Test Results concern me. Can you intrepret?

Hi guys:

Here's the results of my monthly CBC.  It looks like the red and white cells are down. What does this mean?

White Blood Cells are 3.3 L.  Normal is  3.8 to 10.8
Red Blood Cells are 3.42L.    Normal is  3.80 to 5.10

My MCV (whatever that is) is 102.2H    Normal is 60-100
My MCB (whatever that is) is   35.2H   Normal is 27-33

Thank you in advance!!

Love U's

I'll be waiting

[FlGuy]

take some of those three-letter abbreviations and find their meanings here:

http://www.labtestsonline.org/

[nygirl7]

Kelle

The ones you really want to look at and worry about are your hemoglobin (HGB) your absolute neutrophils and hum what esle your TSH (which won't be on every CBC it's your thyroid and gets done somewhere around 24 or so I think).

It takes a while to learn them all (and I still don't even know after 3+ years what the MCV and stuff does) but for the anemia look to the hemo and for the low whites look to your neuts.  Those are things you can do something about so it's important to keep those in mind.

deb

[CockSparrow]

If you are on treatment this is normal
Your whites are low because of the Interferon. IFN supresses the production of White Blood Cells
Your Reds are low because of Ribavirin. RBV destroys Red blood Cells
Your MCV is high because your reds are low. You have large numbers of newly created red cells. In other words you have signs of Anemia.

If you are not on Tx then you are probably Sick and have some form of anemia.
But you havent provided enough information to be certain. That and i am no Dr.

CS

[HelloKelle]

Okay, well, that website was kind of confusing so I googled MCV. Mine is high, wickopedia says tha a high MCV indicated B12 deficiency and/or chronic disease (duh)

Cant find anything for MCB at all.

Still woud like an answer from someone who knows about red and white blood cell counts. I did save that website, however. Thank you.

[FoieGras]

1. CockSparrow's post is right on. Normal for treatment; if you're not on treatment you need to be on some kind of treatment!

2. It's MCH(Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin), not MCB.

[HelloKelle]

Yes, I'm on tx. I'm at the end of my fifth month. I guess I'd better read up on Anemeia. I don't even know what it is or what it does to ya. God knows, I'm having enough problems already!

[HelloKelle]

My HGB is 12.0 (in range! yeay!)
My Neuts is 1729 (in range!)

TSH is not on there.

To Foie - Thanks for the correction. My doctor faxed me a copy of the results and they're not very clear. No wonder I couldn't find it!! haah.

Should I get checked for Anemia? B12 deficiency? Does anyone have either of these two things? What happens to you? Wht do you feel like?  (Pls excuse my typing, I don't care about mistakes today)

[nygirl7]

Your hemo level says that you don't need to worry about the anemia quite yet.  You will know when it comes (and thats a big IF it comes).  IF your hemo number gets under 10 the doc will start you on Epogen (Procrit). Talk to him now and ask him if that is his normal protocol. Some doctors don't do it - the stuff is like magic and it helps but it takes a couple of weeks to work.

If you get really anemic you'll know - you will be out of breathe all of the time, perhaps a cough, perhaps hear a ringing in your head buzzz buzzzzz constantly, have trouble just having the energy to walk a few feet.  I kept fainting - I had NO idea what it felt like inside your head until it happened to me and it was dreadful (but I had a very drastic case due to my own stupidity of taking WAY too much ribavirin!)  Unfortunately, it's a problem that we get on treatment but it DOES have a cure - so ask the doctor now.  Google up "hemolytic anemia" that is what you are interested in. Your blood doesn't carry enough oxygen around so it feels like you are on the top of the highest mountain in the world and every single movement is so difficult to manage!

If you get down to about 10..well you'll know it. But you want to stay on top of your hemo level now so you see it coming. Like I said the meds work magic but they can take from 2 - 6 weeks to have time to work.

I've been off treatment for about 18 months now and my hemo STILL is only at 12......I remember the good ole days when it was up at 15 - ah those are the memories ;)

(I did mean to say your ANC not your neuts before.........I had mostly red blood problems personally and I sometimes still have brain fog (it's just a good excuse for stupid mistakes that I STILL make!!!!! ;)

Good luck!

[FoieGras]

1. You do not have anemia: a HGB level of 12 is normal or very close to it. Anemia is a state which is defined by low HGB - everyone who has HGB below the lower limit of normal is anemic. It can come from many different causes: blood loss, iron deficiency, B12 Deficiency, congenital problems like sickle cell.
The causes all fall into two big categories: decreased production and increased destruction. You and I have the latter mechanism operating: when you take your Ribavirin, it gets pumped into red blood cells and causes the cell to pop, freeing the hemoglobin in the cell which then gets reabsorbed or peed out.

2. If you eat meat, you are unlikely to be B12 deficient.If you have never been B12 deficient before - and severe B12 deficiency is not subtle - you are unlikely to be B12 deficient. And why give yourself Hep C, borderline hemolytic anemia, AND B12 deficiency? If you are keen you can always get B12 measured at your doctor's but better you save your blood!