ANC drop. Again. (or ) Life Sucks then it Sucks More. /Att:: Goofy

[jmjm530]

The problem with frequent labs seems to be frequent bad news. I thought my ANC had bounced back, but this week it bounced the other way to 472 with WBC at 1.4. My increased Procrit also seems a little slow on the draw and remains in the low 12's in spite of two weeks of increased Procrit.

Goofy...was it you that mentioned your doctor doesn't intervene with Neupogen until ANC is below 400?  Really not thrilled about injecting any more drugs into my system. Also wondering if anyone else had similar problems mid-treatment with decreasing ANC. My NP led me to believe that it doesn't happen that often later in treatment and they rarely use the stuff. I guess they might have to dust off a few vials. :)

-- Jim

[GoofyDad]

Thanks for your concern. It depends on which way the wind is blowing. The 'expert' who re-read my biospy overrode the pathologist's diagnosis. In summary he wrote: The slides reviewed support a diagnosis of advanced fibrosis. True cirrhosis is not indicated due to the observation of {some kind of central veins}.

Yet, they seem to be treating me more agressively and the nurse says my reactions to treatment are suggestive of cirrhosis.

According to the Pugh scale I seem to be in about the same shape as my healthy 6 year old.

[v eggie dip]

do you know h ow long you had HCV?

[tina-b]

google "toxic levels ferritin" click the first link that pops up.

This is the link to copy and paset

http://www.mercola.com/2003/apr/2/iron.htm

I hope I don't get in trouble for that.


"Yet, they seem to be treating me more agressively and the nurse says my reactions to treatment are suggestive of cirrhosis."

What the devil does that mean? "my reactions to treatment are suggestive of cirrhosis" How are you reacting to tx?

[tina-b]

Thanks for the link, when I get time I will read it all.

[cougareyes]

I didn't see if you posted your diag of your iron stain on your biopsy. Most consider very high ferritin levels anything over 1000. Yet many say that through diet it would be vey unlikely that you would get such high readings, unless it is genetics. And cirrhosis, hcv does play a role; but if it wasn't there at your biopsy; I would be very curious to see how it got so high this early in treatment. There is a form of genetic homochr*****(don't know how to spell it)high ferritin levels. Also some forms of anemia will cause ferritin to rise(to a high level). Not sure where you are on that side of your blood, but it might be something to look at.   Good Luck

[GoofyDad]

Veg - Non-a non-b jaundice episode in 1980-81 would appear to be the onset.

Tina - Thanks for the link. I'll read it whan I have a moment.  ANC, WBC, plateletes, RBC, hgb all dropped like lead balloons.

Coug - It looks like iron stain may not have been completed at bx. See my earlier rant on that, or better yet, don't. Iron studies were normal 12/04. Assumption is that high ferritin is a byproduct of riba induced anemia. Riba literature apparently warns of false ferritin readings. At time of ferritin reading, hgb had dropped 4 pts in 3 weeks.