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Mr. GIANNI’s Story
My name is Gianni, I live in the Province
of Ancona - Italy, I am 47 years old.
I am not asking for information I just
want to contribute as protagonist of the disease treated
in this website.
June 1995
My story begun on June 1995 – I was 36,
when I noticed bruises on my legs that never
disappeared. And I noticed tiny red dots around my
ankles and my low limb (petechiae).
I did blood test, and the results of
hemochrome highlighted the platelets count (about
60,000) and here begun my ordeal.
I started a cortisone-based treatment (deltacortene)
50mg per day, the result was immediate, platelet count
rose till 200,000 but when I decreased the dose the
count decreased worrying.
So I was advised to visit a specialist
for blood’s disease.
November 1995
Since the visit and the following blood
tests – in November 1995 – I was diagnosed with
Werlhof’s disease, an illness I do not know about cause
and about treatments.
I was proposed a cortisone-based cure,
deltacortene 50 mg per day to take for 3 – 4 weeks and
then change over a slowly decreasing of the dose.
June 1996
The treatment had been lasting for 6
months and the platelets count do not raise over 60,000,
but, end of July, even if the 50 mg cortisone dose the
platelets count went irreversible down to 4,000 on 1st
July.
July 1996
I was advised about splenectomy and I had
surgery - after an immunoglobulin treatment to go up the
platelets count (15th July, 1996).
August 1996
Suddenly after the surgery the platelets
count jumped over 400,000, but since the half of August
it decreased, and at the end of the month
I start again with cortisone :
-
Deltacortene 25mg
-
Azathioprine 100mg
I have been taking deltacortene and
azathioprine for 3 years, the dose varying from 50 mg to
5 mg depending on platelets situation, and in July 1999
I had a strong relapse (31,000).
July 1999
My doctor suggested me Vincristine (a
chemotherapy drug) 2mg I.V.
In the meanwhile another doctor, followed
the previous, suggested me before taking Vincristine, to
contact Dr. Todisco in Grottammare.
Dr. Todisco explained me about the
treatment to do and the positive results with other
patients with the same disease.
On July 1999 I have begun the treatment :
-
melatonin 13 pills (2mg) per day
-
vitamin E (tocopheryl acetate), a spoon
in the morning together with a spoon of Shoum solution
-
in the same time deltacortene (25mg per
day) gradually reducing the dose
November 2002
Since November 2002 I have definitely
given up with cortisone.
From November 1999 to July 2002 the
platelets count have been weaving between 30,000 and
70,000, at alternative period (and considering the low
count petechiae vanished).
Year 2004
In 2004, in order to increase the
platelets count I had to improve the dose of melatonin
from 13 to 15 pills, successfully.
January 2005
Since 2005 I have decreased the pills to
12. Platelets have been increasing - more or less
gradually - settling on more than 80,000 and in 2006 the
count exceeded100,000.
I can state that the treatment with
melatonin allowed me :
- stopping the cortisone, in long run it
causes relevant side effects
- living quietly also when the platelets
count wasn’t high enough
- increasing the platelets count, in the
course of time and steadily taking melatonin
I hope I make a profitable and positive
contribution for all are about to visit this website to
search for information about Werlhof’s disease, best
regards.
GIANNI
.
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