my Bone marrow shuting down

[nency]

I am so depressed these days, my hemotoligyst said that interferon causes my bone marrow shut dawn, wbc 3?! In one week after Tx everything changed! I am sick as a dog and do not know  anymore what is going to kill me first hep C or Tx. I am about to stop tx myself, I feel that I am dying at 30 y.o. Please help .....

[alagirl]

Does your hematologist see a lot of hepc patients?  Just curious because that's the same thing my hematologist said could happen with interferon but he sees primarily oncology patients and only three hepc patients.  My wbc is 2.3.  I am not being withdrawn from treatment.  Also, your hematologist can, as mine did, pull blood and measure many things, like your T cells for one, to see if it really is a bone marrow issue.  Mine is not.  Just a side effect from the meds.

[jmjm530]

Like the Alagal suggested, part of your hematologist's response could be that they see a limited number of Hepatitis C patients. My WBC was under 3 for much of treatment, and the really important number isn't WBC anyway, it's the WBC fraction called
ANC (absolute neutrophils). Do you see absolute neutrophils on your test results? How is your hemoglobin doing?

None of us are doctors here, but if you want help in terms of our own experiences, you'll probably get better responses if you take the time and fill in your profile with information such as age, weight, genotype, amount of liver damage, pre-tx viral load, drugs, doses, viral response to tx, hemoglobin (pre and during tx), ANC, etc, etc. Of course, at this point probably don't feel like doing any of that and I don't blame you, but just a thought when and if you're up to it.

Lastly, how much experience does your tx doc have treating hep c? Is he a hepatologist (liver specialist) or GI? What does he say about your blood work? If your tx doctor is putting everything on the hematologist, you may want to seek out a liver specialist for at least a one time consult, just to check on what's going on.

Be well,

-- Jim

[alagirl]

I also wanted to throw out there that they can do a bone marrow assay if they need to.  It's a little uncomfortable but nothing excruciating (I've had two of them, the second with no anesthesia whatsoever).  

Lastly though, don't panic.  You're still good.  There's a difference between feeling like you're dying and actually dying (although qualitatively it may not SEEM like much of a difference sometimes). ;)
But know that you aren't alone in this.  Many of us have gone through and are going through the same symptoms you are and we are happy to talk to you.

[sfwandwow]

heck i ache allteh time fromthe wbc meds.. they said it messes with my bone marrow

[Tallahassee]

Neupogen is used for WBC.  Even with Neupogen shots I had WBCs as low as ~1.4k & 30k ANC.
You need to consult a Hematologist ASAP.

All the best!