Hi Everyone,
This post is my first but I've read many of the posts/topics on here since I was first diagnosed with ITP back in January 2014. Since then, I have tried steroid therapy (both the traditional prednisone and the rapid fire dexa), IVIG, had a platelet transfusion (felt terrible for days afterward) and then decided to go a more natural/alternative route since the Rituxin route and the splenectomy just didn't feel like the right choice for me.
Realizing that each individual ITP patient has different outcomes using different methods of treatment, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was just not comfortable pursuing the traditional routes. As someone who tries to eat clean, takes supplements, practices yoga and qi gong, I needed to explore different possibilities as far as treatments went.
I've tried Chinese herbs along with acupuncture back in September and, initially, had a nice rise in my platelet count to almost 50,000. (My count usually hovers between 4,000 - 10,000 when I am not treating my ITP.) In December, I went off the herbs/acupuncture and tried green tea along with woolly grass tea and my count averaged between 4,000-12,000. I also started a meditation class during that time.
In mid-January, I read a post on another board about an ITP patient in India who had successfully raised her count by drinking aloe vera. Around the same time, I read another article about the positive effect that Liposomal vitamin C had on others who suffered with auto-immune diseases. So, I decided to start a new regimen using both the Liposomal Vitamin C and aloe vera along with collodial silver. My blood test the last week in January showed my platelet count at 4,000 after I had been on the new regimen about a week. Though disappointed, I decided that I should give it more time.
I am so glad that I did! Yesterday, I went in for my monthly blood test (I made the decision at the end of December that the stress of weekly blood tests on my veins and on my psyche was just too much and since the numbers never seemed to go above 12,000, subjecting myself to the weekly disappointment of yet another low platelet count couldn't be a positive thing for my health). i got the results today and my platelet count was 110,000! The last time that my count was that high, I was on the dexa rapid fire program last August.
Needless to say, I am ecstatic! But I also realize that this might be a temporary spike so I will keep you updated as to the future monthly blood test results. I just had to share this information, though, because I know how debilitating these low counts can be to a person. Also, I have discontinued the collodial silver for fear that it may destroy the good bacteria in my gut but I did take it twice daily for a month.
Hope this story gives someone else hope that there may be a natural/alternative method out there that can work for them. If anyone is interested, I will be glad to post the brands/dosages/suppliers, etc. of the Vitamin C, aloe vera, and collodial silver that I am using/have used.
I also tried to incorporate grapefruit seed extract into the regimen but was afraid to use it after I read that it could interfere with the armour thyroid that I take. I did use it nightly for about two weeks.
God Bless and thank you for sharing your stories on here!
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