Just a couple of questions mainly about Ehrlichia and low white blood cell count.
I don't know if I have Ehrlichiosis. My Fry lab only came back with Bart positive.
I asked my LLMD if he thought I could have ehrlichia and he told me that if I had ehrlichia I would be much sicker than I am now. He said people with ehrlichia are very, very ill.
I've had chronic low white blood cell counts since high school (I am 24 now). Usually my range is 2.4 - 3.0. Lately, it was as low as 2.1 (it's never been that low before). And the normal range is 4.0 - 10.5. I was bit by the tick sometime before I started high school. I really have no idea if this has any connection though.
The point of my post though is that my LLMD and I never treated specifically for Ehrlichia. I know that Doxy treats it. BUT for other treatments I was on Doxy and never saw a change in my white blood cell count. Not sure if this means it's NOT ehrlichia though. To treat Ehrlichia, how much Doxy is actually used? I was only ever on 200mg of Doxy a day (as well as other abx for Bart and lyme, etc.).
I guess my main questions then are:
- How much Doxy is used to treat Ehrlichia? - And if I had ehrlichiosis would my white blood cells have gone up while on only 200mg of Doxy (was on this for 4 months)?
Posted by UnexpectedIlls (Member # 15144) on :
Hi D
My son is positive for Anaplasma, which is elrichiosis (spelling?)
He is sick, but not VERy VERY ill like your LLMD is stating. I know people can get VERY ill from it as I researched it when my sons positive results came back.
My son is on Zith/omnicef and will be switching meds soon.
I know doxy is useful in treating this, but I dont know at what doseage??
Anaplasma lives in WBC's so it causes your blood counts to be out of wack.
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Thanks, Shandy.
I'm really starting to wonder if I have it (because of my chronic low white blood cell count). I was treated with Doxy but it was never at really high doses so I don't know if it would have gotten rid of it or not.
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Anyone else?
There's got to be someone who knows how much Doxy they took for Ehrlichia or how much is required for it.
And if taking only 200mg a day for four months would be enough to get rid of it or not.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
There will be others along, I'm sure! They used to think ehrlich wouldn't become chronic, but more recent thinking is that it surely can!!
I don't know how much doxy you would need, but it stands to reason that 200mg a day would be on the low side of efficient.
I agree... you wouldn't necessarily be drop dead ill with it.
Posted by UnexpectedIlls (Member # 15144) on :
It has to be chronic, seeing as my son was bitten 5-6 years ago and only started having symptoms last August. He is positive for Anaplasma which is what they now call Ehrichiosis (sorry spelling again).
D, I have been trying to look for how much doxy you may need... Google is being stupid... I can't find anything that says HOW MUCH, only that doxy is used for it.
Maybe you could have your LLMD test you for it. My son had a positive through quest for it...he was also positive for mycoplasma through quest.
BTW, I just checked and my sons WBC count is at the very low range of normal
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Thanks, Shandy!
What was the exact number of his WBC count? I'm curious. Mine's been low for so long, I'm always interested when other people also have low counts like mine.
Posted by C.M.L (Member # 15715) on :
I was diagnosed w/ Erlichiosis last july. I went on 200 mg of doxy x 21 days. I was fine after that...but now I have the symptoms back again of Lyme. I don't know too much of Erlichiosis. All i know is that I tested positive..and was treated. Good luck, and let us know what the LLMD says. I might need to get more meds;0
Posted by Alv (Member # 15192) on :
I had ehrlichiosis ...and yes I was so sick -with all coinfections....everything hurted...and brain swelling....surreal
I was for 6 months straight on 400mg doxy -I took it all at once...but I had other things that i was taking also to cover my basis
today saw my llmd.Came up as the second visit -ehrlichiois is not showing up anymore ...
Posted by wantabe (Member # 14703) on :
Positive in December for Ehrlichiosis @ Mayo- they wanted to treat for 10 days 200 doxy 2X day. Said I would then be cured...said I didn't have Lyme.
Positive for Lyme w/LLMD in December-not Ehrlichiosis, but was treating for it. LLMD had me take Doxy for 4 weeks- headaches got too bad and she switched my antibiotics. Saw small improvement. Talked about co-infections and started iv doxy 2 weeks ago an am seeing big improvement.
I'm glad we are hitting the co-infection- I see hope!
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
Hi D!
From Dr. B's guideline's:
quote: When present alone or co-infecting with B. burgdorferi, persistent leukopenia is an important clue.
quote: Standard treatment consists of Doxycycline, 200 mg daily for two to four weeks.
Higher doses, parenteral therapy, and longer treatment durations may be needed based on the duration and severity of illness, and whether immune defects or extreme age is present.
However, there are reports of treatment failure even when higher doses and long duration treatment with doxycycline is given.
In such cases, consideration may be given for adding rifampin, 600 mg daily, to the regimen.
Posted by lymebytes (Member # 11830) on :
What did he mean by much, much sicker? My brother in law had extremely high ehrlichia titers apparently for years and was very functional.
I have a low chronic form, but I wouldn't say I am much, much sicker than most. My WBC is always normal. Although I know this can be related to it. So, I wouldn't rule it out.
Bartonella made me feel much sicker and once gone, I did notice a difference.
Although Doxy is not my LLMD's first choice for it, it was prescribed for me by my ILADS LLMD at 200mg per day. Rifampin is my LLMD's preferred choice for it.
My brother in law did 400mg per day for 4 months and noticed no difference in symptoms he was having. But he was never very sick, like bedridden sick.
Ehrilchia symptoms are not as cut and dry as Bart or Babs - depending on which symptoms list you look at they are all different. Lymeinfo.net lists these symptoms: Anemia, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, rigors, gastrointestinal symptoms, anorexia, fatigue
Another site lists these as symptoms: Fever Headache Malaise Muscle aches Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Cough Joint pains Confusion Rash -- rare in adults, but more frequent in children High liver enzymes
Can you elaborate on that? Does he mean bedridden sick? Or more pain,etc.?
Thanks
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Lymebytes,
He never elaborated on it himself, so I'm not really sure exactly what he meant. I took it to mean not functional as much as I am. I guess since I could walk into his office, etc., and converse with him about how I'm feeling and what's going on he thinks I am not sick enough to have Ehrlichia.
I'm actually in the process of changing LLMDs. I have an appointment with a new LLMD but it isn't until August.
But I'm not sure I even have Ehrlichia either since I was treated with Rifampin and Doxy both for FOUR months (for Bartonella), but if it's supposed to kill Ehrlichia, then it probably would have and the entire time I was on that regimine, I did not notice a diff. in my white blood cell count - they didn't go up more than usual. My white blood cell count has been low since high school (always in the 2's).
A hematologist doesn't know what's causing it nor does my LLMD.