Do I want to boost my immune system, if I have ITP

I have ITP & I am done with my treatments; hopefully forever . . . Now, I am confused at what I can & can't do to maintain my health, and whether or not my goal is to encourage a healthy immune system. When I ask my doctor he just gives me vague answers, like he doesn't really know. I have read that doctors get little or no training in nutrition in medical school, so I suppose it doesn't surprise me that much. I keep hearing about foods that boost the immune system by encouraging more white blood cell production. The way I understand it, my white blood cells are the ones that were attacking my platelets. I also like to take the echinacea w/golden seal supplement when I am getting a cold, because it really helps keep down the symptoms; and, I like to take naproxen for pain and inflammation, it works the best for me. Has anyone else had these questions answered? I would be very thankful for any input. Thanks!

Terry - it's difficult to answer that because everyone responds differently. None of the things you mentioned though have anything to do with nutrition. That would be food and vitamins, not herbal supplements. It is good to have a healthy immune system with ITP and you can achieve that without 'boosters'.

The white blood cells don't destroy the platelets directly, they produce antibodies that destroy the platelets. You need white blood cells though because they fight infection. Eating foods that boost white cells shouldn't hurt - you've probably been eating those things your whole life and I can't imagine any food would increase white cells that much. If that were true, no one would ever have a problem with a low white blood cell count.

I would definitely encourage you to stay away from echinacea. I've done a lot of research on it and too many articles come up about it triggering autoimmune disorders. I was taking it before I was diagnosed with ITP and although I don't blame echinacea for causing it, it could have been a factor among many.

As for Naproxen....it usually doesn't lower counts, but can thin the blood which is not good if your counts are low. I have been taking 1,000 mg's a day for almost 8 years and have not had a platelet problem.

Well, that's my input.

Thanks, Sandy, You've helped me clear up some things in my mind. I had a feeling that I was probably going to have to approach the echinacea with caution. It's ashame, I'm going to miss it; I haven't had a bad head cold in years, ever since I started taking echinacea for them.

www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-981-ECHINACEA.aspx?activeIngredientId=981&activeIngredientName=ECHINACEA

Most of the articles that I've read state that echinacea doesn't prevent colds anyway. It supposedly can reduce symptoms once you have one though.