Low platelet count please help me

[Jj8]

Hi There

I am so scared at the moment I have just rang in for the results of my blood test and they have said that my full bloods were fine but I need to have my platelets retested as they were a bit low. I'm so scared I'm sitting here at work just wanting to go home and cry I keep thinking that its cancer or something please can anyone help me :(

[paula lynne]

Hi Jj8, the lab often re-do tests to make sure the first was correct. Im sure you dont have cancer, in the meantime while you go and have it done, why not have a chat with the practice nurse/or your gp for reassurance. Im sure they will be happy to explain everything. Try to get through the rest of the day by really concentrating on the work you are doing, and d some breathing excercises? xx Im sorry youre having a crappy day xx:hugs:

[JaneC]

It could be as simple as a vit B12 or folic acid deficiency. Try not to worry, but do as Paula suggests if you can.

[Jj8]

Thank you for your reply, please can anyone tell me what this means I really cant cope at the minute im so scared please help I just want to go home and cry

[debs71]

Hun, what do you need to know when you say what this means?

As the other guys have said, low platelets doesn't necessarily mean cancer, and it is probable that your blood test as a whole would be seriously off if that were the case, and not just the platelet count. Platelets are made in the bone marrow, and are responsible for the clotting mechanism, so healing us when we cut ourselves, etc. Do you have any specific symptoms?

As Jane said, if you have low B12 or folic acid that can cause low platelets so please try not to look at the worse possible scenario. Through my experience as a hospital nurse it is ALSO common for lab tests to give an incorrect reading and often a retest is required.

Try to look at the very positive news which is your other counts were absolutely fine and not on the negative.

Keep us posted and lots of love.xxxx

[Jj8]

Hi Debs

I went to the doctors because I was getting left sided head aches and tiredness, I've got two weeks of this worrying now and I really don't know what to do, im so scared im 23 this is my worst nightmare :(

[german bean]

hi stop worrying i have had low platelet count when i was pregnant its not the end of the world its just to do with the clotting of your blood if it abit low it just doesnt clot so well but i think i took iron tablets cant quite remember buts its nothing to panic about so please stop worrying.xx

[dreena]

did they say how low? cos if they were only a bit low its realy nothing to worry about? did the doctor know how worried u are or reassure you? if they were worryingly low they would have contacted you straight away and rushed you in to have them tested again? x

[Jj8]

Hello

I have just been speaking to my friend and she said that amoxicillin can effect blood tests which I have been taking for my tooth is this true? I only have a low platelet count, does anyone know what normally causes this? Is it normally cancer?

[paula lynne]

Any medication can affect blood test results. You dont have cancer, platelets are for clotting. x:hugs:

[JaneC]

I think your friend is right - amoxicillin can affect your platelet count. Please read Debs' post again, it really ought to reassure you x

[Hazel B]

Please rest assured that if you had something serious, you would have been called in straight away. It's your anxious mind playing tricks on you, read what Debs has said again. I know how it feels as I've been through this type of worry myself, it won't be long before you get the reassurance you need.

[dreena]

yeh medications can realy affect blood results! x

[Jj8]

Hello

I don't know what I'd do without this website I really dont! I just typed in low platelet count and it brought up cancer and leukemia and I was shaking, I was really hoping that today would be the end of all this anxierty as I havn't had a panic attack for 2 months and now I feel as though i'm back to square one :( So if it's to do with the blood clotting what could cause that? xx

[debs71]

It is really hard to rationalise something like this, especially if you are anxious as our minds are automatically drawn to what is only the ONE thing that is unusual, but seriously, there are many, many other reasons this may have happened, and play it by ear if you can at the moment. I nursed kids with illnesses that caused their platelets to drop, they were treated and sent home well. Everything else in your full blood count was fine, and that is a great sign as I said.

As Hazel said, they would have called you straight in if they were concerned as the platelets show dramatic differences in serious illness and the other results are 'well off' in my experience too.

I know that little we say will calm your mind as you need to hear it straight from the horses mouth as it were, but I do hope it's helped a bit.xxxxxx

[Jj8]

Hi Debs what illnesses did they have? if you dont mind me asking

[debs71]

Low blood platelets can cause an illness called ITP (which is short for a verrryyyyyy long name which I won't bore you with) There is no clear cause, it just happens, but is thought to be an autoimmune thing. The main symptom is extensive bruising which is unexplained, which is where the clotting thing comes in, as people who have low platelets tend to bruise very easily with the slightest knock. The kids I nursed would literally have legs covered in bruises, poor things!

Now this is where I want to reassure you again, as the thing the doctors look for in ITP is a low platelet count and NOTHING ELSE WRONG in the blood count, so cancer is not necessarily a cause.

I won't let you know any more about what low blood platelets could mean illness wise as I don't think it will do you any favours hun in all honesty, but I just want you to try to be reassured by this as an example.xxxxxx

[Jj8]

Thank you for your reply, I think I just need to go home and have a good cry, everyone keeps telling me not to worry but its so difficult :( I have just spoken to my doctor and she said that my red, white and all others were fine its just the platelets :( I told het I was scared of acncer and she never said anything :( x

[Hazel B]

She probably didn't say anything as it was the last thing on her mind, please try to see that you're over anxious about this. I hope you manage to get home and have a good cry as it may help get it out. It may even be your tooth trouble affecting things, you just can't know, and it's uncertainty that starts our minds racing. I do understand and I know it's hard not to worry but try to take one hour at a time, it will pass.

[Jj8]

I feel completly drained :( I cant help but over react as it all seems to point to a bad illness, would my white cells be low if it was cancer? My placelet reading was 102 its supposed to be a least 150! :( x

[Jj8]

I just wanted to say thank you for your replies the other day, as my posts were a bit short as I was really panicing. I'm still feeling really scared and I dont know how im going to get through the next two weeks, I feel really worried, I was just starting to overcome my anxierty and now this happens. I'm thinking... 'hoping' that the results were false as the nurse had trouble getting blood out of my arm... anyways hope you are all ok and I hope that I can be of help to u one day as you have been to me xx

[debs71]

Jj8, I'm sorry you are still worried, please try not to.xx

I just wanted to ask if the platelets result was from your Full Blood Count or did they take a second test, that being a clotting test? How many bottles did they fill?

The reason I ask is that you mention the nurse had trouble getting blood out.Well if a nurse/phlebotomist has this trouble and keeps topping up the vial or spends ages trying to suck blood into the syringe slowly, the blood sample can haemolyse, which means when it is sent for testing you can get a distorted reading.

It just crossed my mind.

Anyway, lots of love and I hope things can settle down for you.xxxx

[Jj8]

Hi debs xx
the nurse had trouble getting it out of one arm which is now very bruised. Which I've never had before as I had to have a d dimer test a few weeks ago which came back ok, this was for a full blood count, I noticed that it took her awhile to draw the blood out but when she did there was a sort of pearcing sound of like air going into the tube if that makes sense, when I looked at the tube there was only abit of blood which suprised me as I've never had trouble with blood being taken before, I went to the doctors because of my head aches i've only just managed to control my anxiety but it's going through the roof again! Your so kind to help me thank u xx

[debs71]

Hey, it's no probs. I know how you are feeling and just want to see if maybe there is a bad sample explanation for this as I know these things happen! It also sure didn't help your anxiety any to have a bodged blood drawing either! There are some phlebotomists who are fab at taking blood and get it first time with minimal bruising if any, and others...well....the words 'human pin cushion' spring to mind!!!!!

As I waffled on about before hun, I truly believe if there was anything sinister then your other results would be off as well, so please try to cut that bad thought from your mind if you can.xxxxxx

[Jj8]

Thank you debs I have been trying to keep what you said in mind, I really hope that it is a wrong result, I will let you know as soon as I find out! The day can't come quick enough! I think I should stay away from google :( it's the devil! And I know what u mean about The human pin cushion, ive never bruised so badly before & it really hurt when she did it, have to say I'm not looking forward to Friday and I normally love Fridays!! Thank u again for your help xxx

[Jj8]

Debs!

Just to let you know I had my blood test the other day and it has come back as normal! I'm so happy :) You were right! Thank you so much for your help xxxx:hugs:

[debs71]

Oh that's brilliant news Jj8!!!

So glad for you. You must feel a weight off now. I was very sceptical just because all the rest of the results were ok and I know the labs or phlebotomist can balls things up, bless 'em!!

Excellent news.xxxxx

[jue67]

It just shows how they say things to us, last year i had a blood test as i was struggling, tired and depressed almost. that night nhs direct rang me to say i had an abnormal blood result, and did i feel okay!! oh my God! i asked why and she said oh the lab is now closed we cannot tell you, but you need to see a gp asap. they made me an appointment with the emergency gp at night, and she rang the lab!!! my only issue? low blood count, granted it was 4 and very very low, so the answer is permanent iron tablets. thats it!
when i pu the phone down my husband was stood with me and i said what they had said and all, and i mean all that went thru my mind was cancer, my poor kid saw all this.
I made a complaint about the way they pass information. but the thing is they got me in the next morning for more blood tests as it was so low, so i now know when we think things are wrong, they would get us in asap, so rest assured in future.
i am so very very pleased you are okay.

jools