I recently got back my last round of blood work, taken in October. At that point I had been on antibiotics for 10 months. My white cell count came back slightly below range (4). My LLMD brushed it off, says he sees it a lot with his patients, says it wasn't low enough to worry about. I AM concerned though. The count is less than half what it was before I started treatment.
I don't like what this treatment is doing to my body. Is this something that will correct itself quickly when I get off the ABs or am I looking at long-term/lifelong problems now. Maybe it would all be worth it if I were continuing to get better, but I've been at a standstill for quite a while now. I think it's time for a break from my treatment.
Posted by gmb (Member # 23562) on :
Many of us have below range white cell counts... and I often also have below range RBC as well.
Don't worry about it. With all the ABX in your system your body doesn't see a need to produce many white blood cells to fight infections.
It most likely will bounce back when you finish treatment. No need to take break right now.
I just count my blessings every day that I have awakened and still have some blood left in my veins ;^)
gmb
Posted by JCarlhelp (Member # 15957) on :
Try 4Life Transfer Factor Original
But not a doctor
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
This low white blood cell count is due to the antibiotics. It will correct itself when you stop antibiotics. No need to worry. It will not be a life-long problem at all.
This happened to me toward the end of my lyme (babs and bart) treatment. But, it went low enough that my lyme doctor was concerned.
He told me that this happens because the body senses the antibiotics in your system, so it thinks it doesn't need to make the normal amount of white blood cells.
My doc had me take Transfer Factor, 4Life brand. In 2 weeks, my white blood cell count was back up to normal. Later, it happened again, so we did it again.
When it did it the third time, he told me to just stay on the Transfer Factor until I finished treatment, which is what I did.
So, this is why your doctor is not concerned. If your count goes low enough, he will likely have you add Transfer Factor. It is expensive.
My lyme doc said that if the Transfer Factor didn't work, then I would have had to stop my antibiotics. I was on Bactrim DS at the time for babs and bart.
So, this is no cause for alarm and certainly not a reason to stop antibiotics.
It is now over 8 1/2 years since I completed my treatment and I am still symptom free, enjoying my life. That is the goal. You must stay the course.
I must tell you that I took antibiotics from second grade through 9th grade for rheumatic fever. I took them continuously for perhaps a year. Then, each time the symptoms came back, I took them again. So, lyme is not the only illness that puts a person on long-term antibiotics. TB is another example. Doctors are putting teenagers on antibiotics for years for acne!
See this quote from Burrascano:
"Remember, years of experience with chronic antibiotic therapy in other conditions, including rheumatic fever, acne, gingivitis, recurrent otitis, recurrent cystitis, COPD, bronchiectasis, and others have not revealed any consistent dire consequences as a result of such medication use. Indeed, the very real consequences of untreated, chronic persistent infection by B. burgdorferi can be far worse than the potential consequences of this treatment." (page 22)