Has anybody heard of ITP?

[al’s wife]

A woman I work with has been suffering w/dropping platelet counts. They were 71,000 3 weeks ago and down to 47 today. They diagnosed Idio Thrombopenia P? She sees a hemo/onc and he told her today that there’s a drug they can put thru an IV that will up her platelet counts and that would be that. He told her ITP is a condition where the platelets drop for no apparent reason. She said he did not mention a BMB. Any thoughts?

[B. Greene]

My thought is if there is such a drug would sure like to find out what it is. No mention of anything like that has been made to us.

Would appreciate you telling us what the name of the drug is.

Barbra

[Gerri S]

ITP stands for Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Perpura. It is the destruction of platelets for an unknown reason. Usually it is of sudden onset
and most often a result of a virus.It is treated with a course of steroids after which the platelet count returns to normal. It can ,at times, turn into CTP or chronic thrombocytopenia perpura. Treatment is steroids and frequent platelet cout checks and in the most severe cases a spleenectomy(removal of the spleen). As far as Im aware a BMB is needed for an accurate diagnosis and to rule out other disordres that may also affect the platelet count. I hope this helps.

[shirlsgirl]

Hi,

My mom was first diagnosed with ITP in the summer when a routine CBC showed low platelets. She tried IV-IgG which boosted her platelets temporarily…I think it lasted approx. 3 weeks before they dropped again at which point she started steroid therapy (prednisone) which helped. She had a bmb, I think they did it because she was 60 and they wanted to rule out leukemia. Three months later when the cytogenetics results came back she discovered she has CMML. Her doc. believes she has ITP and CMML.
She’s on cyclosporin and prednisone and that combination has worked well for her.

Al’s wife…good luck with your friend from work. On a positive note, a very small percentage of people with ITP die from the disease. The large majority of people find treatments that raise their platelet counts or successfully live with a low platelet count.

I found the Platelet Disorder Support Association to be a helpful site:

http://www.pdsa.org

Take care, Jody

[al’s wife]

Thank you all for your responses. Jody, I gave that web address to Katie. I know she’ll be anxious to get every bit of info she can.

Take care.
Lynn

[Author]

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