Don's latest bout with high dose steroids (solumedrol) resulting in him getting a urinary tract infection. His GP is giving him Cipro to treat and steroid was stopped July 2nd and he is now on Nplate. His first shot raised his count from 4 to 6.6, his second shot raised him from 6.6 on Friday to a count of 8.3 on Monday. When he went today for his third shot his count was 62.3. Wow, first I'm grateful, but wonder how he suddenly zoomed in 4 days because I thought the mean time for Nplate was up to 50 hours after the shot for max effect. Can't see anything else that would cause him to increase except for Nplate or ??? the Cipro???. I know it's not the antibiotic they would prescribe for H pylori but could there be something entirely different (infection) besides ITP that would have caused his low platelets? The only other thing was when he was first diagnosed, they gave him solumedrol in the hospital along with IVIG, the solumedrol didn't do a thing but the IVIG did. They prescribed Prednisone but it didn't raise or hold his count and he dropped, then suddenly started to rise on his own when he completely tapered off Pred, however, he then crashed a week after his highest count since this all began a couple of months ago. Has anyone had a delayed response to steroids? Just curious, I guess we'll see what next week brings, or when he stops his antibiotic. The other scary thing was last night he had to change his indwelling cath and he started gushing blood. We couldn't get it stopped so called 911, but by the time they arrived, we had applied enough pressure for it to stop (mostly). He is now borderline in need of a blood transfusion because his red blood is 8.47 but hopefully he won't bleed when we change it again on Monday and he can regain. Just curious about the antibiotic thing.
