Thrombocythemia (MPN)

[hwigston]

Has anyone been diagnosed with Thrombocythemia MPN. This is linked I understand with GCA, which I was diagnosed with 8 years ago. I lost the sight in my left eye and have been on prednisolone. I am now on 7 mgs, trying to reduce to 6 mg without much success. A few weeks ago during a routine blood test (ESR and CRP) hospital noticed that my platelet count was abnormally high (720) and further blood tests were carried out. It now transpires that I have Thrombocythemia MPN. At present no medication has been given, but I return to Oncology on the 9th March for the full outcome. If anyone has this complaint I would like to know what medication they are on, and how it affects their GCA. Symptoms are those similar to relapse in PMR and GCA so has been very confusing for GP and myself. I haven't been on the forum for sometime as I thought my GCA was definitely on the way out, but then something else hits you.

[bettyv910]

Hi Hwigston. It was interesting to see your post about Thrombocytopenia. Last week I had routine labs done at my rheumatologist and I seem to be looking at another of the MPNs, polycythemia. I too have GCA/PMR and have been on Prednisone for 16 months. It just seemed so strange since I had also just been diagnosed with pseudogout and started Colchicine for that. I do know that both polycythemia Vera and Thrombocytopenia were reclassified from disorders to neoplasms in the last ten years and are both chronic cancers of the blood.

I am very interested in what you discover. I just found out yesterday and see my cardiologist in two days and am waiting to see my primary medical doctor about what the next steps might be. Thanks for posting. I may not have helped you but you have made me feel not quite so alone out there! 🙂