posted
Should I be concerned about these readings?
wbc dropped from 5.8 to 4.0 (-31%) in 3 months. Reference range 4.8-10.8.
mono% rose from 11.8 to 13.9 (+18%) in 3 months. Reference range 1.7-9.3.
Diagnosed with Lyme, babesiosis, and cp. Could any of these cause such rapid changes in these readings?
Symptoms of fatigue have worsened.
Any drs other than infectious disease drs best for problems like this?
Thanks for any help.
Posts: 175 | From Colorado | Registered: Feb 2007
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disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
I'd ask your LLMD about it...
I don't know about the white blood cells, but that's not a TON low.
My WBC is a ton lower than that. Usually 2.5 or 3.0 if I get lucky.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
I'm not a doctor but maybe I can help(make use of my lab/diagnostic test book). The test you had was a WBC differential right? It looks like it.
Your WBC decrease is most likely from antibiotic therapy (assuming that you are on a heavy dose of antibiotics like most on this site)but it can also be from viral infections, anemia, or rheumatoid arthritis.
An increase in monocytes is usually an indicator of viral or parasitic disease or rheumatoid arthritis.
Overall, your changes PROBABLY reflect the presence of lyme and the coinfections and your attempt to treat with antibiotics, etc.
And your numbers did not change that much over the past 3mo. Remember that these values are just a quick picture, if you were to retest now they would be a little different too.
Hope this helps, as always if you are concerned about anything call you should feel free to call your doc. That is what you pay him/her for. Make them earn their money!
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
The high monocytes are consistent with Lyme disease. The LLMD Dr. HS, a good guy (I met him in passing at the first TOFU), writes on this page the following:
One word in parting, chronic disseminated Borreliosis often causes a persistent blood picture of 8-12 % circulating monocytosis (an increased amount) which looks just like mononucleosis.
Paul Duray 20 years ago described in his writings that Lyme Disease masquerades as mono.
Monocytes have the duty of eating large microbes such as Borrelia and arise from stimulating stem cells in the marrow.
Unfortunately for us, Borrelia can coil and live in the monocytes without being destroyed. Kind of like the enemy's aircraft sharing tie down spots on our own aircraft carriers.
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Thanks so much for the thoughtful responses.
Not on ABX. Long story... My LLMD closed his practice within days after my 1st appt. I tried Zithromax for a few days but was unable to tolerate even a small dose. Because of this (no LLMDs within 100's of miles) and my advancing age (63), I decided to go with alternatives.
Other readings which are still in ref. range:
Lymph% +44% to 31.0 in 3 months. Gran# -49% to 2.0 in 3 months.
Maybe the cat's claw, etc., are stimulating the immune system?
Also, thanks for letting me know that 4.0 wbc is not an unusual reading for TBDs.
Don't know what I would do without the people and resources avaiable here.
Posts: 175 | From Colorado | Registered: Feb 2007
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
We have had a couple of people without financial resources at all who were too proud to ask to be treated for free by LLMDs locally- one those people who had lyme-induced muscular dystrophy self-treated from our local feed store with animal antibiotics. She just told the person she had a goat that weighed exactly as much as she did and bought it that way. It has always been my last-ditch plan for World LLMD Apocalypse (a hopefully nerver-come-to-pass scenario in which all LLMDs have been wiped off hte face of the earth by medical boards)!!!!
Just in case alternatives aren't enough- Best wishes, Sarah
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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