I have had high platelets at 780,000 in January. My hematologist wanted to hastily perform a bone marrow extraction. I didn't like his bedside manner and lack of educating me in my quest to understand why I had this high count. So I fired him and got a new hematologist. He was the exact opposite of the first one b/c he was very diligent about asking me a lot of questions about my health and history and explained a lot of things. Both hematologists figured it had to do with my body not controlling its thermostat very well.

The thermostat issue explained my cold hands, feet, and metabolism. In late January, I started taking my thyroid medication since I was feeling many of the hypo symptoms (cold hands, feet, thinning eyebrows, lethargy, puffy face, weight gain, etc.). My 1st post-thyroid med lab test was 712,000. My 2nd (two days ago) was 686,000. My next lab will be in April. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I saw on another website that thyroid thins the blood. Another website showed a discussion where a father had a daughter with Graves disease (opposite of hypothyroidism) and she had a really low platelet count because of it. I'm not sure how credible this information is but I am wondering if anyone has any insight to hypo and high platelets.

Thanks.

Hi librarygirl2,

That's an interesting theory on the hypo and high platelets. I'm hypothyroid, and my platlets have come back slightly elevated a few times - usually just below 500,000. Last time they came in at 412,000 - which is the high end of normal for my lab.
I've been on synthroid for 10 years, but my thyroid levels have fluctuated alot, so I wonder if that has something to do with the platlets, and would they be even higher if I wasn't on the thyroid meds.
I also get the cold hands and feet also, (and other sypmtoms) - even while on the synthroid.

Mary

Hi Mary

I am on 60mg Armour Thyroid medication and my cold hands and feet are getting a bit warmer than before I started. It's already my 6th week since starting medication. I think if you still have cold hands/feet (common hypo symptom), you might need to up your dosage unless you feel fine otherwise.

My platelet counts were as followed:
1/8/07 - 780,000
2/1/07 - 712,000 (started thyroid medication a week before)
3/6/07 - 656,000 (doubled thyroid medication several days before)

I will take my next blood test first week of April. We'll see how it goes. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Hi, my name s Amy i am 27yrs old.

It would be really interesting to know theres e connection between the two. I was diagnosed with essential thrombocytosis nearly 3 years ago with a platelet count of 1.2 million. During that period i also had high TSH. However when tests were repeated again my TSh was normal. A few weeks ago during routine blood tests i had high TSH again. I went to an endo who said i probably am hypo. Will be undergoing further testing on mon. I don t know how old you ladies are but i d like to share with you that thyroid probs may cause infertility. I had a miscarriage last summer and haven t got pregnant since. My endo thinks that all these problems are thyroid related.
It would really be a blessing for me if when i start thyroid treatment my platelets will go down. Maybe they i will be able to conceive my baby without having to worry about having high platelets .

Please keep me posted.

Amy

Hi Amy333

Just know that the thyroid experts don't look at TSH as the sole factor for determining if you are hypo or hyper. Make sure your Free T3 and Free T4 are tested. It can be difficult to find a doctor that is not TSH-centric. I am 36 and had hypo symptoms for 3 years. My TSH was always 2.x. If you look at my FT3 and FT4, they are in the lowest part of the lab ranges. To get out of hypo symptoms, you should be in the mid- to upper-part of the lab ranges for Free Ts. Since I was undiagnosed for several years, my hypo got worse and my endo found through an Ultrasensitive TSH test that my value was 3.8. Good Endos know that the abnormal range is above 3.1 for TSH. She also checked my FT4 and found I was low in the range.

Let us know next week your labs.

Who knows, maybe there is a connection b/t platelets and thyroid. I didn't get the platelet problem until last year.

Yes i am having the free T4 and freet3 tested. My endo is also having thyroid anti body testing.
IF you don t mind me asking do you have kids? Did you have problems in conceiving?
I am sorry that they took so long to get you diagnosed. I hope things will get better for you now and that your platelets will continue going down so that you won t have other probs.
Thanks for your input.

Amy

Hi Amy

No, I do not have kids at this moment. I do want to have them soon. Because we haven't tried to conceive yet, I don't know if my hypothyroidism can cause miscarriages.

Sounds like you have a good doctor looking out for you!

We'll see in April if my platelets are decreasing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hope that my hypothesis is correct.

Hi,

I have just been diagnosed with Essential Thrombocytosis and my platelets are currently at 1,800. I have had Hypothyroidism for over 22 years and I am taking 0.05 Eltroxin. My dose has never changed since I was first diagnosed. Also, I have never been seen by a specialist for this condition only my Family doctor. Regardless of the Eltroxin and being told that my yearly blood results show normal levels for thryroid I still have most of the symtoms. I have also had migraines for 20 years and I have read that there is a connection between the two. Which one causes which???

I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow and I will insist that she refers me to a specilaist. With all the reading I have done I am becoming convinced that there is a connection between the two conditions. There seem to be too many people with this for it to be a coincidence.

I have had high platelet count, but high normal for many years before being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I didn't ever know what your thyroid was until 2 years ago when my TSH was 29.53 normal was 0.4-4 anyway my platelet count since having hash's they are abnormal high. The last count was 550,000 range was 200,000 to 450,000... Mandy

Hi Romeo1

If you have been diagnosed as hypo 22 years ago and haven't changed your dosage since, I would strongly urge you to find a good doctor in your area considering that you still have hypo symptoms. Chances are that you are not optimized on meds or you have an adrenal problem that is preventing the thyroid hormone from getting into your cells. They could just be floating around in your blood.

My hematologist told me it was a thermostat problem and that could be causing my platelets to increase. I have been hypo lately and my platelets have increased a bit. When I feel better, my platelet labs are lower but still not within the range.

Fix your thyroid first and then take your platelet tests again.

I have had high platelet count, but high normal for many years before being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I didn't ever know what your thyroid was until 2 years ago when my TSH was 29.53 normal was 0.4-4 anyway my platelet count since having hash's they are abnormal high. The last count was 550,000 range was 200,000 to 450,000... Mandy

MAD MAZ,

Same with me. However, I don't know which one is causing which. Ever since I started Armour, my platelets are in the low 600,000 compared to before when it was almost 800,000. I'm still trying to get optimized on Armour. I am on 2 grains and a half but I still feel hypo from time to time. Sometimes, I feel the hot flashes. I'm going to check my adrenals with the cortisol saliva test next week. If your adrenals are not doing well, it would be difficult for your body to be optimized on thyroid meds b/c the hormones are just pooling in your blood. You need healthy adrenals to push the hormones into your cells.

Hi Romeo1

If you have been diagnosed as hypo 22 years ago and haven't changed your dosage since, I would strongly urge you to find a good doctor in your area considering that you still have hypo symptoms. Chances are that you are not optimized on meds or you have an adrenal problem that is preventing the thyroid hormone from getting into your cells. They could just be floating around in your blood.

My hematologist told me it was a thermostat problem and that could be causing my platelets to increase. I have been hypo lately and my platelets have increased a bit. When I feel better, my platelet labs are lower but still not within the range.

Fix your thyroid first and then take your platelet tests again.

Thank you for your advice. I am scheduled to see a specialist in October. However, my family physician was reluctant to refer me since she doesn't believe that there is a connection between the hypothyroid and ET. I still feel that there is something there. Will let yopu know what they find out.

My doctor doesn't think there is a connection either. However, IMHO, you should fix your thyroid issue anyway. Your thyroid affects many other parts of the system anyway.

Good luck

Hi librarygirl, How did you get on with your adrenal test!!

I have just found out that I have so many allergy's, this thyroid crap sticks.

read some of my post if you like!!

My platelets at the end of may had gone down to 413,000 but I have all the symptom of lupus... I hope you are feeling better.. take care ...Mandy

Hi Mandy

My adrenals were fine. Weird how my saliva TSH was in the 600s. Normal is supposed to be below 120. My blood TSH is .01. My doc couldn't figure out why. I am positive on my thyroid peroxidase AB though which means I have hashi's, according to my endo.

I know what you mean with the thyroid crap. I just found out I was taking more Armour than I was supposed to. You know how the symptoms of hyper and hypo overlap. I thought I was needing more. I decreased my dosage and feel so much better. Not cold anymore. I am on 2 grains now and before I was taking 2.5 grains.

That's good that your platelets are in the 400s. Allergies are getting worse. I think because of the global warming or so. Regarding Lupus, take your ANA test. I think there are also other blood tests that go with the ANA test to entirely determine if you have lupus. Good luck with that. My brother thought he had it with his positive ANA test and due to other tests that came out negative, the doctor's determined that he didn't have it.

Let me know what else you find out.


Hi librarygirl, How did you get on with your adrenal test!!

I have just found out that I have so many allergy's, this thyroid crap sticks.

read some of my post if you like!!

My platelets at the end of may had gone down to 413,000 but I have all the symptom of lupus... I hope you are feeling better.. take care ...Mandy