Platelets dropping?

Nancy2581

Hi everybody so my MO has blood work done on me every 3 months. Each time my platelets seem to go lower. They were higher during chemo. This last time they were 142,000 and the cutoff is 150,000 for normal. Now I know 142,000 is still fine, but it's been bothering me since my latest bloodwork. I will be doing bloodwork again in June at which time I will see my MO again so if it's lower then I will discuss with her. Anyone else experience this? I read that tamoxifen could cause this which I am on. Thanks

Nancy

Nancy2581

bump

SpecialK

Several thoughts - it is important to note that laboratory ranges were established for normal adult males, not females. Sometimes you can be on the low end of the range due to gender. If you have seen a downward trend - that is a significant reduction - that is something to be looked at, but it is also important to note that platelets are the blood cell in the body with the shortest lifespan - it is approximately a week. Contrast that to a red blood cell that has a lifespan of three to four months. Platelets are fragile and variable - you could have one count on Tuesday and it could be very different on Thursday. Chemotherapy definitely damages platelets, were your counts normal after chemo or is that when the downward trend started? It is possible that Tamoxifen is having a negative effect on your platelets also. What does your MO say?

Nancy2581

Hi SpecialK - thanks for the response. My platelets started dropping after chemo when I started tamoxifen. I have not talked to my MO yet as I was going to wait to see what my June blood work shows. I see my MO a few days after I do the blood work. Around my last chemo I believe they were in the 200,000 range and now they are 142,000.

Nancy

Nancy2581

I just checked my blood counts again - maybe it's ok? When I started tamoxifen in January 2015 my platelets were 187 then as the year went on they were 166,152, 148,155,166,142 so they have gone up a couple of times so I might just be needlessly worrying. I will still talk to my MO in June.

Nancy

SpecialK

nancy - hope it is nothing, but know that platelets are pretty mercurial. Ask your MO about it but according to your numbers you're on the low end but not precipitously dropping into a dangerous situation - and that yours have see-sawed back into normal range makes me less worried. FWIW my WBC do this too - I am frequently below the low normal cut-off and my MO is aware of it and not worried. I never get sick, which is interesting.

CassieCat

Mine dropped after chemo and starting tamoxifen as well. After running several tests, my MO is in watch and see mode. They're staying over 100k, which is good. I think it's a combo of chemo being hard on my marrow and tamoxifen.

Nancy2581

Thanks SpecialK and CassieCat. I feel better now lol.

SpecialK my WBC is always on the low end too. The cut off on the lab's scale is 3.8 and after this last round of blood work my WBC was 3.8. I was never super high even before chemo and yes (knock on wood) everybody else in the family is always sick, but not me. That's gotta mean something good lol.

Nancy

SpecialK

nancy - my counts have always tended to be low - even before chemo, also low temp and BP - so apparently, I am just low, ha! Yay for not getting sick, aside from that pesky cancer thing!

CassieCat

I'm also on the low end for counts and BP. But not pulse, lol. That always runs high. I will have lab work done again later this month, and I'm hoping to see my platelets either stabilized or going up.

texasminded

I, too, am experiencing low blood platelets. From July 2012 to March 2015 I took anastrozole. But it had gotten to the point I could not make a fist and had no grip. My eyelashes were falling out and worst of all, my memory seemed to be slipping. I asked my MO to change my med and he put me on Tamoxifen. Up to that point my platelets had been fine. In July at my regular dr. they were 54, but at my MO they were 180. On Jan 8 this year, the number was 35. On March 25th at my reg. doctor they were 25. On March 30th at my MO 119. On May 2nd they were 149. On March 30th, I quit taking the Tamoxifen. That is the only difference in medication. My MO does not think the Tamoxifen is making my platelet count low, but I am not sure. I am anxious to see what it is when I go to my regular doctor in June.

Have any of you experienced any of these issues?