Hi Mike,
As far as I understand no one really knows much about platelet fluctuation. Infections and many drugs can decrease the platelets. Prednisone can increase them. Here is a link to Warnings from a support group for patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura - a bleeding disease due to low platelets:
http://www.pdsa.org/itp-information/itp-warnings.html
I should be very happy if I had 85,000 platelets (my last count was 45,000).
Kind regards
Birgitta-A
69 yo, dx MDS Interm-1 May 2006, transfusion dependent, Desferal, Neupogen, asymptomatic