WBC PROBLEMS

MY 14TH WEEK CBC CAME BACK AND MY WBC CAME BACK AS 2. WHAT CAN I DO TO BRING IT BACK UP? MY INSURACE DOES NOT COVER EOPHUA OR PROCRIT. THERE IS NO WAY I WANT TO QUIT TREATMENT. I HAVE ALREADY BEAT THE VIRUS BUT, I AM A 1A. AND GRADE2 STAGE 2.
I NEED TO KNOW WHAT MY CHANCES ARE FOR GOOD HEALTH OR AM I ALSO GOING TO BE ISOLATED AWAY FROM GERMS? WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST??
THANK YOU MUCH,
DOGGIEPAW

[hph5477]

My WBC is also at 2.0 right now (wk 18 labs).  My doc doesn't get concerned til it drops below 1.5 so I'm not worrying yet b/c I don't think there is anything we can do.  However, my doc also told me that, in most cases, if we make it thru the first 8 wks with our counts in range then usually we will make the entire tx without additional meds needed to bring the counts back up.  Hope that gives you a little encouragement.
...........Good luck.  Glad to hear you have already clr'd the dragon.

[CARUU]

When my WBC went to 1.8 my dosage was dropped to .75% and then to .5% when it dropped to 1.6.  I'm now on the way back up with the WBC and am at .75% dosage.  I hope to be high enough this week to go to 100% on Friday.  I cleared the virus at 12 weeks and just have 4 shots to go.  My doc did not add Neupogen.  I think this is because I'm 2a/140,000 vl and have a good chance of SVR.  I've taken full dose of riba 100% of the time.  I don't know how to compute the 80%/80% rule.  I've take the interferon 100% of the time, but the Pegasys dosage was reduced to .75% 3 times and .5% 3 times.

[CARUU]

Also, I don't believe there is anything we can do to increase the WBC with foods, supplements, etc.

[Ella Mackenzie]

My WBC is at 2.1 and my hematologist isn't concerned yet. He said he would consider neupogen if they get too low. My WBC are always a bit low and I used to get sick quite a bit but I stopped putting my hands anywhere on my face, and surprisingly, this has helped so much. I never touch my mouth or my eyes and wash my hands a lot.
Good luck!

[n2cats15]

I can sympathize with your low WBC count - mone is currently 2.9.  I am hoping that it will stabilizes.  I don't have much to add to what everyone else has said except that I am trying to keep my hands away from my face (next to impossible!) and to wash my hands all the time.  

I wasn't aware that the WBC go down right after the injection.  Is there some info out there about that?  I am curious as I take my injection at 4 A.M. on Thursday mornings and then have my blood draw every other week on Thursday afternoon.  Would it be better if I had the blood draw on Mondays?  

I have also noticed that some people have their blood checked once a month.  My doc has us come in every two weeks.  

Thank you all again for the great info and support!

[Ella Mackenzie]

I am so glad you are still regular. Sorry about the mind-thing. This tx affects us all so differently. I actually haven't felt sad or anxious so far. But today, my body just feels horrible. Tonight is 4/26. The first few weeks were so easy.

[layla]

Just FYI if your interested..On the pegasys membership website under adverse reactions/ impairment of fertility they indicate menstrual cycle impairment in their studies if you care to read it. My problems did not start until the 3rd month on tx and before I was regular as clockwork. The good thing is it says after tx things went back to normal (for a monkey, whatever that is, since the test was on monkeys). LL

[Revenire]

Your WBC will drop the days following the shot and then should rebound a bit. Sometimes a reduction of the peginterferon can bring them back up and sometimes they stabilize on their own. You're not at the danger point now. I'd get tested again in a week or two -- try to have the blood drawn either before the shot or several days afterward. There is always Neupogen but if your insurance doesn't cover it I believe it is quite expensive. Procrit is used when RBCs drop too low, not WBCs.

I would try to stay on full doses of your drugs now, early in treatment.

[Revenire]

re: WBCs drop after the peginterferon shot

I don't have any study or other data to show you but both my doctor and nurse explained it that way. With Pegasys you get the maximum concentration in your bloodstream about 80 hours after the shot; the WBCs drop accordingly.

When I did Neupogen I always did it 2 days AFTER the peg shot just for that very reason.

[n2cats15]

Thanx for responding.  I appreciate the info.

Being the curious thing that I am I called the 1-800 number for pegysus and the nurse  on call for my pharmacy Priority Health.  The nurse at Priority Health said that he didn't have any formal data to back up that info but he had heard that also.  He suggested that I have my blood drawn the day before I inject.

The the nurse from pegysus called to say she had never heard that.  In her opinion it din't really matter when in our blood was tested in relation to the injection!

So based on that I am going to do my own "experiment" and have the blood draw on Weds. before I take the injection on Thursdays.  I'll let you know what the results are.

[Revenire]

Yeah, a few docs have told me the same thing -- WBCs tank a few days after the peg shot.

I would do the Neupogen 2 days before an appt. to have my blood drawn and my WBCs would be through the roof, then 2-3 days after the peg shot down they'd go.

[doggiepaw]

I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL THE INFORMATION. I APPREACIATE IT.
KATHY