What does a low blood platelet count mean?

My family physician did a blood test. "I was told that my blood platelets are low," my 25-year-old Hispanic female patient informed me three years ago. via News Sun

[shelly]

I have suffered the last couple of years with low platelet count nothing has been done or said. I recently had a blood test and have been told my count is low and need a repeat test in 3months. I am becoming quite concerned as this seems to be ongoing and nothing else seems to be done. I do bruise very easily and have tiny pin marks on my upper arms although not a huge amount. I have not been feeling well and wonder if this is the reason.

[been there]

You need to go to another doctor and get a second opinion. The pin marks on your arms is called patikki (sp). A low platelet count means that your blood will not clot like it should. If it is very low, you should not shave, or do anything that may cause bleeding. Mine has been so low, they were afraid for me to ride in the car to get to the hospital. If it is very low, you will need a platelet transfusion. They will hook you to an I.V. line and give them to you just like meds or blood. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the amount you need. You will feel like a new person after getting the transfusion. Like I said, go to another doctor. You need to be checked for leukemia, blood cancer, etc. There has to be a reason your platelet count is so low. It is better to find out why and fix it than to suffer. Best of luck to you, and remember, no matter what, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND KEEP SMILING!

[Asking for a friend]

A friend of mine has been telling me for quite some time that she has been told that she has a low blood platelet count.I asked her what that meant,and she told me that she did not understand what the doctor told her.She also told me that the same doctor has been telling her this but not telling her what to do to get her count up.What are some reasons your platelet count is low and what can I tell her to do,other then a second opinion.

[nobody really explains]

What the hell a low blood count is only what it may be caused by or that u have bruising but tell me why and what is happening in my body that I don't have enough platelets

[Joseph from California]

I just got some blood work done the other day. When I got home there was a very urgent message from my doctor. Telling me not to take the motrin that she had just prescribe. She just got my results and my blood platlett count was below 20,000. I have had this rash on my legs for over a year. It is caused by bleeding underneath the skin. I now have to go back and have a new set of test to find the problem. It may be a result of me having HIV. I've have been researching the web by google.

[sarah]

im facing the same or almost the same situation. i went to see my doctor today for a check up but it turned out that my bLood work has been compLeted.so my doctor Looked through them and she found out that i have a Low amount of pLatelets. i was kind of freaked out a bit because i heard that having a Low amount of that means i have a type of cancer or something but my doctor said i dont have to worry about it all that much.Anyway after a whiLe i was okay with my problem. you know just LET IT BE.i just hope its nothing because im onLY 15 and i want to enjoy lIfe :(.

[TOCHI BAHRA]

WHY DO PEOPLE GET LOW PLATLETS AND HOW LOW IS 65000 PLATLETS

[TOCHI BAHRA]

HOW LOW IS 65000 PLATLETS?

[Heather]

I have a relative in their 90's who is in hospital and has been told she has a blood count of 7, is this very serious as I can't seem to be able to find out much about lower levels or what may happen. Is there anything we can do to help?

[Cole Rogers]

hey, I have done some research, and a low platelet count means that your body isnt producing enough platelets (duh). platelets are the things in your blood which allow it to clot or scab, and if you dont have enough, your blood can actually leak out through the walls of your veins and arteries. This is not necessarily a serious condidtion, and could just mean that you bleed for longer than other people before scabbing over, but if it is more noticable, it can mean that you have blood leaking into places where it shouldnt be. A problem with this can be that blood leaking into the lungs, uninary tract/bladder, and intenstines/stomach can end up leaving your body in uncontrollable amounts, resulting in too little blood in your body. A doctor can regonizes these symptoms with a few basic tests, so if he/she hasnt mentioned it yet, and you are not seeing blood outside of your body in considerable amounts, it isnt really anything to get worried about.
While it is true that low platelet count can indicate bone cancer(because bone marrow is where platelets are produced I think) and lukemia, or brain cancer (if your body isnt recieving the signal to produce platelets), or and autoimmune disease (your immune system is attacking the platelets), it can also be a slight genetic defect, or a dietary problem. Its really not a big deal to worry about, but if you are seeing copious amounts of blood outside of your body, or are feeling really light headed/dizzy, or if someone in your family has a history of this, it might be worth while to get it checked out by a doctor. Remeber, trust your doctor, they have years and years of experience, even if they are just starting out (med school around here can last for up to 15 years).

Good luck everyone, God bless, and remember that everyday is just as precious as every other.

-Cole Rogers [e-mail]

[Chantal Boisson]

I had a CBC and was told by my doctor to go to the emergency room.
My white blood count was good but my hemoglobin was 6.9, and I was feeling fatigued. After a bone marrow biopsy, I was diagnosed with Leukemia (ACL). Now, I am having Chemotherapy, my CBC is OK, but the doctor advised me to continue with the Chemo to avoid a relapse.
Please advise.

[marie]

i had hodgkins. recieved chemo and radiaton and recovered. i finished tratments in 2006. my followups every 3 mos. included blood samples,pet/cat scans. seemed to be doing pretty well but my dr. told me today that my platelets are low and i have anemia. do you think that it is damage done from the chemo treatment over a year ago? can i try medication to build up the platelet number?

[Effie]

Clotting problems can be caused by such things as hemophilia and Von Willebrand Disease. It is something that definitely needs to be checked. Each state has a State run Hemophilia Center and we have found it to be the best place to work through. We got answers to our questions and the help we needed.

[jodi]

My father was just hospitalized for low platelets. His count is 9000. The doctor wants to give him steriods to build it back up and then send him home. I have read alot on this and I feel some test should be ran. Is it normal for a doctor to do this?

[shilon georgetown KY]

My father has been losing blood for a year now needing and getting transfusions every five days. He recently found his platelets low. He has been losing blood for so long that he now has renal failure and is dialysis. I have went to numbmerous doctors and get little anwsers and less hope for help does any have this condition and what have you had done?

[khe sd]

My daughter has very low platelets. Her count yesterday before transfusion was only 1000! I am not getting answers from her Dr., only that we have to wait and see if her body can start rebuilding these on it's own. Very scary. Does anybody know how long she might go through this. I'm sorry, I know each case is different. But has anybody gone through this for a period of time with this getting better?

[Bit 123 pinellas county]

I was diagnosed with AML in June 2007. I was treated with 7 days straight of a very strong chemo. 2 weeks later I was in remission. I went through 4 months of consolidation chemo and everything went really well. I finished chemo on November 2nd. My December Dr. appointment was great. My January appointment showed that my platelet count dropped 70,000 points since December. My Dr told me to wait 2 weeks and have a CBC. If I drop below 100,000 I will have to have another bone marrow biopsy (ouch). Is there anyone out there who had there platelet count drop after it started to grow back?

[Gary]

I am going through this now. I am 32. I was at the doctor for a routine check up and blood work. THey called me the next day and sent me to Emergency department at the hospital. My blood levels were all critical. Platelett being less then 10,000 when it should be over 175,000. White blood cells and Hemoglobin are also less then half of what they should be. I have to get blood transfusions untill the results of the Bone Marrow Biopsy comes in. They Beleave I have Acquired Aplastic Anemia - A rare desease where the bone marrow stops making, or cant make enough new cells. Low levels is very serious and you should get looked at. Have them check your Vitamin B12 level, this could be the cause in some vegans, or vegetarians. Good luck to all

[Osmosis]

Wow im amazed that mostly everyone here has low blood platelets, yet no one knows how to bring them back up. I find this very disturbing. Is there no way to get around this? Or do the doctors just want you to wait until there is a prescription medication that you can take. My mother has been missing her chemo treatements because her blood platelets have been low for her past three appointments. last time is was about 73 but now its 48. When she had this problem the first time, after a strong dose of the chemo treatment, they told her to eat greens. Mainly vitamin K to help build her blood platelets. She hasn't been eating them on routine so her results are still poor. Can anyone verify this? Has anyones platelet level increased since the begining of this discussion?

[Mary]

I was told my platelets were at 57. A few weeks later I had another test and they were in the normal range. I had no treatments for the low platelets and am wondering if platelets can go back to normal without any medications.