Guest guest Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 > > and I went to a new specialist today and he was admited to IU > Med Center tonight. His platelets are so low--they are comparing them > to someone who has just went through chemo. Has anyone heard of this > with PSC? > > The doctors are scratching their heads. They feel it is not related to > the PSC or UC. ======================== A frequent occurrence in liver disease is splenomegaly (an enlarged spleen). When the spleen is enlarged it thinks it has to work overtime, so it keeps trapping as many platelets as it can, thus the patient ends up with a low platelet count. Many of us in this group, including myself, have this. If your drs. don't know something so basic, I'd seriously consider finding new ones!! You don't say how low 's count is. Mine has dropped slowly but steadily and is now around 93. Regards, Carolyn B. in SC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 > > and I went to a new specialist today and he was admited to IU > Med Center tonight. His platelets are so low--they are comparing them > to someone who has just went through chemo. Has anyone heard of this > with PSC? > > The doctors are scratching their heads. They feel it is not related to > the PSC or UC. ======================== A frequent occurrence in liver disease is splenomegaly (an enlarged spleen). When the spleen is enlarged it thinks it has to work overtime, so it keeps trapping as many platelets as it can, thus the patient ends up with a low platelet count. Many of us in this group, including myself, have this. If your drs. don't know something so basic, I'd seriously consider finding new ones!! You don't say how low 's count is. Mine has dropped slowly but steadily and is now around 93. Regards, Carolyn B. in SC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 > > and I went to a new specialist today and he was admited to IU > Med Center tonight. His platelets are so low--they are comparing them > to someone who has just went through chemo. Has anyone heard of this > with PSC? > > The doctors are scratching their heads. They feel it is not related to > the PSC or UC. ======================== A frequent occurrence in liver disease is splenomegaly (an enlarged spleen). When the spleen is enlarged it thinks it has to work overtime, so it keeps trapping as many platelets as it can, thus the patient ends up with a low platelet count. Many of us in this group, including myself, have this. If your drs. don't know something so basic, I'd seriously consider finding new ones!! You don't say how low 's count is. Mine has dropped slowly but steadily and is now around 93. Regards, Carolyn B. in SC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Dear ; When our son was first diagnosed with PSC and UC he had a bad reaction to the colonoscopy and his platelet levels fell markedly. They have slowly risen again over the last few years, but remain at the low end of the normal range. We are not sure what caused this drop in his platelet levels. But I have read that low platelets are quite common in chronic liver diseases: __________________________________ J Hepatol. 2008 Jun;48(6):1000-7. Thrombocytopenia associated with chronic liver disease. Afdhal N, McHutchison J, Brown R, son I, Manns M, Poordad F, Weksler B, Esteban R Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA. nafdhal@... Thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150,000/microL) is a common complication in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) that has been observed in up to 76% of patients. Moderate thrombocytopenia (platelet count, 50,000/microL-75,000/microL) occurs in approximately 13% of patients with cirrhosis. Multiple factors can contribute to the development of thrombocytopenia, including splenic platelet sequestration, bone marrow suppression by chronic hepatitis C infection, and antiviral treatment with interferon-based therapy. Reductions in the level or activity of the hematopoietic growth factor thrombopoietin (TPO) may also play a role. Thrombocytopenia can impact routine care of patients with CLD, potentially postponing or interfering with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including liver biopsy, antiviral therapy, and medically indicated or elective surgery. Therapeutic options to safely and effectively raise platelet levels could have a significant effect on care of these patients. Several promising novel agents that stimulate TPO and increase platelet levels, such as the oral platelet growth factor eltrombopag, are currently in development for the prevention and/or treatment of thrombocytopenia. The ability to increase platelet levels could significantly reduce the need for platelet transfusions and facilitate the use of interferon-based antiviral therapy and other medically indicated treatments in patients with liver disease. PMID: 18433919. __________________________________ Are 's platelet levels lower than the 50,000/microL- 75,000/microL described above? Does he have an enlarged spleen. The spleen can trap platelets. Has he been treated with heparin recently? There is a type of thrombocytopenia called heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: __________________________________ Cleve Clin J Med. 2005 Apr;72 Suppl 1:S31-6. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: principles for early recognition and management. Bartholomew JR, Begelman SM, Almahameed A Section of Vascular Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA. barthoj@... Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a potentially devastating complication of therapy with either unfractionated or low-molecular- weight heparin. Thrombocytopenia is no longer essential for the diagnosis of HIT, since a 50% drop in the platelet count may be a more specific indicator. Once HIT is clinically suspected, heparin should be stopped immediately and direct thrombin inhibitor therapy started; waiting for laboratory confirmation may be catastrophic. PMID: 15853177. __________________________________ But there are numerous other causes of low platelets that can be found here: Thrombocytopenia http://www.psc-literature.org/tbcyp.htm I hope this helps, and that the IU Med Center doctors can track down the cause and start appropriate therapy soon. Best regards, Dave (father of (23); PSC 07/03; UC 08/03) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 's level is 11. We are waiting on tests today. > > I find this another interesting difference in PSC patients. > My son's spleen is almost non existent [ it may have infarcted] and > his platelets run double normal. > 700 to 800. Go figure. > Lee > > > > > > > > > > and I went to a new specialist today and he was admited to IU > > > Med Center tonight. His platelets are so low--they are comparing > > them > > > to someone who has just went through chemo. Has anyone heard of this > > > with PSC? > > > > > > The doctors are scratching their heads. They feel it is not > > related to > > > the PSC or UC. > > ======================== > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 's level is 11. We are waiting on tests today. > > I find this another interesting difference in PSC patients. > My son's spleen is almost non existent [ it may have infarcted] and > his platelets run double normal. > 700 to 800. Go figure. > Lee > > > > > > > > > > and I went to a new specialist today and he was admited to IU > > > Med Center tonight. His platelets are so low--they are comparing > > them > > > to someone who has just went through chemo. Has anyone heard of this > > > with PSC? > > > > > > The doctors are scratching their heads. They feel it is not > > related to > > > the PSC or UC. > > ======================== > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 's level is 11. We are waiting on tests today. > > I find this another interesting difference in PSC patients. > My son's spleen is almost non existent [ it may have infarcted] and > his platelets run double normal. > 700 to 800. Go figure. > Lee > > > > > > > > > > and I went to a new specialist today and he was admited to IU > > > Med Center tonight. His platelets are so low--they are comparing > > them > > > to someone who has just went through chemo. Has anyone heard of this > > > with PSC? > > > > > > The doctors are scratching their heads. They feel it is not > > related to > > > the PSC or UC. > > ======================== > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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