Low Platelets: Diagnosis to be confirmed

Posted by rockitman @rockitman, Oct 14, 2022

I have a platelet count of 17 as of Oct 10th 2022. I lose about 800-1000 platelets a day. 5000 - 7000 a week between CBC.
My Dr has me on Promacta 50mg a day(4 weeks), Prednisone 80mg a day, 40mg morning, 40mg night (6 weeks), No help at this point.
Started Rituxan last Tuesday morning Oct 10th 6 hr treatment.
Three more 6hr treatments one week apart every Tuesday morning.
Has anyone had good results with Rituxan?
My Dr has changed my Diagnosis 5 times in as many weeks.
My bone marrow biopsy/asperation lists two possibilities, aplastic Anemia and Megakaryocytic Hypoplasia. He is currently dianosing me with Megakaryocytic Hypoplasia??????
At this point I'm not sure what I have?
I did contact Mayo Clinic and have gotten an Appointment next Wednesday, thank you Mayo.
Does anyone know how long it takes for the Rituxan to work if will even work at all. My Dr said 54 days? I don't have 54 days of platelets left at the platelet loss I'm experiencing now. Getting down to the critical stage, No bleeding yet that I can tell internally but bruising very easily.

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@lulujuice

Good morning auntkk,
I remember the Dr”s call to go to the ER! I hope your husband has gotten some answers. I’ll pray that COVID has not caused any continual complications and that these low platelets issue is resolved quickly. God bless!

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@lulujuice
Thank you for your reply. I do have some good news on my husband's latest (4/25/23) blood test. His platelets went up to 66 from 46 on the previous test. Of course, he still needs a higher count, but this is an improvement! We continue to believe in prayer!

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@auntkk

@lulujuice
Thank you for your reply. I do have some good news on my husband's latest (4/25/23) blood test. His platelets went up to 66 from 46 on the previous test. Of course, he still needs a higher count, but this is an improvement! We continue to believe in prayer!

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Such great news! PTL🙏🙏🙏

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Does anyone have thrombocytopenia and anisocytosis?
What treatment are you on?

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Anisocytosis is prominent in iron deficiency anemia and is a condition where the red blood cells are unequal in size. Yes bloodwork showed 2+Anisocytosis alomg with all kinds of abnornal results,I was perfectly healthy before I got the Covid 19 vaccine mRNA .

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@nana39

Does anyone have thrombocytopenia and anisocytosis?
What treatment are you on?

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Hi @nana39,
I see from your posts that you are experiencing quite a few symptoms related to your blood levels and that you and your doctors are working hard to get to the root cause to find appriate treatment. Treatments for thrombocytopenia are dependent on the root cause.

To help you connect with fellow members like @rockitman @denisemarys and others who have varying forms of thrombocytopenia - condition where the body makes too few platelets - I moved your question to this existing discussion:

- Low Platelets: Diagnosis to be confirmed https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/low-platelets-1/

As @diana6 said, anisocytosis means there are red blood cells unequal in size in your blood results. These unequal cells may be related to your other symptoms and what ever is causing your blood condition. What did your doctors explain to you? What treatment options are being suggested?

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@colleenyoung

Hi @nana39,
I see from your posts that you are experiencing quite a few symptoms related to your blood levels and that you and your doctors are working hard to get to the root cause to find appriate treatment. Treatments for thrombocytopenia are dependent on the root cause.

To help you connect with fellow members like @rockitman @denisemarys and others who have varying forms of thrombocytopenia - condition where the body makes too few platelets - I moved your question to this existing discussion:

- Low Platelets: Diagnosis to be confirmed https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/low-platelets-1/

As @diana6 said, anisocytosis means there are red blood cells unequal in size in your blood results. These unequal cells may be related to your other symptoms and what ever is causing your blood condition. What did your doctors explain to you? What treatment options are being suggested?

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Hello
I had low platelets and low blood cell counts, white, red, platelets, hemoglobin, etc.
I was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia.
I am being treated by Moffitt cancer ctr in Tampa Fl.
Currently I have all normal blood cell treading with the exception of red blood cells, but they are at 3.07, s/b 3.70.
My platelets are now 184k
They were below 10k in March 2023.
I take Cyclosporin and Promacta every day to help my blood cells stay close to normal.
My treatment is ATGAM AND then Cyclosporin & Promacta the treatment for Aplastic Anemia.
Best of luck in finding the right Dr. And the right treatment.
You are your own advocate for your health.

Rockitman

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Sharing this in case may help in the diagnosis for someone else.

My dog was favoring a leg for the second time so it was Vet time. When the Vet did not feel a physical cause, she proceeded in the next logical manner for the area I live in - testing for Lyme disease. My dog tested positive for that and for another tick borne illness- anaplasma. And since her water intake has increased, a CBC was run. Instead of her platelets being in the 175,000 to 500,00 range, hers is 37,000 (dangerously low). And one of her liver enzymes is elevated. I don't know how often human doctors think to test for tick-borne diseases but Vets sure do (at last here they do). Now doxycycline to the rescue.

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I was in the hospital in September of 2023 with they told me Ischemic Colitis was there for 3 days and sent home. Two days later my husband took me to another hospital in Jackson,Ms they said I had a blood clot in my upper colon restricting the blood flow that’s why I was having severe stomach pain and bleeding from the rectum. I had two stents done in April of 2023 they found a blood clot in the stent in my lower addomin. Then 2 days later they found two more blood clots in my right arm one in Basilic Vein and one in the Cephalic Vein. Was in the hospital for 8 days that time. Was put on Elaquis 5mg 2x a day. Then in December was taken back to the hospital having an allergic reaction to my Ladinapril and bleeding from the rectum again. Had another blood clot in my left leg. This time they installed a IVC filter. Was there this time for 4 days. Went to a hematologist/ oncologist he done a lot of blood work. I have still been seeing the hematologist/ oncologist he told me on the May 15,2024 I didn’t have a blood disorder but would be on a blood thinner more than likely the rest of my life and I did not have a blood clotting disorder and he had no answer for me as to why I had a total of 5 blood clots. In 3 months. He has scheduled me for a Iron infusion on June 10,2024. I have told him my mother had blood clots really bad she was on Coumadin then on Warfarin. I am looking for a doctor who can tell me what is triggering the blood clots in me. And help get me some answers to why I am having blood clots all of a sudden when I have never had any until September of 2023. The Mayo Clinic has been recommended to me I just hope to get some answers.

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@mwhitaker

I was in the hospital in September of 2023 with they told me Ischemic Colitis was there for 3 days and sent home. Two days later my husband took me to another hospital in Jackson,Ms they said I had a blood clot in my upper colon restricting the blood flow that’s why I was having severe stomach pain and bleeding from the rectum. I had two stents done in April of 2023 they found a blood clot in the stent in my lower addomin. Then 2 days later they found two more blood clots in my right arm one in Basilic Vein and one in the Cephalic Vein. Was in the hospital for 8 days that time. Was put on Elaquis 5mg 2x a day. Then in December was taken back to the hospital having an allergic reaction to my Ladinapril and bleeding from the rectum again. Had another blood clot in my left leg. This time they installed a IVC filter. Was there this time for 4 days. Went to a hematologist/ oncologist he done a lot of blood work. I have still been seeing the hematologist/ oncologist he told me on the May 15,2024 I didn’t have a blood disorder but would be on a blood thinner more than likely the rest of my life and I did not have a blood clotting disorder and he had no answer for me as to why I had a total of 5 blood clots. In 3 months. He has scheduled me for a Iron infusion on June 10,2024. I have told him my mother had blood clots really bad she was on Coumadin then on Warfarin. I am looking for a doctor who can tell me what is triggering the blood clots in me. And help get me some answers to why I am having blood clots all of a sudden when I have never had any until September of 2023. The Mayo Clinic has been recommended to me I just hope to get some answers.

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I am not sure why you were told you don’t have a clotting disorder as your posted labs show an elevated anticardiolipin antibody and high DRVVT (lupus anticoagulant), both characteristic of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). This is a pretty common condition that predisposes to blood clots. It can occur by itself or in conjunction with autoimmune disorders such as lupus. Yes, with your history of multiple blood clots and these lab abnormalities, you will need to be on a blood thinner for the rest of your life. You should also be evaluated by a rheumatologist to rule out lupus or other related autoimmune disorders. I am baffled by your hematology doctor’s comments and would recommend you take these lab results and relay your history of clotting episodes to a different hematologist. You need a proper diagnosis and explanation of this syndrome as well as rheumatology evaluation, particularly if you have any family history of autoimmune disorders or symptoms of a possible AI disease.

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