Are low platelets a typical symptom of Lyme or a particular co-infection?
I've had a low platelet count for years. My new GP was the first Dr. to connect my low platelets with my other symptoms and test me for Lyme.
I've read that Ehrlichia can cause low platelets but is it typical for it to only affect the platelets in that case and not the other blood counts as well?
My red blood cell count is mildly low but it's never been considered a serious problem…
I don't know… I guess I'm just wondering how common the low platelet thing is, do other people have it with Lyme.
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
Up
So no one has developed a blood disorder with Lyme?
I wonder how it will complicate treatment if I can ever get in to see a LLMD.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Low WBC is common with ehrlichia .. That is true.
Perhaps you have it but the test was negative?
Not sure how common it is for Lyme. The low count should come back up as you go through treatment, although some antibiotics will also lower the WBC.
Babesia will lower the RBC.
Posted by twinnick (Member # 43163) on :
What ABX lower WBC?
In my last blood work checkup, everything fell into the normal range. Yay!
However, my WBC was as low as it could get withoutdrping out of the normal range. Mi found it interesting...
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
I haven't been tested for coinfections yet. Finishing up my first 28 days of doxy and hopefully will find a LLMD to test me for everything else. Or also hoping my primary care doc will do it during the follow up but I don't have my hopes up as I don't know how lyme literate she is.
It's not my white blood cells that are low. And my red are only minimally low. It's my platelets that tanked with the onset of Lyme five years ago.
I didn't realize I had any tick born disease until a new primary care doc randomly tested me.
I thought my symptoms were related to the low platelets. Come to find out the low platelets could be caused by a bacterial infection and not just autoimmune as had been supposed.
Platelets clot your blood so I'm more prone to bleeding and oddly blood clots can somehow be a problem for people with low platelets as well.
Since my blood is so thin I feel I'm more sensitive to alcohol, herbals, medicine. Could just be my imagination but I was wondering how others with low platelets have responded to various treatments.
Maybe it's not that common I guess.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
You know... I wasn't sure!! Sorry!!
I do know that Lyme or other infections can cause thicker blood, so why not thinner blood?
twinnick... I'm not sure since it never happened to me. You may be able to find it in a search here... same with info on the low platelets.
All I know is that I've seen it a number of times here that patients have said they had to come off treatment due to a low WBC.
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
quote:Originally posted by twinnick: What ABX lower WBC?
In my last blood work checkup, everything fell into the normal range. Yay!
However, my WBC was as low as it could get withoutdrping out of the normal range. Mi found it interesting...
Most of them, or at least many, can lower WBC. But so can Ehrlichia/Anaplasma.
You're lucky that it isn't any lower than that. I got pulled off treatment way too many times for this. And even off treatment, the WBC, ANC, and platelets were very, very low---RBC, too. All from Anaplasma (except the RBC was Babesia).
My numbers have FINALLY come up after years of this, with long, hard treatment for Anaplasma.
Posted by twinnick (Member # 43163) on :
How do you treat anaplasma if you're pulled off of ABX? Don't you need ABX to treat the diseases that lower wbc ?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Yes, you do. Unless you use Rife or some alternative treatments. Most people do not have that much trouble with the abx.
"The virus, spread by ticks, causes fever and vomiting, and platelet and white blood cell levels to drop. The virus can also cause multiple organ failure and death."
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
Well, I actually feel a little better hearing that people aren't that familiar with the low platelet-lyme association.
My new primary care Dr said low platelets were one symptom of Lyme.
& The platelet disorder support association website lists bacterial infections as a possible reason for low platelets, they don't say lyme specifically though.
I'm somewhat glad it's not more common because I was so frustrated that in five years and at least 12 different Drs no one ever tested me for Lyme!
I just got slapped with auto-immune thrombocytopenia and all the symptoms that didn't go along with that diagnosis were because I was supposedly just getting old (at 30-35) anxiety induced, stressed or crazy.
If low platelets were a common lyme symptom it would be more annoying that no one thought to test me for it.
I can't believe Lyme never came up in all my web searches trying to make sense of all my various symptoms. That's a whole other rant though.
Lymetoo, I did see that article! I was going to post it here as well. I've never been to Aisa so I can't imagine I have the same strain but who knows!
Apparently anything's possible.
Posted by LisaK (Member # 41384) on :
low platelets
yes, I had this for years and no one was too concerned, even when I tried to donate them. They allsaid "some people just have low counts" and I just think no one knew what to make of it and that is how drs and whomever deal with people that ask questions!
I was never happy with those answers. Now, after years and years of me asking I know what was wrong with me! I have not had new testing to see my counts since I started treatment 10 months ago, so I don't know if it went up after treatments or not.
I am not done with all my coinfection treatments anyway.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I found this on a search here for "thrombocytopenia"... there were more threads available there.
I have low platelets sometimes, along with low RBC's & low WBC's...it's intermittent.
Except now that I'm back on TPN, the platelets & RBC's are low all the time.
Read something about methylation issues being involved with the low blood counts for some people...don't remember where I read that though.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
Bartonella causes low platelets. Mine are low too. Sometimes it also causes high VEGF but if there is mold in your house, that can make the VEGF stay low.
Posted by Notti (Member # 43843) on :
There is a very interesting scientific article about thrombocytopenia that can be found here:
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
L Pantanowitz. Mechanisms of Thrombocytopenia in Tick-Borne Diseases. The Internet Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2002 Volume 2 Number 2.
Abstract Thrombocytopenia is a common manifestation of all tick-borne diseases. Low platelet numbers contribute significantly towards the morbidity and mortality of infection. However, the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia in many of the tick-borne diseases is poorly understood. Quantitative changes in platelet counts associated with infection may result from decreased marrow production, hypersplenism, consumption due to widespread endothelial damage or disseminated intravascular coagulation, as well as immune-mediated platelet destruction. Infection-induced thrombocytopenia may infrequently be associated with serious thrombosis. Direct infection of platelets by selected tick-borne pathogens also facilitates their dissemination within the host. This article reviews the mechanisms of thrombocytopenia associated with tick-borne infections, and discusses the therapeutic options available for managing this potentially fatal complication. -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
It's a very informative article, but I think it also illustrates how little is known regarding tick-borne infections and the effect these infections have on the blood and on the platelet count more specifically.
It's a difficult puzzle, I hope this is helpful however :-)
[ 05-31-2014, 12:23 AM: Message edited by: Notti ]
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Good info, Notti! Welcome!
Posted by Notti (Member # 43843) on :