisone response....you didn't have to be on it for very long and your counts seem to be holding. Welcome to the group!

Thank you my dear friends I was at 90k when my gynaecologist first sight itp, it started decreasing till 35k that is when my hematologist start treatment on me. Please my dear friends can you throw more light on the area of contraceptive with itp I don't know how to go about that. At the moment I am on daily pills which slower my period down.
Thanks momto3boys, thanks sandi.
Bet.

Hello everyone, please, I m just wondering if somebody can just give me some advice, I woke up this morning and I saw one blood blister on my mouth. I don't know what to do, I don't want to go down the road on Prednisone because last time side effects were horrible. Please advice me. Thanks
Bet.

Hi everyone,
quick question please, I just went to my GP she gave 20mg Prednisone for five days, before my blood tests result comes out, my question is should I just wait for my blood test results to out first? Please advice me.
Thanks, bet

Another thing, my GP said probably because of flu virus I have now that might trigger my itp and she didn't give me anything for the flu.
Bet.

The best thing for the flu is rest, liquids and Vitamin C. I woudn't take anything for the flu.

I'd start taking the Prednisone just in case. It's not a very high dose and only five days.

Regarding the flu, I agree with Sandi. It's a virus and if you are already in the midst of fighting it, just
rest and do the usual to feel better. Since you have the flu expect your counts to drop low and taking a
small burst of prednisone for five days isn't a bad idea. It should also help with flu related inflammation
in your throat or sinuses, so that's a double benefit.

Try not to worry about what your count is while you are sick, because you know it will be low, but hopefully
as you get better you will see if it levels out at a higher number. My body usually crashes during an illness but
then resets as time passes. As long as I don't have active bleeding while I am low, I try to wait it out.

Hope you feel better soon.

Hi sandi, momto3boys,
Thanks for replying to my post, yes, you guys are right I will do as you said, I will keep posting I will have my results on Monday.

Hi guys,
thanks for your response last time, my blood test result came out and my count is 159k and I don't know why I got the blood blister in my mouth if my count is still on safe range or do I need to do some more test? But the blood blister has disappeared, But my Gp said my sugar level is a bit high that I have to do the tests again in 4 weeks time, and I m the type that mind what I eat I don't take sugar, I don't know where this is coming from now.
Thanks for listening to me, any advice or Information is appreciated.
Thanks
Bet.

Hi sandi,
Am just wondering the high sugar levels in my blood is one of the side effects of the steroid I had few months ago I am just worried. What can I do to lower the sugar levels, What do you guys think? I know God is in control of all this.
Thank for hearing me out.
Bet.

Sugar stuff getting out of whack is definitely a side effect of the steroids. Your count of 159k is absolutely high and normal, so
you should not get any more blood blisters as long as your count remains high. Sometimes what happens with me is that I get
the blood blisters in my mouth, but then my count will rebound and I will not actually have lab work when my count was at its
lowest. It's not the short term dips and peaks that matter as much as the overall trend. You will have to see what happens once you are off the Prednisone again after your 5 days at 20mg. Hopefully your counts will hold relatively high. Anything above 30k is good enough to not need treatment, and you will just get periodic blood work.

I really wouldn't worry about the sugar testing. I wonder why they were testing that in the first place. Was it a fasting blood test? A regular CBC won't check your sugar at all, so I was just curious as to why they were investigating it right now. Regardless, I wouldn't worry about it since you have been on steroids and are currently on steroids!

^^^^ What she said. Prednisone can cause a temporary increase in blood sugar. Don't worry unless it stays that way after you are off of the steroids.

Great count!

Thank you momto3boys for the encouragement, yes, is my Gp that did the blood test while I was fasting. Keep fingers crossed I will repeat the test in 4 weeks time. Thank God my count is still high.
How are yourself hope you are doing great.

Yes sandi, I guess so, thank you