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[redmoon]

I started visiting this forum to learn more about my peri-menopausal issues.  Almost simultaneously, I've had continuous (month long) fluish symptoms - bodyache, fever, fatigue.  I've gone through three courses of antibiotics.  Last week I did my complete blood count, thyroid and chest Xray.  The blood report is showing high level of viral infection in the body.  The thyroid and Xray are normal.  The most worrisome thing in my blood report is my declining platelet numbers:  I've done 3 blood samples so far and the numbers have been - 94,000; next day, 86,000 and yesterday, 77,000.  These are my readings for the last three consecutive days.

The doctor tells me that if it hits 50,000, it's hospitalization and platelet infusion for me.

I feel very weak.  The declining numbers and the possibility of infusion makes me nervous.  I'm off work this week.  Have taken a whole bunch of sick leaves this month and the last.  Anyone else been through this?  Would love to hear the brilliant forumites' observations, advice and experiences.

Being at home, in a quiet environment feels good.  My body needed to check out of the office environment.  My son goes to school till 2.30pm and my husband just left for his New Job City.  The solitude is sort of healing too.  I'm feeling much better than I did last week - I no longer have fever ... maybe a low grade one ... but the weakness is really telling.

I also met with another gyn who I liked a whole lot more than the previous one.  She has recommended a drug - sorry can't remember the name - which she says will help bring the bleeding down.  She alsp recommended iron supplements.  My haemoglobin is pretty poor too (8.7).  Right now, I'm focusing on the viral infection and only taking medication to heal that.  This is what the specialist told me to do and I feel perfectly okay with that advice.  I'll come back to my uterine issues after I recover from this.  So many things going on ....


RedMoon 

[llanfair]

Just sent you a PM, RedMoon.  Hugs to you.

[redmoon]

Thank you fair friend Llanfair.  Very kind of you to PM.  Very helpful too.

Sincerely
RM

[prytania3]

Redmoon, I am thinking of you.

[msparticularity]

Redmoon, is your spleen enlarged? If not, has your doctor checked for autoimmune disorder? You mentioned viral load, but I have RA and one of the side effects of that can be low platelet count, since the body can identify platelets as "the enemy" and attack. (So far, this is an effect I have managed to miss; I get other stuff instead.) Anyway, it sounds as if you are doing all of the right things to care for yourself and to allow your body the space to heal--I'll be sending you good thoughts!

[biomancer]

RedMoon, I'm sending good thoughts your way.

First, are you on any medications for other things that could affect the immune system (steroids, etc.)?  One would hope that the medicos would take that into account, but that could be the base of the problems.  Vancomycin in particular can cause platelet levels to crash to dangerously low levels, and some cephalosporin-type antibiotics can cause some patients' platelets to crash.

When I have some down-time in my office over the next couple of days I'll search my virology references for some ideas about what viruses could affect the platelets. (Have you ever had Dengue?  Dengue virus typically causes platelets to crash after the "break-bone fever", but you'd need to have traveled to a place where dengue is endemic - not Canada, the US or UK.)  Did your doctor specify what virus (or viruses) made up your viral load?  I hesitate to even ask because this is a touchy topic for a lot of people, but have you been tested for HIV?  Unresolved flu-like symptoms and virus infections that don't go away easily can also indicate early-stage HIV.

Barring antibiotic side effects and dengue/HIV infection, I agree with Ms.P - First, check the spleen.  If the spleen isn't involved, RA or another autoimmune disorder is a very likely cause.  I'm pretty sure that one of the diagnostic signs of Lupus is a very low platelet count. Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) can also be a sign of some types of leukemia or lymphoma, so it might be worth having some serious bloodwork and/or bone marrow biopsy done to eliminate those possibilities.

I hope that whatever is causing this, it's easily treatable, and won't be a lifelong problem for you.

<proffers virtual chicken soup to RedMoon (or vegan/vegetarian soup if you don't eat chicken)>

[redmoon]

So many thanks to MsP and the brilliant BioMancer.

My levels improved for a while, and then started going down again.  It's a complicated viral (not dengue) and I'm weak and am hoping things improve.  Rest and diet - lots of fluid - these are my main foci.  I was comfortable working on the computer and then started feeling the strain the past few days and haven't opened it much.

But I am very grateful to the forumites' inputs.  Bio - you gave me much to think about - thank you again.

I'm thinking what is happening right now is exactly what needs to be happening with me right now - checking out of the hurley burley of work priorities; having my family dote over me and resting and resting ... it's okay; I see it as an opportunity for balance realignment. 

Good health to all.
RM

[prytania3]

Redmoon, you have such a good attitude. Biomancer scared me to death. I'm sure there must be less serious reasons for low platelet count. At any rate, I am wishing you the very best and am glad your family is there to dote on you.

[llanfair]

Me too, RedMoon.  I like your reasoning on this one.

[biomancer]

Redmoon, you have such a good attitude. Biomancer scared me to death. I'm sure there must be less serious reasons for low platelet count. At any rate, I am wishing you the very best and am glad your family is there to dote on you.

I am sorry for scaring you, Pry, and I apologize as well to anyone else I scared (Redmoon, and everyone else).  It very much was not my intent to instill fear - in fact, I typed, deleted, and retyped the couple of lines on HIV about six times before I posted.  The scientist in me insisted that it had to be said, so I put it as delicately as I could manage.  Yes, I also am sure there that there are much less serious reasons for the low platelet count, but in this day and age I really believe that it's vitally important to either be able to truly rule it out or start treating it ASAP if it is the cause. 

I didn't manage to get into my virology references yet (it's been a crazy first two weeks of class), but I should have some down-time during today's office hours in which to look for other (hopefully less scary) causes.  I know that there are several other viruses out there that infect blood cells and/or bone marrow, but I'm not sure which ones would affect platelets so strongly.  Any viruses that affect blood would cause exhaustion and weakness, though.

In the meantime, RedMoon, I hope that today finds you stronger and feeling better.

[prytania3]

Any news, Redmoon? Are you feeling any better?

[redmoon]

Any news, Redmoon? Are you feeling any better?

I'm much better now.  Thanks for asking Prytania.  Sorry for the long delay in responding. There was a lot of stuff that needed to fixed.  My platelets finally increased and my weakness subsided.  Had a hospitalization.  During the hospitalization had blood clots (big ones) coming out, although my menstrual cycle had just ended.  They investigated (untrasounds - external and internal (ouch!) ) and then did a hysteroscopy.  Discovered fibroids and polyps and a thick lining - none of which is unusual for women of my age group.  The gynec was able to remove the polyp, scrape the thick lining and left the fibroids alone.  She told me that they could be removed surgically but that I could equally let them be and let menopause take its course when they normally subside.  I am for now going with this latter option.  The hysteroscopy has beeen VERY helpful.  My next cycle was easy with very little bleeding and cramps.  Amazing!  After years of bleeding so heavily, messily and wearily ...

I feel better overall.  My family - parents, siblings, nieces, sil were wonderful.  I'm back to work, but find that I'm feeling less invested than I used to.  My peri-menopause is affecting my emotional responses in a way that's new to me.  But I guess that's another discussion ...

Hope everyone's well.  RM.

[biomancer]

Hi Redmoon!

I'm glad that you've come back to post, and very happy to see that you're feeling so much better.

I haven't been able to find very much on other viruses that cause platelets to crash.  Viruses that cause leukemia (such as human T-cell lymphoma virus or HTLV) will certainly do it, but if you had HTLV the platelets would not be your primary complaint.  There is some evidence that some other chronic infections or slow infections (like mono) can slow down blood cell formation in bone marrow, but not a lot of specifics that I felt really made sense.  I also found a site that associates low platelet count with "abnormally heavy menstrual periods", but it's unclear whether they're suggesting it's a cause or an effect.  The fibroids and polyp probably aren't/weren't helping things either, so it's good that you had the polyp removed.

I have found, however, that there's a lot of drugs that will interfere with platelet synthesis, beyond the ones I mentioned earlier.  Sulfa antibiotics, quinine, some anti-convulsant drugs, and even large quantities of alcohol can impair platelet synthesis.  Also, of course, any anti-clotting drug (heparin, coumadin, Plavix, etc.) will inhibit platelet synthesis, but if you were on an anti-clotting drug ("blood thinner") that should have been the first thing your physicians noticed.

Anyway, I hope that your health continues to improve and that menopause goes swiftly and smoothly!

[llanfair]

Oh, RedMoon, so happy to hear that things are so much better! That's all great news.  Here's wishing you the easy perimenopause you've earned!

[prytania3]

Redmoon, so glad to hear things are looking up, and thanks so much for checking in.