How to increase White Cell Count?

[floored]

I'm about to start on Imuran, and have been told that it will more than likely drop my white cell count - which is a bad thing.
So I thought I'd see if there was anything I could do to increase my count.
So I googled and found something in Yahoo Answers (which, in my experience, is the best way to find the wrong answer), that suggests there's nothing that can be done.
Then, on a cancer support site, I found a whole heap of things that should be avoided (pretty much everything inedible - like expired meat).
The closest thing I found to a list was on a parenting forum:

Some other specific foods to include are garlic, foods high in zinc such as oysters, pot roast, dark meat turkey and pumpkin and squash seeds [...], and shitake mushrooms. [...] Other immune boosting foods are fruits and vegetables. They may not increase her white cell count, but they will make the white cells she has stronger.

The best choices are the deep green and orange ones like spinach and carrots, melon and oranges.

Too much fat, particularly polyunsaturated vegetables oils, adversely effect immune system strength. On the other hand, fish oil can boost it.

So, based on this limited research, the best thing to do would be to eat less fish, (like salmon), and to eat more fish oils (which can be found in oily fish, like salmon).

Any Crohnies have a better knowledge of this that me?

 

[soupdragon69]

Hi Floored,

Welcome to the forum!

The whole point of Azathioprine or Imuran as the brand name is to decrease your white cells. It is an immunosuppressant (suppresses your immune response/system) drug and it decreases a specific white cell called a "T" cell which is involved in inflammatory response. This is why it helps on the Crohn's front. This also means that it interrupts the chain of events that occurs when we have a flare and hopefully prevent the cycle from continuing - hence you get remission.

Your overall white cell count will drop as a result of taking Imuran because it decreases your "T" cells. Does that make sense?

Therefore you dont really want to muck about with trying to increase your white cells. The flip side of taking Imuran or any immunosuppressant is that you are then at increased risk of infection because of the overall drop in white cells. Unfortunately you sometimes end up robbing Peter to pay Paul sorry.

Hope what I have said makes sense and helps.

Ask me if you want me to clarify anything and I will try and rephrase it or give you more info...

 

[floored]

I think I should really pay more attention to what I'm posting.
Imuran is an immunosuppressant, yet I was wanting to know how to increase my immune system. This is clearly not something I want to be doing.
You'd think after living with the disease for a few years I'd be a bit more switched on about the whole thing.
This doesn't appear to be the case.
Thanks Jan.

 

[soupdragon69]

Not a problem. I think it doesnt matter how long we have the disease or how experienced we are we can all get things back to front when trying to get our heads round a new treatment to "us" as individuals.

Its ok when its someone else taking it but when it relates to ourselves things impact a bit more as we try to sort it out and come to terms with another step in treatment or realising what level our IBD is at.

I am on Imuran myself Floored at 200mg a day and had more probs accepting it than I did the remicade I am now on as well. The reason? The Imuran was the first immunosuppressant for me and I use it at work for others in a transplant situation so for me it was about accepting how bad my Crohn's was and the level of treatment needed to try and sort it, also the side effects etc. Whereas by the time they decided I needed Remicade I just accepted straight away because it approaches the problem from another angle and the Imuran wasnt enough for me. This meant I had decided I would accept whatever treatment was recommended because I wanted my life back and some level of quality with it!! I had also realised how much I had adapted over the years and how much my quality of life had deteriorated without knowing it.

Hope the Imuran works well for you - keeping in mind it takes a while to kick in.

Keep posting!

 

[Mazen]

Just make sure to have regular blood tests while on Imuran especially CBC and liver tests. These will show if your WBC go dangerously low, or if you have toxicity of the liver. Good luck.....

 

[Kev]

Mazen makes an excellent point. When my GI started me on Imuran, she only gave me a script for 30 pills, as some prior patients had started on them, then weren't too keen on getting the routine bloodwork done. Anyway, you'll probably require weekly bloodwork to start, then taper off to periodic. but it's crucial to have your bloodwork maintained. Imuran CAN be a real 'life saver', but you have to be on your guard, OK?

 

[soupdragon69]

Yep good point made by both Mazen and Kev. I forgot to mention regular bloods!

 

[Heathcroft]

Hi Floored- I had the same thoughts exactly when I started on Azathioprine (Imuran) last January. And then when my white count fell below 2.9 I had to have weekly blood tests. Like Soupdragon, I also had problems accepting a high dose and had to come back a bit on that. Like you, I initially looked for foods and supplements that would boost my immune system!

The only thing that I can add to what Soupdragon says, is that it's got to be beneficial to add in those good Omega 3 fish oils and so on, just as part of a healthy diet and that's not going to adversely affect the Imuran's action.

So don't drop the good stuff on that front! Eat a well balanced diet if possible. (I cant eat high fibrous vegetables due to strictures but tailor my diet accordingly).

And keep an eye on the white cell levels, they should level out at something on the low end of normal (e.g. 3.0) If they go below say 2 you have problems.

Should you get a sore throat or other minor infection, go to the doctor quickly! Your white count should rise at that stage as your body fights the infection. But don't worry too much.
Hope that helps a bit.