Does a cirrhosis patient require medicines to increase platelet count and Hb?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a liver cirrhosis patient. My platelet count is 72000 per microliter of blood, and hemoglobin is 10. Everything else, including protein and albumin, is normal. The doctor is giving Ricovir 300, Pantosec 40, Udliv 150, Vitamin A to Z daily, and Lasilactone 50 mg on alternate days. But he is not giving any medicine to increase platelet count and for reduced hemoglobin.

Is it alright, or is that required?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

In liver cirrhosis, chronic fibrosis occurs, and such fibrotic tissue obstructs portal blood flow, and so, because of portal hypertension, splenomegaly can occur. An enlarged spleen traps platelets, and so your platelet count is low.

With an improvement of cirrhosis by medication and avoidance of alcohol and through a healthy lifestyle, your platelet count can increase with time. But if cirrhosis worsens, then the condition might reverse.

You have been prescribed antiviral medication as well. So, hepatitis B or C might be associated. In hepatitis, bone marrow can be suppressed, and there can be pancytopenia, in which hemoglobin, WBC count, and platelets are all reduced. So, check your WBC count as well.

For low platelets, you need only monitoring and a healthy lifestyle. For low hemoglobin, check your serum ferritin and TIBC (total iron-binding capacity) levels and peripheral smear examination to give more comment on that.

If any unusual bleeding starts, platelets need to be transfused.

I hope it helps.

Thank you.