What is ITP?
ITP, or Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, is a disease in which the immune system attacks healthy platelets, which are vital cell fragments found in the blood responsible for clotting blood. Without blood clotting, or otherwise known as coagulation, bleeding would be excessive from even the smallest of injuries. Essentially, individuals diagnosed with ITP have blood with too few number of platelets to perform healthy coagulation of the blood. Fortunately, ITP disease treatment is successful for many diagnosed. But, unfortunately, many Americans who have minimal or no health insurance coverage find themselves unable to afford the cost of their ITP disease treatment. The Rx Solution works to help to provide discounts or coverage for many different medications, including certain ITP treatments, for those who qualify.
What Causes ITP?
The exact cause of ITP is when the immune system creates antibodies in an attempt to destroy platelets. Although the direct cause of why this happens is unknown, there are some commonalities seen amongst adult patients diagnosed with the disease. Patients have developed the disease following being affected by a viral infection, after using certain illegal substances, during an active pregnancy, or as a concurring condition of another immune issue. Each year, there are more children diagnosed with ITP than adults, but the condition in children usually clears up on its own without required treatment.
What are the Symptoms of ITP?
Since the symptoms of ITP can match with symptoms of other diseases, especially immune deficiency diseases, it can be challenging to make an accurate diagnosis. This is why it is important to identify any of your symptoms and talk them over with a doctor. Common symptoms of ITP may include:
- Heavy bleeding throughout menstruation in women
- Heavy or unexplained nosebleeds
- Easy bruising of the skin
- Blood present in the urine
- Bleeding of the gums
- Purple/blue spotting of the skin
ITP Disease Treatment Options
There are two different kinds of treatments to treat ITP. The first is an immune system depressant, which slows down the immune system, making it less likely to create enough antibodies that destroy enough platelets to pose a problem. The second type of ITP treatment is a medication used to increase the production of platelets, providing the body with enough to accurately and effectively coagulate the blood. For many, the second treatment option is preferred, as lowering the effectiveness of the immune system poses possible health risks because the immune system is vital for fighting off infection and illness of any kind. Usually, an increased platelet treatment approach is only available to patients who have not found success with other treatments. Each treatment poses its own risks, side effects, and benefits, and not every treatment will work the same with every individual. It is up to your doctor to decide on the ITP disease treatment that is best for you and your health.
Nplate: Platelet Production ITP Disease Treatment
An example of an ITP treatment that boosts platelet production is Nplate. This medication works by mirroring a protein responsible for telling the bone marrow to produce more platelets. It is prescribed to individuals when initial treatment or spleen removal has not increased platelet counts. To administer Nplate, the medication is injected into the skin by your doctor. This medication was the first of its kind to be approved by the FDA and has shown much promise throughout clinical trials.
Help Paying for your Nplate ITP Disease Treatment
If your platelet counts are still not where they should be after treatment or spleen removal, you may with to consider talking to your doctor about a prescription for Nplate. If your doctor decides that Nplate could be beneficial to your treatment plan, The RX Solution may be able to help you pay for the cost of the medication. Through patient assistance programs, we are able to pass savings on to patients who would otherwise not be able to pay for the cost of their needed prescriptions as a result of minimal or no health insurance coverage. To see if you qualify for the program, simply visit our website, which lists the enrollment qualifications that will tell you if you are eligible to apply. After enrollment is approved, you will be able to take advantage of discounts or even complete coverage of any of the prescriptions listed on our medication list, also found on our website. Have questions about how we can discount your ITP disease treatment medication? Give us a call today at 888 823-0042.