Rituxin

I'm hoping for a little advice. I've had ITP for 21 years with very little problems until about 2005. Can't remember what my platelet count was then but my spleen was removed. My counts were good until Sept. of 2007 when they dropped to 6K. In December I had 4 weeks of Rituximab. I was on 30 mg. of prednisone at that time and my hematologist had me off the prednisone by the end of January. I can't find any cbc results for January of 2008, but in February my highest count was 67k. In June of 2008 I had 90k and July 59k. I don't have any problems with those numbers and pretty much maintained them-sometimes with the help of a short run of prednisone- until December of 2014 when I dropped to 11k. I have been on at least 5 to 10 mg of prednisone constantly since to keep my platelets over 30k (which seems to be the lowest count I can handle). Now, my hematologist wants me to take another round of Rituximab and I just don't want to. I don't feel like I benefited from it that much in 2007. The side effects scare me, and I'm also battling Type 2 diabetes and slightly elevated cholesterol now. I'm working hard to change my diet to help combat these two diseases and don't want to add another scary drug to my body. I will appreciate anyones thoughts and advice on this. I'm thinking I should get a second opinion. By the way, I am almost sixty years old.

Della:

The treatment option choice is yours. I'd suggest you read about the experiences of Promacta users here. I think that would be a perfect option for you. It's a daily pill with few side effects and has a good success rate for keeping counts up. Some people only need a low dose to maintain counts around 50k.

Thanks for the advice Sandi. I've been reading a little about Promacta. I'll check out the posts about it.

Della Rose
I have found Promacta to be working very well for me. My story is on here. "My Journey crazy Emily." I am 50 and just diagnosed last january.
Good luck.

Promacta did not work for me. I found out later that the FDA had a warning that if your spleen was removed it ususally doesn't work. Well, I had my spleen removed about 9 years ago. So you might want to read more about this. I'm on the NPlate now and it's the only thing working for me right now.

It has worked for people without a spleen, so I wouldn't rule it out without trying it.

I had my spleen out in 2006 two years after being diagnosed and Rituxan in 2011. Been in remission since.