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Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) and viruses
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Dec 13, 2023 | Replies (53)Comment receiving replies
I also have ET. I need to find out if it is Essential Thrombocythemia or thrombocytosis? I don’t think I even spelled those right. My Dr said your platelet count for a woman should be around 500,000 and mine were 1.2 million. I was tested for leukemia that was a painful test but gratefully negative. Dr said no hormones and an aspirin daily. But I need to know more. Not a day goes by that I don’t have a major headache. Im tired and I do get sick a lot. Spent a week in the hospital with pneumonia. Any advice would be appreciated. Im 58 years old.
Replies to "I also have ET. I need to find out if it is Essential Thrombocythemia or thrombocytosis?..."
Hi Julieanna57,
I am curious whether you are taking anything other than aspirin. Your platelets seem very high.
I am 78 and have Essential Thrombocytosis and treated with Hydroxyurea which is causing daily headaches, some migraines, I will discuss change of medication when I next see the hematologist,
Best wishes, Eileen
I never heard no hormones. My Hematologist said HRT was fine. Just no progesterone. I, too, have ET. I was recently diagnosed at nearly 70 years old. My platelets have come down significantly from over 600 to 450 with taking 1 aspirin daily and HU 3 days a week. I don't have any side effects from the HU or symptoms from ET. The only thing that I do notice is painful tingling and redness in both feet. Good luck to all.
Hi @julieanna57 As @eileen11108 mentioned in her reply to you, your platelet count of 1.2 million is quite elevated and even at 500,000 it is significantly higher than the normal high for a female which can be 150,000 to 300,00 or 330,000 depending on age.
It sounds as though you had a bone marrow biopsy which ruled out leukemia. That had to be a huge sigh of relief. But having platelets that elevated can mean you have an increased risk for blood clots. I’m sure that’s why your doctor has you on aspirin. But that isn’t reducing the amount of platelets or addressing the condition.
It would really be in your best interest to seek another opinion from a hematologist; a blood specialist. That’s what I would be doing if I were in the same situation.
Is the doctor you’re seeing a hematologist?
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I was confused by this also. My hematologist told me I have Essential Thrombocytosis but my paperwork said I had Essential Thrombocythemia. I investigated this and found they are one and the same. Reason why?
Eileen