How does an adult get ITP

[Jan2010]

I have been dealing with ITP for over 5 years and I don't even know how I even got it in the first place. I was being tested for something else and they found my platelets were at 15,000 five years ago. They do prednisone only when I have to have any surgeries. How does an adult get this.

[Itpnotforme123]

It happens unexpectedly when it happens you feel sick and have to go to the doctor and then to find out your platelet level is 2,000 I don’t know how it happens your body just starts attacking itself and your on prednisone and different types of meds! To keep your platelet up I was fighting it for 10 years and then I had to take my spleen out! I had no choice now my platelet level is ok! There’s no scientific reason why your body starts attacking itself it’s just some unknown occurrence! And you have to take prednisone to get your platelets up I did that for 10 long years and then I developed type 2 diabetes! It never ends.

[Itpnotforme123]

Prednisone is not fun to take but if you need it you have to take it it has its side effects but you need it! So you have to weight out the pros and cons!

[clear67]

Were you on an antibiotic prior to the diagnosis? The same thing happened to my husband. Unrelated medical visit and was diagnosed with ITP. He had been on the antibiotic Bactrim which is one of the top 3 antibiotics that cause ITP. It doesn’t always resolve just by going off the antibiotic either.

[Jan2010 in reply to clear67]

I just went in for a routine blood draw and they asked me alot of questions about it and I had no answers. Still don't know how I got it. They call me a medical mystery because they can't pin point the reasons.