My platelet count is 176000. My doctor told me that i had low platelet count and he gave me medications. Next day my platelet count reduced to 138000 and then on the third day it was 140000.
Did my platelets reduce due to the medications? Is 176000 low platelet count ?
Hi Prachee,
176,000 is low, but within the normal range for platelets. Depending on your laboratory, the lower limit of normal is around 130,000 to 150,000 and the upper range is 400,000 to 450,000 or thereabouts.
What medications were you given to try and raise your platelet count?
I'm surprised that you were prescribed anything to raise your platelets, because you are well away from any risk caused by low platelets - unless perhaps you have some other platelet condition that your doctor knows about.
Below are the risks of bleeding for different ranges of platelets, with the counts in cells per cubic mm (mm3):
100,000 - 149,000_ _Little to no risk of bleeding
50,000 - 99,000 _ _ _ Increased risk of bleeding with injury
20,000 - 49,000 _ _ _ Risk of bleeding increased without injury. Spontaneous bruising will be seen (mostly on the arms and legs)
10,000 - 19,000 _ _ _ Risk of bleeding greatly increased
Less than 10,000_ _ Spontaneous bleeding likely
Treatment for CLL isn't considered until platelets have consistently fallen below 100,000 with below 70,000 one trigger for treatment.
Platelets only survive a short while - about half survive longer than 4 days, so it is easy to spot trends up or down with blood tests within days. Because platelets tend to clump together in blood samples, automatic counting doesn't give particularly accurate results - reproducibility isn't as good as with other blood cell counts. That means your counts of 138,000 and 140,000 are effectively identical - there's no trend. I've seen varying reproducibility figures of anywhere between +/- 10,000 and +/- 40,000. So even if your platelets don't clump much and your laboratory has excellent reproducibility, you could have a situation where samples of your blood from one blood draw could give results of anywhere between 130,000 and 150,000...
Neil
Thank you @Neil .
I was prescribed Inj Artivil (120 gm) and Inj Cefxone (1gm).
Artivil is an antimalarial and Cefxone (Ceftriaxone 1gm) is a cephalosporin antibiotic. They may influence your platelets and in fact thrombocytopenia is listed as a common side effect of Ceftriaxone. Perhaps you misunderstood your doctor, who while prescribing these drugs to counter a bacterial infection and/or malaria, mentioned to you that the drugs might lower your platelets?
The reason I asked what you were given is that the usual treatment for low platelets (and by low I mean under 25,000, which you are far above), is a platelet transfusion. There is a trial drug to boost platelets, but it is not in regular use.
Neil
But my malarial parasite test was negative
I'm only reporting the common indication for the drugs. Perhaps your doctor felt that your malarial parasite test report was a false negative (you have the malarial parasite, but it is not being identified by the test in your circumstances). Best ask your doctor for clarification; I'm not medically trained.
Now at least you know that the antibiotic injection does have a common side effect of reducing platelet counts, but your levels are currently safe and they are being monitored via blood tests. You should also report any unexpected bleeding, bruising or small red spots appearing under your skin (petechia), that could indicate falling platelet levels.
Neil
Thank you sir.
Platelet count
PLATELET Count
Gazyva and Low Platelet Count?
How did they treat your low platelet count? What if low platelets are more of an issue than high white blood cells?
Platelet drop
