Low platelets

[G1K2]

I have just been told I have low platelets Can this be thyroid related.

[Shenow]

Yes it can be. I had the same issue and was told it can be thyroid related BUT if your platelets continue to drop insist on a full blood test and/or referral to a hematologist because it could be something else causing it.

[G1K2 in reply to Shenow]

I have been under a haematologist but not sure what blood tests she did. Some had to be sent to Kings Hospital in London. She said the platelets were normal so I am confused. After that I was in hospital with Covid Pneumonitis in January. Thanks for replying.

[Shenow in reply to G1K2]

Platelets can have mutations where they don’t develop properly so when they said they were normal perhaps that’s what they were referring to?? Obviously I’m just guessing that.

[G1K2 in reply to Shenow]

I didn’t know that thank you for telling me. I am trying to get a doctors opinion on my platelets but the doctor is not looking at them. We have no doctors on site they work from home. It is a ridiculous situation at my doctors.

[Eton in reply to G1K2]

I have a long history of low platelets. The haematology department said that was just the way my blood is. I'm not convinced. I think there is a link with UAT as I have been hypothyroid for many years and have a persistently low in range T3 .

[G1K2 in reply to Eton]

That stops me worrying about it so much. Thank you for sharing that. There does seem to be a connection with low platelets and UAT. You have put my mind at rest. I appreciate it thanks.

[Shenow in reply to G1K2]

You say in your bio that you had a bone profile, did they test your bone marrow?

[G1K2 in reply to Shenow]

I had a blood test but I didn’t see the haematologist as it was done by telephone. The drs keep talking about the bone marrow and the blood cells which are too large. I didn’t have a bone marrow test.

[RockyPath]

Hi G1K2,

A December 2022 meta-analysis of clinical articles on thrombocytopenia and thyroid disease reports, "Some degree of platelet index abnormality has been found clinically in the autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), but the findings are not uniform."

frontiersin.org/journals/im...

A January 2023 article offers an abstract that is more ambiguous, but it does draw a connection between Hashimoto's and platelet abnormalities.

"Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is a chronic autoimmune thyroiditis that causes systemic inflammation in the body, leading to hypothyroidism and an enlargement of the thyroid gland. Objectives: This study aims to reveal whether there is a relationship between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and the platelet-count-to-lymphocyte-count ratio (PLR), which is used as a new inflammatory marker. Methods: In this retrospective study, we compared the PLR of the euthyroid HT group and the hypothyroid-thyrotoxic HT group to the controls. We also evaluated the values of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (fT4), C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet count in each group. Results: The PLR of the subjects with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was found to be significantly different from the control group (p euthyroid HT 137% (69–272) > control group 103% (44–243). In addition to the increased PLR values, an increase in CRP values was also observed, revealing a strong positive correlation between the PLR and CRP in the [Hashimotos] patients. Conclusion: In this study, we found out that the PLR was higher in the hypothyroid-thyrotoxic HT and euthyroid HT patients than in a healthy control group."

mdpi.com/2079-9721/11/1/15

[G1K2 in reply to RockyPath]

Thank you for all that information. I will have a read of the links. Thank you for replying.

[RachelP03]

My daughter has been diagnosed with ITP but she also has hashimotos but no medication for either yet. Her platelets are very low (around 30k, normal is above 150k) but her FT3 is high so at the moment we’re not medicating her thyroid. It’s a very tricky situation for us as I’m sure both are linked, along with low B12. Medical profession no help at present sadly.

[G1K2 in reply to RachelP03]

My platelets are 50. My T3 is 4.8pmol/L Normal Range 3.00 - 20.00

My doctor wants me off thyroid medication as thyroid has gone from underactive to overactive. My B12 is low too. Sorry your daughter is not getting any medical help. I am not either.Thank you for replying.

[hormonaljunkie]

I’ve had low platelets and low neutrophils on and off forever. Endo has always told me it’s nothing to worry about (not even trying to see if one of the hormones I take could be related), but I recently saw a private Endo and he diagnosed me with ME/ post viral fatigue… which he said typically can be the cause for low white blood cells.

Not saying that’s what you have as needs more investigating and am sure it can be caused by multiple dysfunctions, but one to keep in mind.

[G1K2 in reply to hormonaljunkie]

I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I could have M.E post viral fatigue. I am constantly exhausted and falling asleep. Forgot to say this . I am sure having Covid Pneumonitis hasn’t helped. The Consultant when I was in hospital said the fatigue after having serious Covid is terrible.

[hormonaljunkie in reply to G1K2]

I’m so sorry to hear and can duly relate

Having had Covid badly will definitely not help overall. One could argue that the line in between long covid and long “all other viruses” (that are the cause of ME) is pretty light… the treatment for long covid isn’t much different to the one for post viral/ ME.

Now I’m not saying you have long covid at all! Just if you believe you already have markers for ME and if you recently had covid in a bad way, could be that the recent covid infection isn’t fully cleared up?

[G1K2 in reply to hormonaljunkie]

Thank you for your reply. I have had lots of viruses. In 2011 I had Norrovirus twice and had lots of tonsillitis and bronchitis as a child. I have had lots of chest infections and millions of antibiotics through my life. I agree that Covid and other viruses can all cause ME. My main problem and the one that I first posted was that I was unable to digest my food. I have just had a food intolerance test with Blue Horizon. It came back with an intolerance to Yeast and Brewers Yeast. I know I have Candida as have terrible skin breakouts which smell of yeast. I can’t digest whole foods and am in agony for days after eating meat and fish. I am Autistic/ADHD. I have tried every supplement to be able to eat but they cause digestive problems. Are fibromyalgia and ME/Chronic Fatigue the same. I am due to have cataract surgery on the 14th June and I can’t see much from left eye. I had right eye done six years ago when I was a lot stronger. Thank you for your concern and that you can duly relate. That helps me so much. I also can’t take the vitamins as they make me ill. I am also cutting down levothyroxine on doctors orders as my TSH is always suppressed. I cannot afford a private doctor and when I asked to see an Endocrinologist I was told it is not necessary. I am in a mess and am in bed asleep most of the time. I had a bad flare of Fibromyalgia due to Stress. Sorry to have gone on so long.

[hormonaljunkie in reply to G1K2]

Please don't be sorry! And it is I who is sorry for replying so late. Apologies, health hasn't been good at all so was off the laptop.

I wouldn't be able to say what is what, I'm not a dr, but I also don't have any experience with Fibro or yeast/ candida so truly would be inventing things! But it sounds very complex to manage and try to understand what is the root of it all, or even if there is a link as you suggested.

I know in terms of getting an endocrinologist (or any specialist) you often have to fight... it's not right, but keep pushing the GP to refer you. Look up what our rights are maybe, sometimes you can find documents that prove that they can't deny you to be seen.

I hope something good comes your way very soon. I know you said that you couldn't afford private care at the moment, but if ever that did change, look into a functional doctor maybe? My experience being different than yours, but seemingly equally as complex, has shown that even the best of the conventional doctors aren't always good...they just want to throw pills and band-aids onto symptoms, which can be difficult when you start having multiple conditions. Often one condition's medication is contraindicated with another, etc...whereas a functional doctor wants to understand the root cause of dis-ease in the body, their goal is to heal not just "make do", which I find can be more helpful for sufferers of some newer, more complex diseases.

Fellow ADHD/autistic 😀

Take care

[G1K2 in reply to hormonaljunkie]

Thank you for your reply and to be talking to a Fellow ADHD/autistic. Have you seen a functional doctor? The doctor who owns my practice is in Harley Street doing functional medicine so has given up with conventional medicine himself. The doctors who are at my surgery don’t seem to know what they doing. I did ask to see an endocrinologist two years ago and was told that it was not necessary. One of the doctors has cut the levothyroxine from 50 mcg daily down to 25 mcg every other day. I am taking 25mcg daily as I had extra tablets but I feel so unwell. I am sorry you are unwell and I appreciate you taking the time to reply. When autism and adhd and fibromyalgia and candida are present, like you it is so complex.

[hormonaljunkie in reply to G1K2]

Hi G1K2, I haven't yet seen one myself but that is my next step. Struggling to find one that I feel has enough knowledge or talent, and ideally would wait for someone else who has a complex case like mine (as all the doctors I've ever seen keep telling me!) to recommend someone... just going by their bios or reviews isn't enough for me as it's unlikely they would have seen many patients that have both no pituitary and ME together. I know I am maybe asking for the impossible, but from my previous experience it is so hard to find any kind of doctor that knows enough in this field!

Are you happy with yours? I didn't realise you had seen a functional dr already.

I have some friends who have thyroid issues and the stories they tell me about their GPs get me so riled up. They really are clueless, and it's frustrating to see that they don't take any symptoms seriously. Most of them only test TSH and have no clue about FT4 (and FT3 doesn't exist in their books!).

I'm so sorry and I hope you can find whatever energy/ strength you do have to fight the good fight... I assume you might have already made a formal complaint to the GP surgery?

Take care 🙏

[G1K2 in reply to hormonaljunkie]

Hello hormonal junkie. I haven’t seen a Functional Doctor. I didn’t explain very well Autism/ADHD. I have only seen my GPs. One of the GPS thinks I don’t need to be on levothyroxine. I am seeing a different one on Monday so I will see what he says. Like your friends stories show the GPS are no good. I asked to see an endocrinologist in 2022 and was told it was unnecessary as all they would do is put the medication up. Can I ask you what happened to your pituitary. I hope you don’t mind. I haven’t made a complaint to the surgery. Thank you for your reply. I am having cataract surgery on Friday so tha is hard feeling so unwell and ill.Thanks for your encouragement I really appreciate it.

[hormonaljunkie in reply to G1K2]

Please don't apologise! I'm the same and sometimes don't read things right the first time, my bad for taking long to reply. In any case, I got it now

I hope your new GP will be more educated. My only 'idea' springing to mind it to try to find a study/ article which discusses the irrelevance of TSH is certain thyroid pathologies, making a case for testing FT4 and FT3. Print it out and show the GP. Might help, might not....but worth a try.

Are you on Facebook? I'm on a few pituitary groups there (am sure there are some exclusively thyroid ones too) and the group admins typically post a lot of helpful files. Maybe that would be a good place to find advice too (not sure how long you've been on this journey/ how much you already know).

As for my pituitary (I'm an open book feel free to ask anything) - I was born with it missing so it's called congenital panhypopituitarism. It's quite rare and hence most dr's know very little! I recently found a very good one (sadly he is private only) so I'm praying he doesn't go into retirement any time soon!

[klr31]

Don't let doctors take you off your thyroxine. Get your results with reference ranges and post on here if you're not sure of the results.

Karen

[G1K2 in reply to klr31]

Serum Free T3 4.8 pmol/L NR 4.2 - 6.9

Serum Free T4 17.4pmol/L NR 7.7 - 20.6

Serum TSH 0.02 m/u/L 0.30 - 4.80

[klr31 in reply to G1K2]

So perfect results, not hyperthyroid at all.

[G1K2 in reply to klr31]

It went that way. I had fast heart rate felt like I was going crazy couldn’t sleep. The drs made the decision not me. Blue Horizon my three drs and dr at private hospital for cataract and dr Wentz all said I was over medicated.My results are normal. It is my blood that isn’t but that could be malnutrition as I can’t eat.Thanks for reply.