(5 Mar 2022) My platelet count was 150

Doctor wants to start me on 150 mg cyclosporine once a day/morning. Doesn't mind me throwing in some papaya leaf extract, as long as he doesn't find anything in research against doing that. 

I told him about your GP IB/IX antibodies. He said it should be 1B, not IB, but otherwise, not too much comment. 

If you have concerns about your doctor, you may want to seek a second opinion from another hematologist.

Fyi, the latest figure of lymphocyte (%) on 12 Feb 2026 was 11. The normal range is 17.4-44.5

No, not ready to get a second opinion, since I have my own opinions. I fixed the once a day dosage, since it was not giving a good number in the cyclosporine trough test. Not sure what the doctor was thinking there, with once a day. And I added grapefruit juice, which admittedly is not exactly recommended. 

Sometimes its best to have a doctor that lets you do what you want. If you feel you have a handle on your particular case, then that is what you want.

And getting results, I think. My cycle seems to be getting (markedly) shorter, which doesn't happen. Like, my big drop is turning to the platelet raise phase quicker, it seems. Will know more very soon. 

I did read recently that azathioprine is safer than cyclosporine, but otherwise... Cyclosporine is what I've been asking for, for more than four months, which included 2 other doctors previous to this one. 

My lymph % is 24. Yours is low, like you say, because of the azathioprine. I see my white blood cells have gone down due to  cyclosporine's immuno-suppression.

Never mind. Platelets still dropping, so apparently cycle unchanged...

So, what I thought of as cycle shortening, was actually platelets dropping faster. So the opposite of good. I stopped the cyclosporine, but going against doctor, doesn't seem to make doctor happy. So yes, a forced second opinion could occur.

So drbean, has your doctor ever monitored your cyclosporine level? Mine has done the trough test, 12 hours after last dose. But it comes back low. I, personally would rather see the 2 or 3 hour after dose test, known as peak test. My doctor doesn't like this test for some reason. But it would tell what's going on better, I think. Well, simply, I think, the trough test only, could make you overdose, and the peak test only, could make you under-dose at the trough. I don't want to overdose, so hence me liking the peak test. 

Of course, I think I'm done with cyclosporine anyway, seeing the platelets go down quicker than usual.