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Old Thu Nov 1, 2012, 11:41 PM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 2,553
Bunnyj1957,

From what I've read, your high platelet count, tingling, and heavy legs (which may be a sign of general weakness) match the symptoms of essential thrombocythemia, where the bone marrow makes too many megakaryocytes (future platelets). You've ruled out an iron problem or autoimmune reaction as the cause. It's possible but uncommon for essential thrombocythemia to lead to leukemia or myelofibrosis, so I don't think you should focus your worries in that direction. Essential thrombocythemia can be caused by the JAK2 gene, which genetic tests can identify.

Your symptoms also match the other form of thrombocytosis, not due to a bone marrow problem, called reactive thrombocytosis. It can result from an infection, but that's a cause you've already ruled out. It seems more likely to be a result of the cancer and surgeries you mentioned, since both are considered possible causes of reactive thrombocytosis. Reactive thrombocytosis can also result from use of certain drugs. Have you taken vincristine (Oncovin)? That's one of the drugs associated with reactive thrombocytosis.

In either case, some cases of thrombocytosis need to be treated and others do not. It depends on your apparent risk of blood clots and that's what your hematologist has to decide. But from the tests you've described it sounds to me (a caregiver, not a doctor) that your physicians have been doing exactly the right things to narrow down the possible causes of your symptoms and elevated platelet count. Let's hope it's one of the less serious causes.
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