Low white blood count

[jecoll]

Hi all!

While searching the web for some answers, I came across this site. You all seem really helpful and informative, so I wanted to see if I could bounce something off of you guys.

I had laparoscopic ileosectomy (removed about a foot of my small bowel, and reattached it to the colon) due to Crohn's on April 15th. I am very happy with the decision to go ahead with elective surgery. The pain has stopped completely and I'm gaining back some weight ...I'm still having some loose bowel movements, but overall I'm feeling so much better.

Anyway, after some follow-up appointments with my specialist and surgeon, everything seems to be going pretty well except for some low blood counts (white and red). Now between a couple of weeks time, my red has gone from 22 to 28, but my white has been hovering around 3.

So my main question is this: is this low blood count normal for post-surgery?

My medication history is a little wacky. I was on Remicade from Sep 2007 to Sep 2008. I stopped it because I felt it was losing its effectiveness, and went back to just Asacol. Eventually, I ended up going on 6-MP starting in Jan 2009 but it didn't seem to be doing anything. All this bouncing between medications and worsening symptoms started getting a little frustrating, so I went to see another specialist. He said to stop the 6-MP and said my main choices were to try Remicade/Humira again, or go for surgery (we know what decision I came to).

So anyone who has been on 6-MP knows that it lowers the white blood count. But I've been off of it for a couple of months now, and now I'm being sent to a hematologist to get it checked out. This has obviously got me all worked up now, because I'm basically getting screened for cancer ...and of course, the information I've read about Remicade tells me that it has been known to cause lymphoma (which lowers the white blood count)! Oh boy...

So my other question is: how long does it take for this 6-MP to get out of my system? Could that still be the culprit for the low white blood count? And does the 6-MP combined with the surgery naturally just make for a lower blood count?

Sorry for all the questions and rambling ..but I kind of needed to let it all come out, and this seemed like a great place for that :tongue:

 

[GoJohnnyGo]

Hi jecoll

Glad to have you here. I can't answer your questions but I encourage you to hang out in hopes they do.

We all have very specific issues. Hope you understand.

 

[Colt]

In any surgery you lose blood. That means all types of blood cells are spilling out, not just white. But, generally after surgery people's white count comes back up quite rapidly, especially with the aid of your body trying to fend off post-operative infections.

The 6-MP will reduce both white and red cells and can explain your slow recovery. It can also damage bone marrow, especially if you also have a TPMT enzyme deficiency (and your doctor should have tested you as soon as you showed any low blood count, if not before ever putting you on 6-MP). If your have damaged bone marrow you will not be able to replace that blood lost during surgery at a normal rate.

The damage should repair itself after being off the drug for a while. How long depends on how bad the damage is.

Remicade has not been linked with any form of cancer. It is simply similar to other drugs that have been, and even with those it's rare. It may eventually be linked, but at this point it's a guilt by association.

 

[SpoonNinja]

hmm..im not sure but i had real low white cell count for a long time like from when i was born to age 7 when they found i had reflux of the kidney (thats where the tube going from your kidney to your bladder isnt long enugh and they put a lil piece of tube in to connect it) which its probally not that but it still may have something to do with your kidneys, im not sure what all thoes meds can effect so you may wanna check that out.

 

[jecoll]

Thanks for the words all. And Colt: thanks for the info. Some of what I've read and gathered just from my experience with this condition and the medications have kind of led me to the same conclusions.

I failed to mention in my first post that previous to Remicade, I was on 6-MP for a longer period of time (closer to a year). I wasn't aware of the link between bone marrow, white blood cell count, and 6-MP ...so that's definitely interesting to hear. I'm beginning to think that the time I was on 6-MP really did a number to my system.

So we'll see. And thanks again :smile: