The drug doses, listed in some of the sections, represent those commonly prescribed. However, drug doses, in individual patients, may differ from those listed here and depend on the patient's clinical situation and the doctor's preferences. Decisions on the treatment of individual patients with ITP are the sole responsibility of the treating physician. In general, treatments with the least side effects are used first. Your physician may not use these treatments in the order listed because of personal preference or potential side effects.
Most physicians try corticosteroids again in patients unresponsive to splenectomy.
This is usually continued for 4-6 weeks. If a normal platelet count is attained, the dose is gradually tapered over several weeks. If higher doses are required, other treatment is advised. Prednisone may also be given in combination with some of the treatments, which will be described later, until an response is seen. At that point, the prednisone is tapered.