Low platelets--how concerned should i be?

[minkydog]

I'm an RN, but this is not my field. My 79yo mother called me to say that her platelets are down to 120,000, which is below normal but not really, really low. The only symptoms she has are easy bruising, fatigue, nosebleeds and bleeding gums. In fact, she wakes up every morning with blood on her pillows. She is on Xarelto for A-fib.

Obviously, she and I are concerned. My dad started out this way before he was diagnosed with MAST cell leukemia. Mother is due for more testing 12/31. I'm sure she will be on pins & needles until then.

 

[luvdzny]

WOW, I wish DH had half that many! He has had less than 10,000 since the end of August. He is currently in the hospital and has been there for 6 weeks, 3 of them in MRICU.

My thoughts would be that it could be ITP,which can be easy to treat. DH was diagnosed with it in 1996. If it is ITP the first line of treatment is usually IVIG, it is expensive but usually very effective. From what we have learned many people only need to receive 1 or 2 doses of IVIG and the problem may never return. Hopefully that is the case with your mom.

DH has Refractory ITP, and has had every treatment available. Today his count is 2000. The treatment he is receiving at this time is a long shot. His doctors put out a "world wide difficult patient alert" on him and the meds he is on now were tested on 17 people in Canada with some success. He will be in the hospital for an indefinite period of time.

I wish you and your mom the best, I hope that it is nothing serious and she will be back to normal soon!

 

[KathyTX]

Her doc didn't have her stop the Xarelto when the platelet count dropped? Interesting...

120,000 isn't much below the normal range of 130k - 400k, but I'd sure want to have it looked at soon in light of her symptoms and age. It could be a minor and easily fixed thing, so I wouldn't panic, but the sooner you know the sooner you can get her feeling good again.

 

[njpyro]

Don't panic, because that will just add to your mother's stress. It is possible to just have low platelets. My count varies between 70,000-90,000. After speaking with my hemotologist, and many other doctors, they have ruled out everything, and have decided that my platelets are just naturally low. I still have to get them checked often, but there as no major life changing problems.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I'm an RN, but this is not my field. My 79yo mother called me to say that her platelets are down to 120,000, which is below normal but not really, really low. The only symptoms she has are easy bruising, fatigue, nosebleeds and bleeding gums. In fact, she wakes up every morning with blood on her pillows. She is on Xarelto for A-fib.

Obviously, she and I are concerned. My dad started out this way before he was diagnosed with MAST cell leukemia. Mother is due for more testing 12/31. I'm sure she will be on pins & needles until then.

Sounds like her liver is not working if I had to take a stab at it. Classic symptoms with the bleeding issues.

Does she have diabetes?

 

[DonaldnDaisy5]

WOW, I wish DH had half that many! He has had less than 10,000 since the end of August. He is currently in the hospital and has been there for 6 weeks, 3 of them in MRICU.

My thoughts would be that it could be ITP,which can be easy to treat. DH was diagnosed with it in 1996. If it is ITP the first line of treatment is usually IVIG, it is expensive but usually very effective. From what we have learned many people only need to receive 1 or 2 doses of IVIG and the problem may never return. Hopefully that is the case with your mom.

DH has Refractory ITP, and has had every treatment available. Today his count is 2000. The treatment he is receiving at this time is a long shot. His doctors put out a "world wide difficult patient alert" on him and the meds he is on now were tested on 17 people in Canada with some success. He will be in the hospital for an indefinite period of time.

I wish you and your mom the best, I hope that it is nothing serious and she will be back to normal soon!

My first impulse was ITP as well. My dd was diagnosed at 1 &1/2 but ww haven't had a relapse. We are concerned often as she bruises easily and is like a bull in a china shop with only one speed FAST. I would guess the drs would have checked for that since its fairly easy to diagnose.

Hope you get it figured out OP.

 

[teller80]

My son hasn't seen that many platelets in years. I think i'd fall over in shock if he ever gets to that level. He was initially diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia, and now has Bone Marrow Failure Not Otherwise Specified.

In case you are ever looking for a discussion group about BMF: http://www.marrowforums.org/

 

[PollyannaMom]

Don't panic, because that will just add to your mother's stress. It is possible to just have low platelets. My count varies between 70,000-90,000. After speaking with my hemotologist, and many other doctors, they have ruled out everything, and have decided that my platelets are just naturally low. I still have to get them checked often, but there as no major life changing problems.

Same here. I have ITP, and normally run in that range as well. But they were down to 55,000 when they discovered it (when I was expecting DS - it gets worse then) and they were able to bring them right back up to my "normal", so I second trying not to worry. It's just something my doctor monitors.

I'm an RN, but this is not my field. My 79yo mother called me to say that her platelets are down to 120,000, which is below normal but not really, really low. The only symptoms she has are easy bruising, fatigue, nosebleeds and bleeding gums. In fact, she wakes up every morning with blood on her pillows. She is on Xarelto for A-fib....

I do bruise fairly easily, and my gums used to bleed sometimes as a kid when I brushed my teeth. (Of course I didn't know why then. - People just said to use a different kind of toothbrush.)

The bloody noses can happen even to people with normal platelets in winter because the heat dries out the membranes in your nose. Maybe have her try a humidifier at night? It won't cure the low platelets, but may decrease the frequency of the bloody noses.

The fatigue could be low iron as well. Sometimes they go together, and I'm sure the doctors will check for it.

In the meantime, and to help her feel like she is doing something about it, I do find certain foods seem to raise my counts a bit - orange juice and spinach are my "go-to"s for that.

Mostly just tell her you've talked to a bunch of people that low, and not to stress about it. (Stress does make it worse for me.)

Kepp us posted.

 

[TEENEE]

My dd had ITP when she was 7. Her platelets were at 18,000 when she was diagnosed. She was not allowed to do anything that could cause her to get hurt when they were that low. She was hospitalized for 3 days and given some sort of steroids. That did the trick. Her count was monitored for about a year. She has been fine every since.

 

[Sadie22]

It would be important, as I am sure you know, OP, to review these symptoms with her treating physicians (including her dentist). Some are known side effects of the anticoagulant drug and possibly other drugs she is taking. Older people can tend to seem to bruise easily, anyway, as they may not remember bumping into something and they become more fragile with age. Bothersome and constant bleeding would signal to me a request to try something different if possible.