The PAN Foundation’s Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) Travel Assistance program helps patients and their caregivers travel to and from their treatment facilities. Patients will receive their ITP Travel Assistance card by mail approximately 10-15 business days after grant approval. Was this helpful?
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How can PDSA help ITP patients?
In addition to learning more about ITP treatments and the latest treatment guidelines, you can gain important guidance on health insurance and assistance programs for ITP patients in the United States and drug coverage in Canada. At PDSA, we know that strong social and emotional support is a powerful tool for those living with ITP.
What are the signs and symptoms of ITP?
However, most patients with ITP present to their doctor with abnormal bleeding into the skin resulting in bruising, also known as purpura or tiny red dots on the skin called petechiae.
What are the treatment options for refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)?
Treatment options for chronic refractory immune thrombocytopenia in adults: focus on romiplostim and eltrombopag. Pharmacotherapy. 2010;30 (7):666-83. Deane S, Teuber SS, Gershwin ME. The geoepidemiology of immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
How long does ITP last in adults?
In adults, most cases of ITP are either persistent (lasting six to 12 months) or chronic (lasting more than a year). Fortunately, today’s treatments are able to increase your platelet count and restore your overall health.
How can you help someone with ITP?
Living with ITPImprove Fatigue. Many people with ITP and other autoimmune diseases feel tired much of the time. ... Stop Bleeding. ... Take Care of Your Caregiver. ... Wear Medical Alert Jewelry. ... Cope with Corticosteroids. ... Laughter is the Best Medicine. ... References.
What should you not do with ITP?
Certain medications and supplements can increase your bleeding risk. Taking such medications could double your risk if you have a low platelet count. You should avoid taking over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and aspirin. Your doctor may recommend acetaminophen for occasional pain.
How do patients with ITP present?
More often, patients with ITP develop symptoms unexpectedly, such as abnormal bleeding into the skin resulting in either bruising (purpura), or tiny red dots on the skin called petechiae.
How long does it take to recover from ITP?
ITP may be acute and resolve in less than 6 months, or chronic and last longer than 6 months. Treatment options include a variety of medications that can reduce the destruction of platelets or increase their production. In some cases, surgery to remove the spleen is necessary.
Can I get disability for ITP?
If your doctor diagnosed you with chronic thrombocytopenia and you meet other qualifications, you may be able to apply for and receive Social Security disability benefits including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
What foods increase platelets?
It also lists foods and supplements that may help increase platelet counts and those that may decrease them....Foods containing folate or folic acid include:beef liver.dark, leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and Brussels sprouts.black-eyed peas.fortified breakfast cereals and dairy alternatives.rice.yeast.
How does ITP make you feel?
Fatigue has been documented in focus groups of patients with ITP; in these groups, over 90% of patients have described symptoms of fatigue. Many patients say that their symptoms of fatigue are worse when their platelet count is low.
How serious is ITP?
For most people with ITP, the condition isn't serious or life-threatening. For example, acute ITP in children often resolves within 6 months or less without treatment. Chronic ITP, though, can last for many years. Still, people can live for many decades with the disease, even those with severe cases.
Why does ITP make you tired?
Acute inflammation acts on neural and endocrine systems resulting in 'sickness behaviour', an adaptive response to infection and injury. Inflammation is also thought to cause fatigue in chronic disease and immune dysregulation in ITP appears to have a number of pro-inflammatory components.
Can ITP cured completely?
A: While there is no cure for ITP, many patients find their platelet count improves following treatment. What proves difficult for many ITP patients is finding the treatment that works for them without unwanted side effects. Some patients report that changing their diet or lifestyle helps them feel better.
Is ITP lifelong?
Immune thrombocytopenia, also known as autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), is a blood platelet disorder. For most adults with ITP, the condition is chronic (lifelong).
Is ITP painful?
The low platelet count associated with ITP can also cause bleeding in your urine or stools. At first, you might mistake urine in the blood as a sign of infection. However, bladder infections often accompany other symptoms, such as: lower back or flank (kidney) pain.
What causes ITP to flare up?
Immune thrombocytopenia usually happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys platelets, which are cell fragments that help blood clot. In adults, this may be triggered by infection with HIV , hepatitis or H. pylori — the type of bacteria that causes stomach ulcers.
What foods should you avoid with ITP?
Eat Less...Canned and frozen foods and leftovers. The nutritional value of food deteriorates with time.White flour, white rice and processed foods. ... Hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated or trans-fats. ... Sugar. ... Dairy products. ... Meat. ... Alcoholic beverages. ... Foods that can interfere with blood clotting.More items...
Can stress make ITP worse?
Research suggests that physical or psychological stress and the resultant oxidative stress in the body may also trigger episodes of ITP,7 exacerbate fatigue15 and prolong duration of the platelet disorder in children.
Can I workout with ITP?
While exercise is important for your overall health, high-impact and contact activities aren't considered safe if you have ITP. These types of workouts increase your risk of injury, which can lead to bleeding issues.
How to tell if you have ITP?
As the platelet count falls, the risk of developing bleeding symptoms increases. ITP can be discovered incidentally based on a blood count ordered for other reasons, such as a routine yearly checkup. However, most patients with ITP present to their doctor with abnormal bleeding into the skin resulting in bruising, also known as purpura or tiny red dots on the skin called petechiae. Bleeding from mucous membranes also may occur and may subsequently result in low levels of circulating red blood cells (anemia; this usually means bleeding in the mouth and nose but could also include blood in the urine. Internal bleeding at presentation is very uncommon. ITP is generally called newly diagnosed when it has been present for less than 3 months, persistent when present for 3-12 months and chronic when present for longer. The term “acute” is not used currently. The clinical onset may be rapid with overnight onset of skin bleeding or gradual over months.
What are the side effects of ITP?
These symptoms that accompany the disease can interfere with daily activities and lead to anxiety, fear, depression, embarrassment of unexplained bruising and nosebleeding (epistaxis), isolation, inadequacy, and frustration with a patient’s inability to control their body and their health. This list does not even encompass the side effects of treatments which, while possibly improving part of the above problems, can be devastating in different ways. Together, these multi-faceted effects of ITP often take a significant toll on patients’ quality of life.
Why are platelets foreign to the immune system?
For reasons that remain as yet unknown, lymphocytes in the bone marrow, spleen and elsewhere are stimulated to produce antibodies that attach to platelet surfaces ,and the platelets are recognized as foreign by the immune system. In most individuals, the platelets are the only target of the misdirected immune response.
What is the blood type of ITP?
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune bleeding disorder characterized by abnormally low levels of blood cells called platelets, a situation which is referred to as thrombocytopenia. Platelets are specialized blood cells that help maintain the integrity of the walls of our blood vessels and help prevent and stop bleeding by accelerating ...
How many people are diagnosed with ITP in the USA?
The incidence (how many people are diagnosed each year) of ITP among adults in the USA is estimated to be 3.3 per 100,000 adults/year. The prevalence (how many adults have ITP at any time) is 9.5 cases per 100,000. The annual prevalence is estimated at 5.3 per 100,000 among children; because children with ITP usually recover, the number of children who have ITP at any one time is almost equal to those diagnosed annually. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are well over 200,000 people affected by ITP.
What percentage of ITP is chronic?
In contrast, the proportion of adults with ITP who have a chronic condition is much higher, exceeding 50% in most series. ITP that develops in adolescents most often follows the clinical course seen in adults.
How long does it take for ITP to resolve?
Eighty percent (80%) of children who present with ITP have a self-limited form that resolves with or without treatment (i.e. spontaneously) within 12 months and often sooner. In contrast, the proportion of adults with ITP who have a chronic condition is much higher, exceeding 50% in most series. ITP that develops in adolescents most often follows the clinical course seen in adults.
What is ITP patient connect?
ITP Patient Connect SM is an integral component for navigating daily living with ITP.
Why is it important to tell stories to ITP patients?
At PDSA, we’re committed to telling personal stories from ITP patients, their families and those who treat them to increase knowledge, ease anxiety and provide hope.
What is PDSA for ITP?
To help those caring for a loved one with ITP, PDSA provides helpful tips and information to make navigating the journey less overwhelming. Because we know ITP caregivers are special and need attention also to ensure the best care for your ITP loved one.
What is the ITP Alliance?
The International ITP Alliance is an intercontinental partnership of ITP patient support and advocacy organizations and grassroots patient groups committed to education, awareness and establishing a global voice for immune thrombocytopenia patients. Learn More.
What is PDSA scholarship?
The PDSA College Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to senior high school students, college students or adults interested in continuing education who suffer from ITP or a similar inherited or non-inherited platelet disorder.
What is ITP conference?
Each year the ITP conference provides opportunities to hear the latest information about ITP, meet others who are coping and living with ITP and receive answers to your medical questions.
Is ITP rare?
Although a diagnosis of ITP is rare, you’re not alone. PDSA Support Groups across the United States and Canada are there for anyone looking for support in coping with ITP—and new groups continue to form.
How is ITP treated in Adults?
There is no one best way to treat ITP. Treatments should be tailored to you, not your platelet count . If you’re experiencing only mild bruising and petechiae (small red or purple dots), your doctor may want to only observe you for a while. If your symptoms are more severe, he or she may recommend prompt treatment to raise your platelet counts.
How do I know I have ITP?
If no other cause is found, and after a complete medical history, physical exam and tests are completed, the diagnosis is often ITP.
How long does ITP last?
In adults, most cases of ITP are either persistent (lasting six to 12 months) or chronic (lasting more than a year). Fortunately, today’s treatments are able to increase your platelet count and restore your overall health. Yet, the right treatment may take time to find.
How many people have ITP?
It’s hard to determine how many adults have ITP. A recent study reports the incidence of adult ITP, or how many people are diagnosed each year, is 3.3 per 100,000 adults per year. 1 The prevalence of ITP in adults—those who have ITP at any time—is approximately 9.5 cases per 100,000.
What is ITP in medical terms?
If no other cause is found, and after a complete medical history, physical exam and tests are completed, the diagnosis is often ITP. Help your doctor determine the correct diagnosis and the best way to manage your condition.
What is PDSA for ITP?
At PDSA, we know that strong social and emotional support is a powerful tool for those living with ITP. We’re dedicated to providing resources to educate and empower you, ease your anxiety and improve your overall health.
Can ITP cause bruising?
Finding out you have ITP can be shocking and confusing, changing your life over night. You may have never heard of the disease, and learning how the autoimmune condition can trigger excessive bruising and spontaneous episodes of bleeding that fuels ongoing fatigue and anxiety can be overwhelming.
How long can a child have ITP?
children 1 year of age and older with ITP for at least 6 months when certain medicines or surgery to remove your spleen have not worked well enough.
When to use Nplate?
Nplate ® is only used if your low platelet count and medical condition increase your risk of bleeding. Nplate ® is used to try to keep your platelet count about 50,000 per microliter in order to lower the risk for bleeding. Nplate ® is not used to make your platelet count normal.
How often do you need to get blood tests for Nplate?
Nplate ® is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous) one time each week by your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will check your platelet count every week and change your dose of Nplate ® as needed. This will continue until your healthcare provider decides that your dose of Nplate ® can stay the same. After that, you will need to get blood tests every month. When you stop receiving Nplate ®, you will need blood tests for at least 2 weeks to check if your platelet count drops too low.
What is a nplate?
INDICATIONS. Nplate ® is a prescription medicine used to treat low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) in: adults with immune thrombocytopenia ( ITP) when certain medicines or surgery to remove your spleen have not worked well enough. Read More.
What are the side effects of Nplate?
cough. nausea. pain in mouth and throat (oro pharyngeal pain) The most common side effects of Nplate ® in children 1 year of age and older include: bruising. upper respiratory tract infection. pain in mouth and throat (oropharyngeal pain) headache.
Can you get a blood clot from Nplate?
You may have a higher risk of getting a blood clot if your platelet count becomes high during treatment with Nplate ®. You may have severe complications or die from some forms of blood clots, such as clots that spread to the lungs or that cause heart attacks or strokes.
Can you get nplate for blood cancer?
Worsening of a precancerous blood condition to a blood cancer (leukemia): Nplate® is not for use in people with a precancerous condition called myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), or for any condition other than immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). If you have MDS and receive Nplate ®, your MDS condition may worsen and become an acute leukemia. If MDS worsens to become acute leukemia you may die sooner from the acute leukemia.
How long does it take to fill an ITP?
Given the volume of grants that go unused in the ITP fund, we are requiring a first fill within 30 days of approval. If there is no payment activity on the grant within this time frame, the grant balance will be zeroed out.
What is thrombocytopenic purpura?
About Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets — the cells that help your blood clot. Source: Mayo Clinic.
How much does HealthWell help?
HealthWell assists individuals with incomes up to 400-500% of the Federal Poverty Level. The Foundation also considers the number in a household and cost of living in a particular city or state. If you believe you qualify for assistance, you may begin the application process here.
Does insurance cover medication?
You have insurance and it covers your medication.
Does HealthWell cover premiums?
Medicare supplemental policies can help with cost shares related to many aspects of your health care. Using a HealthWell grant to cover premiums may be a better option than treatment-specific cost shares.
