Splenectomy

[Nespinoza]

Hello every one I have a question for those of you who have gone through a splenectomy. Have any of you had issues in getting alot of infections? Reacurring or not...

[Noel54]

I had splenectomy last October on antibiotics but never been sick since then fingers crossed it stays that way platelets sitting round 100

[dede7 in reply to Noel54]

You are doing good!

[Noel54 in reply to dede7]

Yes I take one capsule 250mg twice a day Amoxycillin

She did say would have to be on them for life I'm 63 but I do wonder if your on them that long will they have any affect later on. As the other person said everyone is different so speak to your hematologist see what they recommend . Did you have all your vaccines before having spleen out .

[Nespinoza in reply to Noel54]

Yes the ones that were required before my surgery... Yes im gonna have to speak to my hematologist. Thats the thing by taking antibiotics for life what happens later on in life when you get really sick and needing antibiotics r they gonna wrk? But thats someting i need to ask my hemo...

[Nespinoza in reply to Noel54]

Hello so r u on antibiotics as a daily base? I have heard that some people are taking antibiotics on a daily base to prevent them from getting an infection. I guess i will just have to speak to my hemotologist and ask him what needs to be done.. My platlets from when i last did labs are at 202,000 which is normal. Also latlely i have been getting alot i mean alot of cold sores i wonder if that has anything to do with not having a spleen or what...

[Itp1987]

Hi, I write the following with the proviso that we are all individuals and I don't know what my health would have been like if I'd not had a splenectomy, prior to it (31 years ago) I suffered a lot of infections anyway...Since it, I am susceptible to any virus on the go. Especially any carried by children, show me a child with a runny nose and I've caught it. If I am in a hot crowded place (such as a music gig) I tend to be ill afterwards. Every plane journey I always end up with a cold/sinus infection. When I worked in an office I was ill every three to four months, I gave up and started working from home and things improved to perhaps twice a year for a cold. Colds seem to last a lot longer for me than they do for others around me, a week to ten days. Tummy bugs lower my platelets to single figures (but that's not hard as I run at around 30 anyway with platelets so not much room to drop). Some viruses will challenge me more than others, in that recently I had a cold, which turned into bronchitis and laryngitis and I am now into my fifth week and only just feeling better. But this is my personal story. Is it related to not having a spleen or is it related to having ITP? Remember, ITP is an auto immune problem, when an infection comes the antibodies go into overdrive, they get mixed messages and spend half their time fighting the platelets before they get the message to fight the actual infection (that's my analogy from my haematologist many years ago). Not having a spleen may or may not impact on that. I just know I have to rest more to give my body a chance to do its thing and it always catches up on itself in the end. What not having a spleen does for me however is make me acutely aware of the risks of certain bacterial infections and some of the more nasty viruses. So any time I'm ill there is always a rumbling of anxiety that this might not be something simple. That fear has receded over the years and the fact that there are more and more vaccines out there to protect is really reassuring. Especially the pneumonia one and meningitis ones. Hope that helps!

[Nespinoza]

Thanks for sharing your story I was perfectly fine with no issues before my splenectomy i can say i was pretty healthy besides me having ITP... I have had my pneumonia shot in the summer of 2013 just about a couple of years back i have been getting infections sometimes 3-4 times a year which for me is alot because i never had to deal with this growing up... Im just gonna have to speak to my hemotologist and see what can be done my last infection was may 2016 so i was good for a year and now i have another infection... Its very frustrating also i have been getting alot of cold sores which once again really didnt go through growing up..... I have my appt with my hemotologist in August so just have to wait to see him... On a monthly base i do labs and my last numbers were at 202,000 which is normal... But my platlets did go down from the previous month... Im just so frustrated right now....

[LindaAnne53]

Hi, my two sons had their spleens removed 30 years ago, (not for ITP, for congenital spherocytosis, and they were only 8 and 11 years old) since then they have taken penicillin v 25mg daily, this is done as a precaution, to keep penicillin in the system in case of pneumonia, it’s supposed to give like a base for if they need antibiotics for anything else. They have been fit and well, other than the odd cold since. My sons would not be here now if they hadn’t had the splenectomy. And I wouldn’t have my grandchildren either. You’ll be fine if you have the pneumovax vaccination, and go for a flu jab annually. Please also take the penicillin v it really does help x