It is important to be aware of the emotional side effects while taking prednisone because it s probably not a good time to make important decisions. Unfortunately if prednisone doesn t bring a sustained rise in your platelet counts, you will be asked to make some very important decisions regarding the next steps of your treatment. If possible, it is wise to begin your research of all available treatments as soon as you are diagnosed. There are other treatments to try, but many doctors will wait and see if the splenectomy works and will only suggest other treatments if it does not. Given this and the less than assured response rate for splenectomies, some noted ITP physicians now recommend other ITP treatments before removing your spleen.
Some patients have success with alternative treatments.
There is no easy answer to this one. In general, the initial response rate is high and decreases with time. The statistics vary and there are few good long-term studies on which to base your decision. There are no good predictive tests or indicators that will tell you whether your spenectomy will raise your counts or how long that elevation will last. Although doctors in the USA don t typically recommend this test, nor do many of them consider it reliable, in Europe it is not uncommon to have an Iridium Screening Test.