I cured myself of ITP!: I was diagnosed... - ITP Support Assoc...

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I cured myself of ITP!

Healthfitness profile image
20 Replies

I was diagnosed with ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura) back in 1990 after not being able to shake the flu.

My platelet count hung around 40 but my hematologist had no idea what to do about it except to put me on Prednisone or take my spleen out. The theory was that the spleen was destroying my platelets, which I now know is a false hypothesis. We need our spleen.

As an RN I knew the dangers of steroids and after two weeks I stopped it and stopped going to doctors because I didn’t want to take drugs or to have my spleen removed for I knew that wasn’t the answer.

I would get petechiae (bleeding around every little hair follicle on my legs that looked worse than measles.) I had massive blood-filled bruises on my legs. I would also get so much mucous in my throat I couldn’t talk without constantly clearing my throat. I struggled with these issues for years trying to figure out what was causing the low platelets.

Twelve years later while searching on the internet for answers I came across the website, “Celiac Disease.” I was shocked to read that ITP can be caused by a severe allergy to gluten. So I immediately stopped making my five loaves of whole bread at a time, stopped making my own granola and oatmeal cookies and stopped eating anything made with wheat, rye, oats or barley. It was hard to give up bread, rolls, pasta, pizza, pies, cake, cereal, crackers, pancakes, waffles, and everything made out of wheat and other gluten grains but I did and was totally amazed when my platelet count began going up instead of going down.

One day at a church potluck I sat next to an MD. So I asked him, “Did you know that ITP can be caused by a serious allergy to gluten?” He said, “No, I’ve never heard of that!”

I finally realized there was no MD or hematologist that could help me so I stayed on a gluten-free diet and my platelet count gradually went back to normal which takes about a year of staying off gluten grains.

I learned that consuming even one molecule or bread crumb of gluten would set me back another year to heal the intestines. So it was critical to make sure there was no gluten in my food.

Even foods like soups or gravies thickened with flour, plus ketchup and most seasonings have gluten in them. In fact, most processed food contains gluten as a filler or thickening agent which is hidden on labels as “natural flavors” or “spices.” So, it’s vital to read labels or just stay away from processed food and eat fresh food. When mankind tampers with our food it is no longer “food.”

When leaving all gluten grains out of one’s diet it is very important to add protein foods such as beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, etc. into the diet since you can’t use the protein from gluten grains. Even if you’ve been a vegetarian all your life, if you want to survive you must eat meat. Beef especially has vitamin K which helps clot the blood. Red meat, beef and lamb is the most high quality, high energy, nutritious and valuable food on earth. It’s healing ability is beyond compare.

The protein in animal foods builds muscle on athletes, it strengthens frail elderly patients, it builds up the heart muscle to avoid developing a weak heart and heart disease, it feeds the brain and nervous system with healthy fatty acids needed to build up the myelin sheath that protects the nervous system and keeps the brain from shrinking to avoid neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

This most amazing food is what doctors for the past forty years have been telling their patients to avoid to avoid heart disease. This is just the opposite advice from what they should be telling their patients.

By removing red meat from man’s diet that God gave us in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, it is creating a massive genicide that is causing more heart disease, more strokes, more diabetics, more Alzheimer’s disease, more Parkinson’s disease and other neurological diseases in patients than ever before

It is also interesting that most people in the world who have ITP are blood type O. There is a lot of information on diet and blood type. In fact, just about every blood type O person would have much better health if they left the gluten grains out of their diet. Many of their crazy symptoms would disappear! When a blood type O continually consumes gluten grains it sets up a chronic inflammation that wears down the immune system trying to defend itself against the gluten poison.

Grains today have been hybridized and genetically modified which are not the same as what our grandparents ate. This makes grains very indigestable for humans. Grains were not a part of Adam and Eve’s diet in the Garden of Eden. Gluten grains are a poison to ITP people!

Due to my personal experience with ITP, several years ago, I went from being an RN to a therapist, then to becoming a Naturopathic physician and an invited guest speaker on how to restore health naturally.

Please let me know if this suggestion helps you. It’s not a quick fix because the little wave-like cilia inside your small intestine that becomes flattened in the presence of the sticky glue-like gluten has to be dissolved and eliminated from the intestines that has clogged it up) to allow the delicate wave-like cilia to stand up to be free/floating and able to pick up nutrients from your food.

Long term ITP can be very dangerous, especially for children and the frail and elderly. When the cilia that absorbs nutrients from our food are prevented from doing their job by the sticky gluten in grains, it can cause serious malnutrition and “failure to thrive” syndrome.

Unfortunately. Most MD’s do not understand the connection between the food we eat and our health problems so they do not know that gluten could be the cause of many of our puzzling health issues.

In my practice I am continually researching to find natural “cures” that can help reverse our diseases without resorting to drugs that do not cure, but often make things worse and the body more toxic.

Hope this helps someone.

Blessings!

Dr. Bonnie Carlson, RN, DMT, PhD, ND

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20 Replies
Lin6 profile image
Lin6

Hi I did wonder about the gluten as my platelets were 7, 2 years ago I stopped eating bread as read American site that also suggested it. My platelets are now holding at 116 have just been discharged from my consultant back to docs just to have a blood test every 6 months. Will continue my diet same diet now thank you.

My sister has just been told she has barrette disease she O bloods I wonder if gluten is Sampford her??

Thanks for your post

Regards

Lin

Bluebuzz profile image
Bluebuzz

What a brilliant read.. I started a gluten-free diet in March of this year and to be honest I started to feel like a new man up to recently my blood had dropped to 44 the lowest they have ever been.. A good few weeks ago I was served a cooked breakfast in a hotel which contained gluten even though I asked twice if the food was free from gluten.. Oh was I sick internally for a few days afterwards. After getting my results a few days ago and the results being low, I said to myself that I was going to give up on this diet.. Now thinking from reading your post above, this makes sense to me that I had a huge setback from the food I had eaten.. Thank you so much for sharing this, you have made me more determined not to give up and one day I will be like you free from this horrible disease.

NickyD profile image
NickyD

Thank you so much for your input. I had a splenectomy on the advice of my consultant and have regretted it ever since. I naturally shy away from gluten. Now will work on cutting out more of it if not all of it. My platelets average around 300. Does that mean i can eat a bit of gluten??? Nicky

sharroN42 profile image
sharroN42 in reply to NickyD

Nicky,

If you have a platelet count of 300 (short for 300,000) you are fine. We are supposed to have between 150 to 450 to be healthy.

wjoyful profile image
wjoyful

Hi. Your post was an eye opening inspiration to me. I only have a nurse practitioner as my care giver and she told me that she is over her head with me. There is no hematologist that will take my case and therefore it's a wait and see situation. My ITP was an accidental find in May when I went to emergency because of shortness of breath which turned out to be heart failure. They gave me ivig and steroids which have been a fail. I am currently being weened of prednesone and my platelets sit at 26 to 30 with steroids so I'm a bit nervous coming off but there is no other way. I am O - blood type and I've been thinking about getting the book eat for your type. I have to give you credit for going gluten free. I'm trying to but I slip up. So much that you have said makes sense. I am taking blak seed oil and papya leaf extract. I was drinking wheat grass in the morning but I'm wondering if that is gluten now so maybe I shouldn't. My mom was o negative like me and she had anemia all her life and passed of Alzheimer's. I believe I've had ITP for a while throughout my life but it never got caught. I'm sending for the book on eating for your blood type and I'm going to see a functional dr asap. I have to help myself if no one else can help me. Thanks for your post

M_Umar profile image
M_Umar

Thank you so much for sharing your story...

sharroN42 profile image
sharroN42

I, too, have type O blood and wondered if this early blood type had anything to do with ITP and gluten. In fact, I was going to ask that question on this invaluable site. Maybe we should anyway. Might give the medical people something to think about. It makes sense that gluten is harmful to O types because it is the first human blood type and our paleo ancestors didn't have wheat.

Thanks soooooo much

Healthfitness profile image
Healthfitness in reply to sharroN42

Yes, it is a fact blood type O was the first and only blood type in existence for awhile. The history of the blood types is very interesting. Blood type websites even date when blood types A, B and AB entered the genome of mankind which was in that order. Most people do not know where the four blood types came from, but it's all part of the history of humanity. The reason people have an allergy to gluten or ITP is because they do not have enzymes in their stomach to digest gluten. This problem has been around a long time for it is very prevalent in the Monarchies of Europe who are mostly blood type O. It is associated with the royal blood lines which can skip generations and then pop up in another generation. It's something we are born with depending upon which combination of genes are passed down to us. Our immune system can fight it when we are younger. But as we get older we begin to develop symptoms. There are now digestive enzymes available that can help with the digestion of gluten.

apita profile image
apita

I have celiac disease, hashimotos and itp. I belive my itp came after i got gluten served. I eat gluten free, milk free, sugar free. My platelets are now 240. I hope i will stay there.

ITPAffecty profile image
ITPAffecty

I was tested negative for gluten sensitivity but still I tried to follow gluten free diet for 3 4 months but my platelets didn't show any improvements. But your article says we should be 100% gluten free and it may take an year. And suddenly I have developed milk sensitivity from 6 months and if I take once in a while also, I suffer from severe bloating and flatulence. I don't feel so good after eating more sweets. May be all these are related to my sickness and going gluten free, milk free and sugar free might help. But it's so tough, hats off to you all who could strictly follow that diet.!!!

DAVIDJOEL profile image
DAVIDJOEL

I've read Dr. Carlson before and decided to go gluten free. I did it for four months and my platelets rose from 56 to 78. I still drank beer and cheated here and there for a lack of discipline but I definitely decreased gluten and my platelets went up. I have since went off the diet to fully test this hypothesis and will let you know the results of my next blood test in November. Stay tuned...

22-patience profile image
22-patience

To Healthfitness

Seems I have all the symptoms you speak obout. I have had ITP for ten years. I also have terrible indigestion problems, bloating and massive flatulence.

I am wondering if you know if eating gluten free bread and drinking lactose-free milk/yogurt would be okay to eat/drink when you have ITP.

I have had a splenectomy which did nothing to help. I have been on Prednisone since 2007 so you can imagine how wrecked my over-all body condition is now.----osteoporosis, cataracts, massive bruises that never completely heal and constant stomach/bowel problems.

I have started eating gluten free whenever possible and because I need calcium I do eat lactose-free dairy. I have found gluten is in most everything! Including condiments!

ITP has taken so much of the excitement I use to feel about living away from me. I don't really feel sorry for myself as I know there are a lot more devastating diseases one can acquire but ITP definitely has changed my life in a not-so-good way! Everyday is a challenge----and not in a good way!! Exercise has been my salvation! When I feel low I exercise-----it does wonders for my spirit and outlook on life!!!

Thanks for listening. 22 Patience

AshumSmashum profile image
AshumSmashum

My platelets were below 5000 for 4 weeks. Nothing seemed to help. Then my Dr decided to try a B Cell treatment. I can't really explain what it is but my platelets haven't dropped since. In fact they were rocket high for a long time. They aren't low by any means now. If you're still suffering I would ask your Dr if they may know what that is. If not, I can give you information for my Dr. I haven't had to see him in years now.

Northlea profile image
Northlea in reply to AshumSmashum

Hi A

Please let me have your Doctors details. I would like to ask his advice about B cell treatment.

Thank you

Northlea

AshumSmashum profile image
AshumSmashum in reply to Northlea

Hello! Sure, his name is Dr. Zaman (ZA-mon). He works at the Schwab Cancer center at Western MD Hospital. The number there is 240-964-1400. Ask if you could speak to him about ITP and the B Cell treatment a previous patient received that helped tremendously. If they need my name it's Ashley Greder (GrEEter). The website is wmhs.com/oncology/oncology-...

Good luck!

Northlea profile image
Northlea in reply to AshumSmashum

Thank you

dede7 profile image
dede7

Yes I agree most do not know of ITP and gluten and I also am gluten sensitive -thanks for input of blood type and I try my hardest to stay away from gluten!

Northlea profile image
Northlea

Thank you Dr for this information. I am I'm a similar position and have turned down offers to have my spleen removed amongst many other crazy ideas. I think I am going to study your suggestions and at least eat healthier. Could I please ask you for a list of foods that I can eat? I love meat so that's fine, perhaps a list of food other than meat? What can I drink? Can I drink cool drinks, coffee, beer, wine or whisky?

Thank you once again and may God bless you.

Northlea

LIZAPUPPY profile image
LIZAPUPPY

Hi, I'm diagnosed with chronic Itp since last year. My platelet count is around 11 to 30. I was on pred during the first 3 months of pregnancy and my platelet went up to 60. But it dropped again to 30. I got ivig and my platelet rose to 100+. After I deliver, my platelet dropped to 11. I noticed I get severe stomach ache and diarrhea after having dairy products such as milk, cheese and chocolate drinks. I stopped all these now and also going gluten free. Did you have stomachache and diarrhea too?

Dionne50 profile image
Dionne50 in reply to LIZAPUPPY

Hi I just read a article about Celiac. Look it up.

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