Does anyone else have a drop in platelet count when they get a cold? If yes, then by how much?

[NickyD]

[kered]

Hi Nicky,

The short answer to your question is up to now no. But with ITP who can tell about the future, such is the uncertainty of the course is the dissorder we live with.There are reports of large drops and even some increases on the PDSA web site Disussion Goups.All of which emphasizes that we are all different and dealing with a dissorder which changes the goal posts.

Kered

[NickyD in reply to kered]

Thanks for coming back to me. We are all so different. Nicky

[teddyeddy]

Hi Nicky, in answer to your question, yes my platelets drop if I have a cold or any infection for that matter, also having no spleen(due to I.T.P) my platelets drop, course of treatment is either steriods/antobiotics and occassionally IVG. Hope this helps. Take care.

[NickyD in reply to teddyeddy]

That is very interesting. I too have no spleen - ITP - and find that the penicillin helps with keeping the other infections at bay. My count has dropped over 65%. I will wait and see if it goes up next week. What other infections cause your count to drop?

[andrea_41]

hi Nicky my platelets also fall drastically due to having no spleen (due to I.T.P) have been hospitilised the last time and was on iv drips of penicillin and ivg and steroids , still got an infection in chest but out of hospital, didnt realise how quickly i catch infections now and how hard it was to recover x

[NickyD in reply to andrea_41]

It is interesting how many people have had a splenectomy considering Drew Provan in Barts says they dont do them any more. Are you on penicillin? I have to take it twice a day for the rest of my life.

[andrea_41]

yes im on penillin 2 day for the rest of my life also ,i only had mine removed february of this year

[NickyD in reply to andrea_41]

Did you feel any better having had it removed? I was told my spleen was enlarged and when I had it removed it did give me more energy. It did not change my count but I am glad it was taken out.

[andrea_41]

i did at first Nicky yes , but since catching a cold 4 weeks ago im drained still on amoxcyillin and steroids ,nothing seems to help so getting plenty of rest ,with 2 children that can be hard too ,

[NickyD]

Fatigue is tough. I have to rest as much as I can. Children are hard work even if you are fully fit. Have you been on Rituximab or Romiplostim?

[andrea_41]

yes was on rituximab but dodnt work thats why had to have spleen removed , your right about fatigue too x

[NickyD in reply to andrea_41]

Do you ever get a feeling that you are going to faint? I have had it three times in the last week. I wonder if it because of the cold I have had. With the penicillin l seem to have a bit of a buffer with the colds and infections going round. I have been very tired this last week. Not been with it and have found it hard to concentrate. I feel like I could sleep for a week.

[PKScott]

One thing I've learned is that a person's platelet level naturally fluxuates. Ones numbers will go down when individuals are sick or even under stress. The issue with count dropping in ITP patients is that we have very few platelets to begin with. Therefore, if your count is 40k, like mine, and I get sick without a fever, I can expect a drop of 10/15k putting me at 30 or even 25k. This is really an unnoticeable drop in an individual who doesn't have ITP. Now a cold associated with a fever can compound a decrease in platelets and I can expect to spend some time in the hospital. This is what I've learned through my personal experiences and conversations with my doctors. I hope it is helpful.

[NickyD in reply to PKScott]

That is really interesting. Do you keep a diary of when you are not well so that you can correlate it to your platelet count? I will start to keep a diary from now on. What are you given when you go to hospital with a low count?

[PKScott in reply to NickyD]

I began keeping a log in 2009. When I am hospitalized for low counts, if I don't have any bleeding issues, it usually IV antibiotics. Then we wait and see if the platelets naturally rise on their own, which they generally do. If I have extreme bruising or bleeding issues, I have been given IVIG or prednisone along with the IV antibiotics. My hospital stays are generally 3 days. I haven't been this year, which as we all know, is a good thing.

[PKScott in reply to PKScott]

My log consists of every CBC, cold, infection, and the treatment. I also log my headaches as well as diet and exercise. I know that seems like too much, but it's really quite easy and this way my doctors and I can see any correlation of my lifestyle with my Itp. So far so good.

[NickyD in reply to PKScott]

I keep a log of the treatment, the count and my weight. I will start to make a note when I have a cold etc. I put on a lot of weight with steroids but have not felt well enough to do exercise yet so am trying to watch what I eat. I do think there is a correlation between count and condition. NickyD

[PKScott in reply to NickyD]

I log my weight too. It took my a year to get my predispose weight off. Fatigue seems to be common among ITPers from what I ready. I go through cycles of high energy and then exhaustion.

[salmagal]

Hi I had a viral infection earlier this year and my count actually went up i was told it was due to other antibodies fighting infection I was on antibiotic drip so when the virus cleared my count dropped again it is just so unpredictable .

[NickyD in reply to salmagal]

You know, that is just the exact opposite of what seems to happen to me. Isnt it weird how things go? My count is up this week, it has gone from 67 to 149. My cold has got better so perhaps that is what has caused the increase. We are all so different.

[PKScott in reply to salmagal]

Antibiotics have a tendency to increase my counts and when they have cleared my system I have a tendency to drop. However, prior to the antibiotics, my illness severely decreases my count.

[NickyD in reply to PKScott]

Hi How much does your count go down by? My count fell 65% when I had a cold and sore throat. Nicky

[PKScott]

Last drop due to a sinus infection was from 29K to 9k. Once on antibiotics, my count increased to 14k.

[NickyD]

What does your count normally range between?

[Rachaely]

I've been getting a steady increase in count on azathioprine, was up to 58 then a drop to 42 ... no idea why ... but then sore throat etc, so obviously dropped as I was incubating a cold. 2 weeks later, rocketed up to 103, then back down to 28 last week ... here's hoping it's back up again when I get tested again! Has been lower than the official counts though, going by the bruising, but am not too fussed, I lived with single figures for several months earlier this year (lucky not to bleed etc at those counts though, appreciate that's not an option for some)

[Pvrgirl]

Hi all, there is a plant that I was recommened when I lived in mexico called Muicle ( I believe it is called Jacobinia in English) you take 8 leaves and boil them in 1.5 liters until the water turns either gold or purplish/ pink and drink this every day for 2 weeks on then 2 weeks off. It really has helped raise my platelets and keep them stable. Even my doctor asked me what I was doing.