Fertility and essential thrombocythemia

[BeckyG88]

Hey I’m 32 year of age Iv currently have essential thrombocythemia , diagnosed over 10 years ago with blood readings of 1,800

Currently takin Pegasy

Been trying to conceive for over a year now , suffered for years with bad periods heavy and very very painful . Just wondering if having this condition and medication effects fertility and their periods ?

Thank you

[Dora13]

Hi Becky, I can't comment on the impact of taking Pegasy, or on fertility in general, but for me personally I had a few early miscarriages but then got pregnant after just over a year (I got my ET diagnosis during pregnancy, didn't know I had it before). My daughter was born perfectly healthy a couple of months ago

[BeckyG88 in reply to Dora13]

Thank you And congratulations on the birth of your daughter 💞😍 xx

[Gaithersburg]

Hi Becky, I was diagnosed with ET when I was 27 and had always suffered from extremely heavy periods and took the contraceptive pill which helped me in my early 20s However as soon as ET was diagnosed my GP said it was too dangerous to take the pill which was awful for me. I assumed there was nothing which I could do but my Haematologist recommended Transexamic Acid tablets 500mg and I take 2 on my heaviest days - it is a complete life saver! Please check with your doctor first. Secondly I had two children with ET who are now 15 & 18 and it took me about a year to conceive. I was only taking aspirin at that time and my platelets were 1,500. There is a risk of miscarriage in the first trimester and you would need to be monitored by a high risk obstetrician but I had no difficulties. I wish you well and am very happy to answer any more questions. Best wishes, Lisa

[hunter5582]

Pegasys is generally what docs prefer to use for women of child bearing years particularly when they want to have children.

MPN Voice has some good info on MPNs and pregnancy. mpnvoice.org.uk/living-with...

I have never heard of ET affecting fertility. It can certainly affect you during pregnancy and delivery (see above). Something that may be relevant to your question is that ET increases your risk of both thrombosis and hemorrhage. The risk of hemorrhage goes up when platelet levels exceed 1 million, but can happen as lower levels for some. In fact, there is a condition called Acquired von Willebrand Disease (a bleeding disorder) that is associated with thrombocythemia. You should already have been assessed for that given the platelet levels you reported. If you are not sure, it would be best to check as it is quite relevant to your MPN care.

Hope you get it all sorted out ASAP. All the best on your plans to have a baby.