ITP ?

Hello all I have been researching this so much since I was told I had thrombocytopenia back in October 2014. My PLATS were at 113 - MPV were at 12.2. I was feeling sick at the time, so they said it was most likely because of that. (All of my other labs were in the normal range) They advised me to follow up with another test. In November the PLATS were 149. My doctor said we would wait a few months and they get retested again. My appointment in Jan. fell through, and I sorta let it all go, since she made me feel like it was all stemming from having that bug. I called into the doctor in April thinking I was maybe getting a yeast infection and they called in a presciption of Fluconazole. Took that, and Monday I was still feeling off so went in. She checked me out, and said the medicine might still be trying to clear it up. She then advised me to go get my bloodwork done, since I never did in Jan. Got my bloodwork done that day. 4/06 It came back with PLATS at 96. So then she ordered a full workup. Got the results on 4/10-- CBC with diff, TSH , MAG, Vit B12 / Folic, Copper Serum, All the tests came back normal except now my PLATS were at 88. I have an appointment for May 29th to see a hemotoligist, but I must say Im baffled at this and freaking out some. You read things like leukemia...ugh. Im a single mom, and my son is my whole world. I was really banking on the vit B12 being the reason, as I rarely eat meat, eggs or dairy. Over the last year and a half / two years I have changed into a very healthy lifestyle. I lost 165 pounds, eating clean, exercise etc. Could that have anything to do with this? I dont feel sick but I do bruise easily from time to time, (my hands and feet are easily cold -- not sure that has anything to do with it or not) and with my other numbers in the normal range, could this be ITP?

It could be ITP, but ITP usually isn't diagnosed unless counts are consistently below 100. Your counts have actually been quite good. Most do not begin treatment unless counts go below 30k, so all you really have to do right now is monitor. This could just be a temporary thing, or your counts could just hang out in this range for a long time and if that's the case, you can pretty much just go on with a normal life and forget about it.

I don't think there is anything you did to cause this. Sometimes an illness or certain supplements can cause it, but most people never know. Don't freak out....you're doing fine at this point!

Thanks Sandi

I didn't realize supplements could cause that. One of the other changes I made was taking a one a day vitimin. You mean something like that?

No, Vitamins are not the same as supplements. I meant something like Echinacea.

You should just check your vitamin label though. For years I took a womens One a Day. I saw a womens daily vitamin in a health food store and got that as It was "all natural". Two weeks after I started that my platelets crashed to 0. There were some things in that..dong qua and some herbs. I will never know if that is what caused the problem but I switched back to One a Day and I read labels carefully now before I take something.

Your presentation sounds similar to mine. My platelet count started creeping lower many years ago. A few years back I crossed the threshold at which my primary care doctor at the time did more tests. Since then I've seen hematologists and had a lot of testing done, from the blood work you mentioned to an abdominal ultrasound. Like you, my counts haven't crossed that threshold at which treatment becomes even worth considering.

The thrombocytopenia may go away on its own. Or it may percolate in the background, requiring a CBC a couple times a year and a bit of care with certain medications or vaccinations. It is very unlikely to be the first sign of leukemia. Most of us here can and do live with our lower numbers of platelets. Just take the time to become informed about it all.

Thanks for the additional information guys. Ya the more I read up on leukemia it sounds like a steady decline from what I understood...along with other things outta wack, wbc, RBC etc. I forgot to mention another CBC after the 112 that was back up to 149. I will take the vitimins to the appointment just in case she wants to see them. Its nice to see a group of knowledgeable and kind people here!