Can I have a drink over Christmas?

Í was diagnosed with ITP in September. Since then I have been on Pred, had immunoglobulin and an iron infusion. My levels have gone up and down, but since the initial diagnosis (when my level was , I haven't been below 34. My last count was 120 and I am being tappered off the Pred, currently on 3mg. Do you think that it would be ok to have a drink over Christmas, so long as my levels don't plummet? I'm sick of not being able to drink, play sport... blah blah! I'm ready to start living normally again!!!

Jess:

Everyone differs over the opinions on that. Personally, I had a few drinks here and there when I felt like it. I'm not a big drinker so it didn't bother me not to, but sometimes I felt like having one so I did. I think moderation is the key.

Thanks I'm not a big drinker either. We are going away with friends and I would like to be able to have just one cocktail... maybe as a treat to myself for having to have so many needles this year

I have a few glasses of wine about once a fortnight but have bought gin for Christmas and will have a fair few. It doesn't affect my count.

I was diagnosed in October. At first I limited myself to one drink at a time, about twice a week. I was on Prednisone and Prevpac. My count skyrocketed to 404 a week after I was released from the hospital, then started dropping. When I hit 150 I figured what the heck and had 3 drinks. My count went up to 185 on my next test. The next week I had 3 drinks a few times and my count went up to 238. I continued to drink in moderation and was 212 last week. I doubt the beer had any effect on my count. I've read that alcohol can reduce platelet production and performance, but in moderation with safe counts I think it's harmless.

For sure very heavy drinking and alcoholism have a clear connection with platelet problems. If you ever watch Intervention you can see the bruises all over the alcoholics - it's not just that they are bumping into things, they also have platelet problems. Whether moderate or light drinking will affect your platelets is an open question and it might vary person to person. I don't have any problems with alcohol and platelets, but I only drink at most one drink a day (or else I get sick - just lucky I guess )
Erica

I do not think one cocktail is going to affect your counts. Excessive alcohol consumption is not a good idea with health issues, but in moderation I do not feel it is going to lower counts. I am not a heavy drinker, usually once a week like on a Fri or Sat, not both though. At times I will not have anything for several weeks. 4-6 beers depending on my mood. I did not drink at all when first diagnosed as ITP scared the crap out of me!! So, go ahead, treat yourself to a Cocktail.

I haven't experienced any platelet count difference by drinking or not drinking over the years on various treatments.
But, as with everything, YMMV.

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i like to get drunk at christmas and new year i also have a wedding on 23rd december and im a bit scared to drink a lot but i do enjoy myself more full of drink , again i only drink 4-5 times a year but i dont really just want 1 or 2 i want 8 or 9 thats just how we do things id love a clear answer preferably the its ok to drink one

When I was diagnosed I asked my haematologist who said not to drink so much as to fall over and bang my head, but apart from that she said it's fine. Consequently I drink what I like and have sometimes got drunk.

I find it interesting that being drunk is planned - oh my! What is fun about feeling sick and maybe throwing up and having the room spin and not knowing what one says or does and then feeling like dog poop the next day?????

I'll drink but my plan is not to get drunk! I like to be in control of what I say and do, and if I'm going to make an a-- of myself I want to know when & how I'm doing it

To the subject of this thread: My doctor never told me not to drink, never told me there was anything I shouldn't do.

I had another funny experience with beer and platelet counts this week. I had a total of 1 beer in the 4 days prior to my blood test Wednesday morning. My count had fallen from 212 to 180. I drank 4 beers very slowly on both Wednesday and Thursday, my weekend from work. Today, Friday, I was tested again when I went to see a different hematologist. My count was back up to 211. One beer in four days = drop. Four beers in one day = rise. Coincidence? Yes. I think it's just natural count fluctuation. Otherwise the conclusion would be no, don't have one drink, but it's ok if you have four. And we would all be seeing bartenders instead of Hematologists.

:laugh: :laugh:
Maybe the Bartender is the answer.
:lol: :lol: