Will stopping MTX help my low white blood cell count it is 3.3.

[starfire]

I have low ABSOLUTE LYMPHOCYTES and white blood cell count was recovering from a virus at time my blood was taken Doctor not very worried but I am. Have any of you stopped medicine and did your blood count go back up?

[Matilda7]

If the doctor isn't worried then that sounds very reassuring!

It's always a balancing act and if you had enough white cells to recover well from the virus then that also sounds good.

How are your joints? Are they good too? If not might be best not to stop medicine. What are you on?

[starfire in reply to Matilda7]

Thanks for your reply! My joints are doing good at this time my daughter a nurse practitioner says even though I feel good RA can still be active and harm other organs like my heart. So I guess I will stay on MTX and live with low blood count. From reading on this board it sounds like many peoples blood count can be low. I just like it when they are all normal.

[Matilda7 in reply to starfire]

Next time you see the doctor you might be able to reduce the MTX, rather than stopping it completely.....what are your CRP and ESR like?

Great that you're feeling well! Long may it continue!!

[BoneyC]

They tend not to worry about lymphocytes, only neutrophils.

[jeremy76charnwood]

Hi, I stopped Methotrexate as my white cells were very low and after several months my white count is now normal. I also went on a gluten free diet which also helps with the RA and when I get a bad flare up I just take Ibuprofen which calms it down.

[Karen77]

I don't like playing with my meds (i.e. arbitrarily stopping & restarting). Often, my WBCs will go down with introduction of a new medication or change in dose. It usually rises again after a month. My WBCs are often on the low end (3.7-3.9) but my GP doesn't even worry now when it's 3.2 because she knows it's usually low like that and likely related to my meds. My rheumy doctor is not used to "my" normal and keeps recommending I stop one of my meds arbitrarily for 2 weeks & then re-start (which I know will only ensure that my WBC stays low), so I need to have a discussion with him... Anyway, like it was already said, they really only care if your neutrophils are low. My suggestion would be to relax, keep taking your meds, and see where things sit with your next lab work. Good luck to you.

[chockers]

No they offton go up and down

Summer I was low 3.5 today 5.5 haven't stopped mtx