Aa
slightly low wbc and slightly low rbc all of a sudden
I am a 50 year old woman who is in menopause currently. I am very fit and workout everyday except recently when i exert myself I have been getting a dizzy/double vision but it goes away when on flat surface. Recently I had a physical and my labs came back with a slightly low rbc 3.8 and a slightly low wbc at 3.3. Everything else seems normal. Hgb 11.6, hct 33.6. I have always had normal blood counts and this is really worrying me. Doctor told me to take multivitamin and recheck in 3 weeks. I worry so much about cancer. I am very stressed as I have a disabled 15 year old daughter who had major surgery in February and still recovering. Can stress do this and/or menopause. My menopause has been very bad as far as feelings of doom and gloom, anxiety and very depressed. I take Xanax lately daily for my anxiety and am on Lexapro. Any thoughts?
You're welcome. if you feel like it write to me when you've done more tests and let me know!
another thing you could have been exposed to working around the house are bugs.
ticks, louse, fleas can transmit infections of the central nervous system and cause Leucopenia (low wbc)
another thing you could have been exposed to working around the house are bugs.
ticks, louse, fleas can transmit infections of the central nervous system and cause Leucopenia (low wbc)
I take Lexapro mainly for my anxiety and stay away from the Xanax but lately with my post menopause and 15-year-old daughter with CP and post-surgery, I've been to say the least overwhelmed and anxiety really bad. Went to GYN today as I haven't gone to one in years as I go to PCP for pap smear and thought it would be wise to have her check me in case of ovarian cysts or anything like that, everything normal on that end. She actually suggested going up on the Lexapro after all these years because menopause can make my GAD worse and down mood will get better. Oh to get old! Okay now that you told me to worry, I will, HA!. Today BP a little better 106/60 at GYN appt. Going to see a therapist finally for some talk therapy referred from GYN as I've got a lot on my plate, don't want to use this forum to get into that. Thanks for all your help or at least advice, like you said it will just be a wait and see thing and in the meantime I'm hoping I can subconsciously get this off of my mind and enjoy as it's out of my control.
You're welcome!
You are right to worry, your situation needs to be checked. also your HGB and HCT tend to be low. although there is no urgency and anyways it will take a few more months to find out if the problem is chronic, it will be inevitable to wait!
your blood pressure values may not fall under the definition of Hypotension schematically but it did go down relatively to your old values and probably it's giving you dizziness and double vision.
Do you have blood tests older than a month? what was the ESR value on your latest ones? 2 years ago I had high ESR , low Hcb and Hct due to a "mysterious" infection that was giving me almost no symptoms. I checked again almost a year after and those values had gone back to normal.
Lexapro cannot alter your blood count. I suggest to you to throw away the Xanax, benzodiazepines are dangerous and get you addicted. they work on anxiety in the short term but in the long term they are counterproductive.
There is a lot you can do to work on your anxiety without the use of drugs, that you probably haven't even noticed. Get informed enough to have the situation under control. unjustified fear and indecision will increment your anxiety. Socialize more, do not get isolated, avoid contrasts and judgment on people, try to be inside a community, even religious. also sharing your problems on Medhelp will have helped your anxiety eventually.
You are right to worry, your situation needs to be checked. also your HGB and HCT tend to be low. although there is no urgency and anyways it will take a few more months to find out if the problem is chronic, it will be inevitable to wait!
your blood pressure values may not fall under the definition of Hypotension schematically but it did go down relatively to your old values and probably it's giving you dizziness and double vision.
Do you have blood tests older than a month? what was the ESR value on your latest ones? 2 years ago I had high ESR , low Hcb and Hct due to a "mysterious" infection that was giving me almost no symptoms. I checked again almost a year after and those values had gone back to normal.
Lexapro cannot alter your blood count. I suggest to you to throw away the Xanax, benzodiazepines are dangerous and get you addicted. they work on anxiety in the short term but in the long term they are counterproductive.
There is a lot you can do to work on your anxiety without the use of drugs, that you probably haven't even noticed. Get informed enough to have the situation under control. unjustified fear and indecision will increment your anxiety. Socialize more, do not get isolated, avoid contrasts and judgment on people, try to be inside a community, even religious. also sharing your problems on Medhelp will have helped your anxiety eventually.
No wbc was not normal a month ago, slightly low. When I read values for hypotension it doesn't seem my values would put me in that category. I am just thinking how much I've been doing with sanding down a whole deck of old paint and mold in April and it seems all of this started happening around that time and I never wore a mask and was very, very dusty, had it all over me for days. It's the only thing I have done different. I've been on Lexapro for years also just so you know. Okay, I will calm down and stop worrying. I'm just not someone who ever has an abnormal blood count and was hoping it was all this menopause stuff going on. Running a 5K this Sunday, will be interesting to see if I get this blurred vision being on the vitamins. The more info I get, the more confused I am getting so I will just wait it out and relax a bit. Thank you.
when I said the Romberg I was thinking of a chronic condition in your eyes I hadn't noticed it only happened to you on exert!
so you did full blood count one month ago and again in the past days? do you have anything older than that? like 6 months or a year?
anyway the WBC were normal 1 month ago?
Probably the Doctors want to give you vitamins because they suspect B12 deficiency , I read that it can cause Neutropenia, Anemia and low platelets.
Vitamin deficiency are rare and severe conditions though, which normally don't happen if you follow a normal diet. it is also caused by bad absorption of B12, for different reasons.
B12 apparently can also give orthostatic hypotension. although like I said it is a severe condition, you should have a lot more going on and be a lot more fatigued.
I understand that you are anxious but taking another blood test so soon won't be very helpful, you need to be patient and wait a couple of months at least! do Hematolgy, Serology, Liver function, kidneys, complements system.
low blood cells can also be due to a problem in the bone marrow which can also be caused by chemical poisoning actually, benzene for example or radiation.
more realistically a auto-immune disorder, your own immune system attacking the bone marrow.
that's why you need to wait and see if the condition is chronic then you have to check bone marrow, infections, antibodies, liver diseases, B12 deficiency.
I guess that Hypotension and low blood cells are connected somehow but it's difficult to tell how. Hypotension for example can be caused by a neurological problem in the brain/spinal cord which again can be caused by a auto-immune reaction of some sort.
Hypotension could also be the reason for dizziness "The cardinal symptom of hypotension is lightheadedness or dizziness."
mold, bacteria, and viruses are three different things!
maybe you only remember working around the house but there was something else? do you remember going anywhere in particular, a unusual headache or diarrhea just before the symptoms started?
so you did full blood count one month ago and again in the past days? do you have anything older than that? like 6 months or a year?
anyway the WBC were normal 1 month ago?
Probably the Doctors want to give you vitamins because they suspect B12 deficiency , I read that it can cause Neutropenia, Anemia and low platelets.
Vitamin deficiency are rare and severe conditions though, which normally don't happen if you follow a normal diet. it is also caused by bad absorption of B12, for different reasons.
B12 apparently can also give orthostatic hypotension. although like I said it is a severe condition, you should have a lot more going on and be a lot more fatigued.
I understand that you are anxious but taking another blood test so soon won't be very helpful, you need to be patient and wait a couple of months at least! do Hematolgy, Serology, Liver function, kidneys, complements system.
low blood cells can also be due to a problem in the bone marrow which can also be caused by chemical poisoning actually, benzene for example or radiation.
more realistically a auto-immune disorder, your own immune system attacking the bone marrow.
that's why you need to wait and see if the condition is chronic then you have to check bone marrow, infections, antibodies, liver diseases, B12 deficiency.
I guess that Hypotension and low blood cells are connected somehow but it's difficult to tell how. Hypotension for example can be caused by a neurological problem in the brain/spinal cord which again can be caused by a auto-immune reaction of some sort.
Hypotension could also be the reason for dizziness "The cardinal symptom of hypotension is lightheadedness or dizziness."
mold, bacteria, and viruses are three different things!
maybe you only remember working around the house but there was something else? do you remember going anywhere in particular, a unusual headache or diarrhea just before the symptoms started?
Its weird because my BP is usually around 110/80, 109/70 and lately it's been 98/58 and I asked doctor about it at physical. Very unusual for me to be under 100s. BTW, I did Romberg test, I am fine on that end. I still do not understand why then I have to wait 3 weeks to do lab work. I feel this is BS as I do not feel it is a vitamin deficiency. I have been doing ALOT of work sanding down mold on pine in my screen in porch, wonder if that has anything to do with a viral bacterial infection and coincidentally this all I started about 2 months ago when dizziness started.
chemical poisoning is a real danger but it doesn't work like that. molds and bacteria are something you can come in contact with while doing renovation works.
I hadn't noticed that you get double vision only when you exert right? maybe it has to do with blood pressure, do you check it regularly?
I hadn't noticed that you get double vision only when you exert right? maybe it has to do with blood pressure, do you check it regularly?
I had blood work taken a month ago and the rbc was noticed then to be slightly low. Need to look for that blood work and see if it has gotten worse in a month. Wow, you are a lot of information. Weird that it can be viral when I've had absolutely no symptoms. Can being around a toxin like paint do something as I have been painting a lot outside and inside and sanding polyurethane outside, wondering if being exposed to chemicals can do something to your immune system. Hope these questions aren't dumb. Thank you.
is the double vision vertical or horizontal? do you see objects one on top of the other or "doubled" left-right ?
you could have a viral infection without typical "flu-like" symptoms, definitely. you'd expect to have at least fatigue, sleepiness, a bit of unusual "allergy-like symptoms" in the nose.
WBC tested in common blood tests usually are Neutrophil, Lymphocites, Monocytes. that's why I asked the specifics. I'm not an expert either...
Neutrophil 42.8% of total WBC are low, if I'm not wrong... I checked on Wiki...
Neutrophil are the most numerous WBC and they are the "first line" against viral and bacterial infections.
Low neutrophils can be temporary or chronic condition. when temporary it is probably caused by the acute phase of an infection, your bone marrow still hadn't caught up with it and produced extra neutrophils.
acute or chronic it is called Neutropenia
""Transient neutropenia often accompanies viral infections (eg, early-stage infectious mononucleosis), and sepsis is a particularly serious cause of neutropenia. Neutropenia associated with common childhood viral diseases occurs during the first 1 to 2 days of illness and may persist for 3 to 8 days. It usually corresponds to a period of acute viremia and is related to virus-induced redistribution of neutrophils from the circulating to the marginal pool. Neutrophil sequestration may occur after viral tissue damage. Moderate to severe neutropenia may also be associated with a wide variety of other infections "
Now when exactly did you take the blood tests and when did you start having the symptoms? do you have older blood tests how old and were they OK?
rbc and neutrophis are low and platelets also tend to be low. you need to control this situation again to determine if it's a chronic condition or rather caused by something "stressing" the organism, it could be an infection or something else. repeat the blood tests after 3-4 months if the neutrophils are back to normal most likely you came into contact with an infection.
if it seemed to be a chronic condition you need to take everything to a specialist, Hematologist, maybe Immunologist.
WBC tested in common blood tests usually are Neutrophil, Lymphocites, Monocytes. that's why I asked the specifics. I'm not an expert either...
Neutrophil 42.8% of total WBC are low, if I'm not wrong... I checked on Wiki...
Neutrophil are the most numerous WBC and they are the "first line" against viral and bacterial infections.
Low neutrophils can be temporary or chronic condition. when temporary it is probably caused by the acute phase of an infection, your bone marrow still hadn't caught up with it and produced extra neutrophils.
acute or chronic it is called Neutropenia
""Transient neutropenia often accompanies viral infections (eg, early-stage infectious mononucleosis), and sepsis is a particularly serious cause of neutropenia. Neutropenia associated with common childhood viral diseases occurs during the first 1 to 2 days of illness and may persist for 3 to 8 days. It usually corresponds to a period of acute viremia and is related to virus-induced redistribution of neutrophils from the circulating to the marginal pool. Neutrophil sequestration may occur after viral tissue damage. Moderate to severe neutropenia may also be associated with a wide variety of other infections "
Now when exactly did you take the blood tests and when did you start having the symptoms? do you have older blood tests how old and were they OK?
rbc and neutrophis are low and platelets also tend to be low. you need to control this situation again to determine if it's a chronic condition or rather caused by something "stressing" the organism, it could be an infection or something else. repeat the blood tests after 3-4 months if the neutrophils are back to normal most likely you came into contact with an infection.
if it seemed to be a chronic condition you need to take everything to a specialist, Hematologist, maybe Immunologist.
btw, would I know if I had a viral infection or can you have one and not know it. I've been feeling fine, just a little tired.
Yes I do get double vision or what you are calling diplopia when I exert myself. Why are they telling me to take vitamins then if it isn't going to help? I am a very healthy person, eat what I am supposed to. My platelets are 148, is that low? as range is 140-440. Neutrophil relative 42.8, neutrophil absolute 1.3. Everything else is in range. Not sure what you mean by which wbc. It is just a total white blood count. I had lipid, folate, albumin, iron, ferrite, TSH, Lyme, Burgdorferi blot, vitamin D all within range. Just talked to nurse and she said not to worry. I am a worry wart. Thanks for responding.
there is absolutely no reason to believe that your problem had anything to do with cancer!
and no, stress, menopause or xanax can't cause any of that either...
low rbc and wbc are both compatible with an infection. possibly viral, it's difficult if not impossible to tell. which type of wbc are low? are platelets normal?
what other tests did you take? liver enzymes? serology? do you have other symptoms?
take the vitamins they won't help but won't do any harm either.
feeling dizzy is compatible with low rbc but I don't think it's your case because they are not that low.
do you get vertical or horizontal diplopia? (double vision)
the fact that it goes away when on a flat surface may give a hint,
try to do a simple test, the Romberg's test, look it up on Youtube to know how to do it it takes a minute!
and no, stress, menopause or xanax can't cause any of that either...
low rbc and wbc are both compatible with an infection. possibly viral, it's difficult if not impossible to tell. which type of wbc are low? are platelets normal?
what other tests did you take? liver enzymes? serology? do you have other symptoms?
take the vitamins they won't help but won't do any harm either.
feeling dizzy is compatible with low rbc but I don't think it's your case because they are not that low.
do you get vertical or horizontal diplopia? (double vision)
the fact that it goes away when on a flat surface may give a hint,
try to do a simple test, the Romberg's test, look it up on Youtube to know how to do it it takes a minute!
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