LymeNet Flash: low WBC & symptoms?

This is topic low WBC & symptoms? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by artbyjessie on :

Hi folks,
i've been on Cedax and Zithro for a while now and have had a relapse of symptoms.
now, my WBC is low - 3.7 which concerns me because i am getting married in 4 weeks and want to be in optimal condition.

Is the WBC telling me that my body needs a break from meds?

Has anyone started to doubt that Lyme is really what is going on? i've been on meds for 7 months now and don't seem to be makign any progress. i did at first but have since slipped right back to where I was!

i'm getting frustrated. maybe something else is wrong with me?

Posted by rdcallen (Member # 3987) on :

I'm sorry I can't help you (others will be along who can), but I share in your frustration. I was on zithromax and plaquenil for 5 months after a round of doxycycline.

I did great then all of a sudden my condition slowly deteriorated while still on the zithromax. Have done the rounds of amox, aug, flagyl and now back to zithromax without much improvement.

Am beginning to wonder, like you. I'll look forward to the responses of your questions. Thanks for posting.
Cathy

Posted by liz28 on :

Sorry to repeat what has been written up a lot this week in other posts, but the problem may be that the drugs haven't been strong enough. If you try a search on two abx, ketek (a stronger form of zith) and minocycline (a stronger form of doxy), you'll see a huge argument developing on this subject.

Also, you might want to check out posts discussing rife, ozone, mercury/amalgam illness, and co-infections like babesia.

Posted by Jewlbug (Member # 4554) on :

Hi there,

My WBC was in a similar range for a while. I think both the disease itself and longterm ABX can cause the WBCs to go low, but I may be mistaken.

My LLMD monitored the counts for a while, and they have slowly crept up. What I found odd was that I didn't feel much worse when my WBCs dipped, but I did get a bit more fatigued.

I am not familiar with Cedax and what it is used to treat, but have you been treated for co-infections? I am currently on Zithro and Mepron and really feel like that has helped me the most.

I am also about 7 months into my overall treatment. I felt like I was regressing at one point too, and then my LLMD switched to treat for babesia. I've really felt a huge improvement in my symptoms from just a month of babs treatment.

Try not to worry too much!

Jewl

P.S. Best of luck with the wedding!

Posted by artbyjessie on :

thanks for responding!

i can't see how the drugs haven't been strong enough. for the first 5 months i was on 400mg of Doxy, plus Plaquenil, malarone and another one that my memory is failing me on at the moment.

when summer came i went off doxy and onto the zithro and cedax combo.

how on earth could that not be enough?

i am a little weird about alternative solutions. i want to see some scientific data from reputable sources before i subject my body to anything else. (I know that may not make me popular around here.)

Lupus and a few other nasty things run in my family and I am just starting to have my doubts.

i guess it's normal.

Posted by liz28 on :

No, that makes perfect sense. I come from a conservative medical family, and was totally weirded out by all this alternative stuff.

I misspoke when I talked about abx strength. Maybe the most relevant word is "penetrative."

Posted by daphne (Member # 2340) on :

hi,
we went through this same situation w/ our son recently, he had been on zithro. off and on, mostly on for the past 2 years, then all of a sudden his wbc was low, lower, than nearly unreadable.

he was exhausted, all he did was sleep. did not really feel well, but nothing too exagerated. it was just really scarry.

our dr. took him off abx. for a month, and they slowly returned to normal.

the whole thing was weird, but he is alright now, the tiredness passed, as his count grew.

you may want to see if your dr. thinks you should take a break rom your meds., hope you feel better soon,

and goo-luck with the wedding!

------------------
(((HUGS!!!))),daphne

Posted by chainsaw joe (Member # 5490) on :

I think I talked to you once before about this,it is scary.Almost three years Ive had low WBC.When I go higher on my doses the WBCs go lower,I average around 3.6 but recently went down to 3.1.I backed off the meds a little and it went back to 3.5.Two and a half years I failed on orals until recently being put on minno and rifampin and now Im seeing some improvement.I dont know if its the good penetration of mino or rifampin hitting the bart.I am trying more b-complex to see if it will boost my WBC,I will find out this week when I go for bloodwork.Wash your hands alot and stay away from crowds and sick people.

Posted by artbyjessie on :

Joe, i don't think 3.7 is a level where i need to worry about getting sick easily is it? I am wondering how fast it could decline in a month.

I am also wondering if going off of the Plaquenil had anything to do with my WBC lowering. I went off because of eye symptoms.

Thanks everyone for your comments!

Posted by Kara Tyson (Member # 939) on :

I never was too caught up in the Lyme diagnosis. It doesnt matter if you have the Monkey Pinapple Disease. What matters is that you are getting help.