WBC SWINGS

[Chewy5]

My husbands WBC has gone from 28 to 47 in less than a week. He has been sick for a few weeks. Could that be why?

Also when he was last checked in July his WBC was 36. Is it normal to fluctuate like that?

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

There are 5 different types of white blood cells reported in the white blood cell differential section of a complete blood exam, plus the lymphocyte count is comprised on B and T lymphocytes. They can all independently vary. Looking at the overall pattern along with other blood tests, e.g. how high his CRP and LDH results are, could provide clues regarding what's making your husband ill. Different counts respond differently to allergies, viruses, bacteria, etc. If you look at just the LDH and lymphocyte counts, that should give a better indication of the degree of involvement of his CLL, but I'm not sure how the suspected HLH will cloud that.

This post is the best example we have of how just lymphocyte counts vary from test to test: healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

I suggest that you should be looking at a second opinion, perhaps via the CLL Society's Expert Access program for US residents, stressing the urgency. See cllsociety.org

Neil