Drug-Induced Thrombocytopenia (DITP)
Allergy to medications can occur in sensitive individuals. Rarely, the reactions are rashes. The reactions that can be caused by medicine can sometimes have serious effects on the body, including affecting the blood platelets. The drugs can adhere to the platelets in such a reaction. The body treats the drug-coated platelet as a foreign substance when it is bound to the platelet. The body then produces antibodies against the drug-coated plates and destroys them. When the drug is stopped, the platelet destruction stops and platelet counts return to normal. These drug-dependent antibodies may persist for years. If the patient continues to take the drug, platelets are coated again, causing antibodies that attack them, lowering platelet levels.
