Am i going to loose my friend because of blood platelets in her body?

Question

I have a very sweet friend who is 18 yrs old. Since last 3 months, there is some problem with her blood. According to doctors her body is not generating enough platelets to survive. According to last weeks report her body has just 20,000 platelets and doctor said a healthy human body should have around 2,30,000 platelets. I don't know much about medical but this thing seems really dangerous.

I don't want to loose my friends, please let me know the best way so that she could get in to best situation possible. In general, she is normal, i mean she eats well, loooks healthy... but i m worried.

We are in India, plz suggest me some good medicine... I beg you, i really don't want to loose a precious friend like her...

Plz help me, tell me the good way in general how her body can start generating enough blood platelets to live. We are ready to spend whatever money for good treatement.

Mail me at [e-mail]

Thank you in advance.

First of all, thank you for the great answers... specially couple of these are awesome... The doctor says "her body is destroying the platelets she is making"

Apart from this, i would like to mention, there is no sympton heath wise... I mean she is really nice at every she does.. No bleeding, no cuts or nothing

I am worried about monthly mensus period which comes to every girl once in a month... What if she bleeds that time? I am really worried? Please let me know before it happens... I don't want to loose her...

Answer 1

I understand your concern!

Platelets have to do with blood clotting.

Yes normal platelet counts should be between 150,000 and 450,000 (lets just call this 150 and 450, to make things easier). Anything less than 150 is called "thrombocytopenia"...which just means, "low platelet count." Your friend has a count of 20, which is very low, but not so low as to kill her. You don't die of a low number, you die because of bleeding. If she is not bleeding at all, than having a count of 20 is NOT going to hurt or kill her.

Around 100 is not that big of a deal.
Above 50, and the patient would never know any better or worse (a doctor wouldn't know either, until a lab value came back.)
Between 30 and 50, and you find that the person bruises very easily...and bleeds a little more and longer than other people.
Between 10-30, and the person might be just fine (no symptoms, no problems), however you would be at a much higher risk of bleeding with very small cuts, etc.
Below 10, and you can get spontaneous bleeding...the nose, the gums, in the stomach, etc....and this can become life-threatening IF you do not reverse the problem and/or transfuse the patient.

Now then, the good news is that doctors know she has a low platelet count. So (if available), they can transfuse her with more platelets.

The big question is: why is it so low?
Is she not making enough?
Is her body destroying the platelets she is making?

There are MANY reasons that she might have a low platelet count, and I am sure her doctors are looking into it. It takes a careful history, physical, and many blood tests to figure it all out.

It could simply be a lab error.
It could be because of a medication she is taking, and clear up if she stops taking that medication.
It could be caused from an infection, and if the infection is fought off, things will go back to normal. (though, I hope it is not because of HIV, which is a possibility....)
It could be because of a reason that will never be found, and may just gradually get better, etc...
It could be because of more serious things, though, too...such as cancer...

I am sorry this is all so vague and all over the map (could be nothing serious, might be something serious), but the above is what I know. She needs more medical care, more labs, more studies...to find out WHY. Until then, watch out for any bleeding with her. If her poop turns black or she vomits blood, go to a hospital immediately.

Once WHY is determined, then there may or may not be something that can be done to cure it or at least manage it.

In the end, the number 20 (or 20,000), is nothing to get fixed on. It is really no big deal unless it causes her to bleed significantly enough to cause problems. While the WHY is figured out, as a last resort, she could always get transfused with blood and platelets to keep her alive.

I hope and pray everything works out for her.

Grace and peace,
yachadhoo
;)

Answer 2

Thrombocytopenia (low blood count) just means that her body's not producing enough platelets. Complications may range from none at all to severe bleeding. (Platelets are involved in the clotting of the blood.) But when it's as low as you're describing, internal bleeding can happen even without a traumatic injury.

The decrease means that your friend's bone marrow is not producing the platelets as it should, and this could be the result of leukemia, certain types of anemia, or even a viral infection or blood poisoning resulting from a severe bacterial infection. The cause is what needs to be addressed, so her doctors should figure out what's causing the problem.

There are some drugs that can treat the type of chronic idepathic thrombocytopenia where the body's immune system recognizes the platelets as something to attack. Corticosteroids could help in this instance, and if this doesn't help, surgery to remove the spleen could also relieve the symptoms (as some forms of this disorder are caused by the platelets becoming trapped in the spleen, not being allowed to circulate as they should).

They can administer platelet concentrates to treat severe thrombocytopenia, particularly those related to cancer or chemotherapy.

In any case, the primiary cause of the thrombocytopenia NEEDS to be diagnosed, and once that diagnosis is made, hopefully they will be able to treat the underlying cause.

In the meantime, she should avoid aspirin and other drugs that may thin the blood, and also be careful not to engage in activities where it would be likely that she could sustain an injury.

Answer 3

Thrombocytopenia is the medical term for a low blood platelet count. Platelets (thrombocytes) are colorless blood cells that play an important role in blood clotting. They stop blood loss by clumping together at the site of a blood vessel injury and forming plugs in vessel holes.

If for any reason your blood platelet count falls below normal, this is called thrombocytopenia. Complications may range from none at all to severe bleeding.

Thrombocytopenia often occurs as a result of a separate disease or disorder. For example, a bone marrow disorder such as leukemia can interfere with platelet production and reduce the number of platelets in your blood. Or sometimes, thrombocytopenia occurs because of an immune system malfunction that develops for unknown reasons. In addition, thrombocytopenia may occur as a reaction to a medication.

Thrombocytopenia often improves by treating the underlying cause. In some situations, medications or surgery can help treat chronic thrombocytopenia. If bleeding is severe, you may need a blood transfusion.

Hope this helps!
Lynne ,RN

Answer 4

I am not a doctor, and I know the best advise will come from one. I did work with the American Red Cross for many years and I am somewhat familiar with the problem. Platelets are necessary to make the blood clot, when there is a cut or abrasion. Your friend will probably have to have blood transfusions from healthy donors, unless there is another medical solution.

Answer 5

Platelets can be recieved through blood transfusion. But they need to find out why she is not producing them. This would tend to indicate some type of Leukemia which often ultimately leads to a need for bone marrow transplant.
The doctors can do all the necessary testing to find out why she is not producing the platelets.

Answer 6

You been given many good answers. As many people have mentioned, it is VERY important to know the reason. Knowing the reason will dictate therapy. If your friend is otherwise healthy and no other lab values were drastically off then she should also be evaluated for something called Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), if this is the diagnosis then a monthly course of IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin G) until remission would be a possible therapy. Either way, you both should discuss her case in depth with her physician to examine all your options.

Answer 7

Try this site. It has good information on the causes and at the bottom is discusses available treatments.

Answer 8

Try drinking 3.7854118 liters of pickle juice. Good Luck!

Answer 9

a flesh eating virus

Answer 10

lynwin552 gave you great info and advice
LPN/medic