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I Have ITP And I Was Given Prednisone (80mg/day) And
Question:
I have ITP and I was given prednisone (80mg/day) and responded well. Platelets went from 18 to 149 in a week. Then it tapered off 70 and 60 mg/day and platelets went below. Does 10 mg of prednisone really make that much of a difference?
I have ITP and I was given prednisone (80mg/day) and responded well. Platelets went from 18 to 149 in a week. Then it tapered off 70 and 60 mg/day and platelets went below. Does 10 mg of prednisone really make that much of a difference?
Brief Answer:
Yes, it is common for platelet count to decrease during tapering
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using 'Ask a Doctor'. Prednisone is an appropriate initial treatment for ITP, and is often successful. However, it sometimes happens that as the steroids are being tapered, the platelet count falls again. Even a decrease as small as 10 mg can cause this to happen. When this is the case, we would typically make sure we have the right diagnosis, look for any correctable causes of ITP (such as H pylori infection, HIV, or hepatitis C), and consider second line treatments, such as a medication like rituximab, or possibly surgery to remove the spleen.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Yes, it is common for platelet count to decrease during tapering
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using 'Ask a Doctor'. Prednisone is an appropriate initial treatment for ITP, and is often successful. However, it sometimes happens that as the steroids are being tapered, the platelet count falls again. Even a decrease as small as 10 mg can cause this to happen. When this is the case, we would typically make sure we have the right diagnosis, look for any correctable causes of ITP (such as H pylori infection, HIV, or hepatitis C), and consider second line treatments, such as a medication like rituximab, or possibly surgery to remove the spleen.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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