Anyone have low platelets?

[GetThisThingOuttaMe]

(My username is just in joking!)
My first complete blood test during pregnancy showed I have a low number of platelets (115,000/microliter to be exact) with the rest of my bloodwork being normal. The normal range for platelets is 140-450. My OB said my count was not extremely low but below range so they checked it again 2 months later. It dropped to 102. I have been tested again and it is still 102. Again, the doctors don't really worry until it reaches around 20 but they are sending me to a hematologist to determine the cause. They are also saying that if the platelets drop too low, I will not be able to have anesthesia during delivery! My OB doesn't seem too concerned at this point but is just being cautious. I'm slightly worried and was wondering if anyone else is experiencing, has experienced or has heard of this before.

[JerseyMommyHere]

Hi,

I was 11 weeks pregnant with my second child in October 2002. Unfortunately, the baby stopped growing around 8 weeks and I was scheduled for a D&C. Before going to the OR, they discovered I had low platelets (27,000 to be exact). There was great concern I would hemorrage. Thankfully, that did not happen. However, what has happened is that for the past three months I have been diagnosed with ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura) as a result of low platelets. Two weeks before Christmas, I went down to 1,000 platelets and risked a brain bleed. I was given two rounds of IV meds (WinRho), to which my body did not respond. I also received a platelet transfusion (6 units), but my body was still producing an antibody that was killing off my own platelets.

Needless to say, it's been three months, hundreds of appointments with hematologists, many, many blood tests, ultrasounds, and CT scans.

Last Tuesday I had my spleen removed laparoscopically. My spleen was enlarged four times its normal size. I am hoping this what was causing my low platelets. Upon discharge from the hospital after five days, my platelet count was 284,000. By the way, a normal range is 150,000-400,000.

I know this is a lot of information I've just given you here, but I can link you to a great site with a ton of information and message boards that will help! Drop me a line and I'll provide it for you.

Best wishes, and get regular blood tests to check those platelets. It can become a life-threatening situation quicker than you think.

[GetThisThingOuttaMe]

Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through that but happy to hear that your platelets are normal now. Hopefully I do not have this condition but it would be great if you could provide me with the site information to research it. ITP and pre-eclampsia are the conditions I'm worried about. Did you have any other symptoms? My blood pressure levels are also borderline. Hopefully my platelet count will not drop any lower. I have an appointment with my OB this afternoon to go over blood and urine test results. And I have an appointment with a hematologist on Wednesday.
Good luck to you and thanks again.

[midwifetx]

I know it might not be something you want to hear, but you might consider taking a Prepared Childbirth class other than the one offered by your hospital. Bradley and ALACE classes teach really good coping skills.

It wouldn't hurt to be prepared in case your platelets get below 80,000 (which, I believe, is the current cut-off for epidural anesthesia)

[JerseyMommyHere]

Hi again,

Here's a link to a GREAT site for ITP: http://discuss.pdsa.org/default.asp

Hope this helps. Please keep me posted.

[GetThisThingOuttaMe]

I saw the hematologist yesterday and she is not too concerned with my level of platelets. I had previous blood test results from before I was pregnant that showed low levels of 151 and 130. Given this information, she believes I have chronically low platelets and that they are not b/c of the pregnancy. She tested my blood again yesterday and the platelet count was 112. Also my kidney and liver test results are normal, which would rule out HELLP or pre-eclampsia. She also assured me there would be no risk of not getting anesthesia. I have another appt next week to go over the full blood test results. Thanks JerseyMommyHere and midwifetx for your support and I will update the post if anything changes.