Newly diagnosed but was ttc

Hi all,

Hubby & I were trying to conceive #2 when I was diagnosed with acute onset itp in December. I've had predisolone & ivig over the last 4 weeks and my count is 16 as of yesterday. Rituxan is being mentioned as the next step but I know this means no ttc for at least 12 mths - if it works.

I'm very upset that I have itp & very upset about the impact it may have on my life plan. My little girl is 22 mths old & I always wanted 2 close together.

I know it's early days & I'm still in an acute phase of itp. Should I go along with the rituxan & see what happens or ask about other options? I'm also worried that predisolone & ivig are the "go to" treatments in pregnancy & they don't work for me. Does this make pregnancy even more high risk for me?

I feel like I'm only just beginning to come to terms with the massive changes itp brings. Any experiences or thoughts would be welcomed. Thanks

It's really up to you whether you try the rituxan and then wait a year when of course you could relapse and be back where you started, or take a risk and get pregnant and try something else. I know what I'd do but then I'm a bit of a risk taker.

Kat:

This is a brand new, very credible article - just sent to me today. Some of it may not apply because it's about gestational ITP, but there are sections that will be relevant.

bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/121/1/38.full

Ann - thanks for your insight. I'm currently still on a high dose of prednisolone so can't ttc just yet but I'm negotiating dropping off the steroids quite quickly as they're doing nothing for me. I swing between ttc right now (going with what I want) & waiting, having the rituxan and hoping I'm in the 20% of people who get a longer remission. I want another baby desperately, but I also want to be a healthy mummy to my little girl. It feels like a rock & a hard place right now and I'm a pretty rubbish risk taker lol!

Sandi - thanks so so much for this article. I'm going to print it off & take it with me this afternoon to see my consultant. I'm going to get my highlighter out too!!! If you don't mind me asking - how did you cope with ITP during pregnancy? I'm worried that as I haven't responded brilliantly to steroids or Ivig that I would be at high risk during pregnancy.

In case you haven't spotted - I'm a bit of a control freak and I'm trying to plan for outcomes I can't predict!! But knowledge is power & all that - thanks for your replies!!

Kat:

I'd already had my 3 children before I was diagnosed with ITP. Can't help you there.

I got pregnant after 9 months from my rituxian. My boy is healthy. I needed no treatment through out my pregnancy and had a c section with no complications. My second I got pregnant and they are 18 months apart. I had so many problems with my second pregnancy. I had gestational diabetes brought on by the steroids. I was on high dose steroids and did IVIG every other week. Due to complications from the diabetes he was born 7 weeks early. He is now a happy healthy 16 months old. But had a rough start with a 2 week NICU stay.

As a mother you have to make the decision to be healthy. If your not healthy you can't take care of the one baby you have. Let alone 2. I say get your ITP under control then ttc. It's hard to be away from your kid(s) I was just admitted for another round if IVIG and I need to be away from my boys. It kills me. I'm considering treatments I never considered in the past.