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really low platelets?

3 replies

lovemybabies3 · 20/02/2018 17:07

my sister has had blood tests done 2 weeks in a row! last 1 being yesterday and they have rang just now asking for her to go back in! anyone had this before and now what could be causing it! she is worried sick and doesnt want to google. thanks for reading.

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TheVanguardSix · 20/02/2018 17:12

Don't panic (easier said than done!).
She could have a clotting disorder or an auto-immune disease like Lupus. She could have had a serious flu-like virus which triggered an auto-immune response (hence the low platelet count). How's everything else looking? Her wbc? Rbc?

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oldbirdy · 20/02/2018 17:18

It depends on the appearance of her other blood cells but if they are ok it could be ITP. This stands for immune thrombocytopenic purpura. It's an autoimmune condition where the spleen misidentifies the platelets as foreign Invaders and kills them off. It causes fatigue and easy bruising, heavy periods and sometimes pettichiae (small pinprick spots of blood under the skin which don't blanch when pressed with a glass).

You don't say how old your sister is but in children it's usually acute (comes on fast, resolves spontaneously) and in adults more often chronic (comes on slowly, hangs around for years).

My DS has ITP and as long as his platelets stay above 20 he is pretty unaffected day to day. Below 20 its biggest risk is bleeding, eg internal bleeds after a fall. The normal range, btw, is 150 to 400 and my DS has been down to zero. There are various treatments around but no definite cure yet.

There are other possibilities if her other blood cells don't look normal, but this is most likely I think if it's just platelets affected.

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lovemybabies3 · 20/02/2018 17:35

hi thanks for replys! she is 30! she has recently been the doctors over her periods and was going to do a smear but the doctor said she doesnt do them and did an internal instead and said her womb looked swollen and red! she was refered to gyne and has her apntment nxt friday! she is otherwise fit and healthy! no other concerns or anything! just a worry as you google and see the worst.