Low white blood cell count

[Missmimi]

Hi I'm new to this group... plz help me.

So I was feeling very tired, so tired that I felt like I could sleep forever and never wake up. I decided to take a trip to my local GP as I had a cold that wasn't healing even after two course of antibiotics. My GP did a blood test and it's turn up I have a LOW WHITE BLOOD CELLS COUNT. I'm so scare and terrified as I keep Googling it and it keeps taking me to Lukemia. Somebody please give me the light... has anyone else had this before? I have to do another test next Month. What should I expect?

[rosetrees]

You might find more help if you join a leukaemia group. This is a thyroid group. Do you have thyroid problems as well?

[Missmimi in reply to rosetrees]

Why is that? Are you telling me I have leukemia?

[humanbean in reply to Missmimi]

No, rosetrees isn't telling you that you have leukemia. You mentioned that you keep finding references to Leukemia and it worries you. If you want help and information on that subject you would be better off talking to people who know about leukemia. This is a thyroid forum not a leukemia forum.

[Missmimi in reply to humanbean]

Oh, ok thank you 😉

And SORRY Rose 😘

[Cariad-y-Mor]

Hi Missmimi - Welcome to this wonderful forum. I am sorry to hear you are having a rough time at the moment. I am not a doctor but I do know from a family experience that a low white blood cell count does not always mean leukaemia. A 4 year old relative had low white blood count.....which came about a month after she had chicken pox followed by an ear infection. She was given antibiotics for the ear infection......then became poorly and was admitted to hospital with low white blood count. It turned out that the antiobiotics she had been given were not strong enough. ( too low a dose....a preventative dose instead of a treatment dose). It appears that when this happens any infection grows as opposed to clearing up.....hence the low white blood count.

Sorry if this is a bit rambling but trying to reassure you that there can be other explanations for low white blood count. Hopefully your second blood test may throw more light on it. Good luck. ☺☺☺☺☺

[Missmimi in reply to Cariad-y-Mor]

Thanks for replying, yes I had a very bad cough and was on antibiotic 2days just b4 I did the blood test. It's all making sense now. You trully changed my mood. ☺

[Cariad-y-Mor in reply to Missmimi]

Hi me again Missmimi.......I was just wanting to reassure you that there are other explanations for low white blood cell count. Apparently the "underdosing" with antibiotics can cause this. We were told this by the Consultant in the specialist Children's Hospital that my little 4 year old relative was admitted to. I notice one of your other replies to "any other symptoms"....the only other symptoms she had was a very faint red pin-prick type rash on her chest and her legs were weak. Don't know if this of any help.

[Missmimi in reply to Cariad-y-Mor]

Thank again Cariad-y-Mor anything will help me at this point... yes I do have abit of rash on my chest as well, I'm also very exhausted for no reason.

[Cariad-y-Mor in reply to Missmimi]

Missmimi I guess you could always go back to see a GP sooner than a month ( when your next blood test is due).☺

[Missmimi in reply to Cariad-y-Mor]

I'm going back on Monday. Ringers crossed I get a better result.

[Hidden]

For donkey's years I had low and out of range neutrophils etc and were always highlighted by the lab although ignored by GPs. It can indicate an autoimmune disease, amongst other things.

What I did find strange was that having been plagued by sinusitis at least once a year for many years the only thing that would shift it would be antibiotics. Since I've been taking thyroid meds I haven't had one bout of sinusitis.

Be pleased that your GP has actually read a lab report and is doing something. This website is useful:

labtestsonline.org.uk/

[Missmimi in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for your reply... yes I was also diagnosed with sinusitis which is abit weird. What was your symptoms when you had low white blood cells if you don't mind me asking?

[Hidden in reply to Missmimi]

Missmimi - I was always exhausted, a very heavy cold always turned into sinusitis. Interestingly though last year I obtained a copy of all of my medical records (would highly recommend doing this) and discovered that I'd actually been hypothyroid for some 18 years before being formally diagnosed by an NHS Endoknob.

[Missmimi in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, I'm also exhausted... I keep wanting to sleep. I will ask my doctor to do that. Th as nk you for your reply and advice. 😘

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Missmimi Certain medications can actually cause low white blood cell count, and certain antibiotics can. If you had a cold then it was caused by a virus and antibiotics don't work on viruses only bacteria.

Are you on any other medication?

[Missmimi in reply to SeasideSusie]

I had only just finished my sec course of antibiotic 3 days before doing the blood test. So I'm hoping that's reason enough.

[thyr01d]

Hello Missmimi, this isn't a very positive comment but I thought you might like to know that antibiotics don't help clear up a cold, they only help if there is a secondary infection, infection rather than inflammation (eg chest infection/sinus infection etc). Recently I read about some research suggesting that antibiotics might predispose us to becoming hypothyroid, so, even leaving aside the hideous thought of anti-biotic resistance I think we're better off not accepting GPs prescriptions for antibiotics when we don't have an infection. (In horses one grows a culture to match the antibiotic to the bacteria rather than the NHS guesswork).

[Missmimi in reply to thyr01d]

Thank you thyr01d advice taken... I agree 💯💯

[thyr01d in reply to Missmimi]

Thanks for your nice reply Missmimi - I'm sorry I got on my soapbox rather! Nearly wrote "I got on my hatbox"!

[Mumof3]

I had the same when had repeat bloods done . Going to have another blood test next month and see what they say . Try not to look in to it might be an infection. Or yur run down . Trying to remain positive. I have been struggling with symptoms of thyroid problem trembling and palpitations. Any one else had this ?