Causes And Risk Factors For Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Medications

Taking certain medications can put patients at risk of developing ITP. When this occurs, it is called drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia. Doctors can tell patients to stop taking a particular medicine if it's what causing their ITP and prescribe another one. Recovery from drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia can take one to two weeks after the patient has stopped taking the medication.

Quite a lot of medicines can cause ITP, including anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, sulfa drugs, anticonvulsants, and antibiotics. These medicines may stimulate antibody production, which will likely cause platelets to be broken down abnormally. In addition, it is theorized the medication could simply destroy the platelets. Specific medications like this are quinine, dalteparin, diazepam, quinidine, sulfonamides, penicillin, heparin, captopril, gold salts, digoxin, tolmetin, and famotidine. Heparin is what causes most cases of drug-induced idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.