low red blood count six months after chemo

kathleen1966

Hello everyone,

It's been nearly six months since my last chemo and about four months since my last radiation.  I became anemic towards the end of my chemo treatments.  My red blood cell counts and other counts related to it are still marked with an L for low next to them.  They are not dangerously low, just low.  My oncologist is not concerned and considers this low normal I suppose (numbers are below the normal range though).  When I called the nurse today, she said these counts may go up slightly or never go up and there is really nothing I can eat or do to help. She says this sometimes happens after chemo and radiation.  I had no idea.  I have two young children. I know my counts are not low enough to need a blood transfusion but I AM tired often.  I have been anemic in the past.  I just find this unacceptable. Has anyone else had a similar situation?  Today, I made an appointment with a natural Health and Wellness Nutritionist. I am hoping a more natural approach will help and I desperately need to talk to someone about nutrition and health anyway.  I need to lose weight.  Anyway, I just can't believe that the oncologist nurse would just say this could be a permanent side effect and that there is nothing to be done to help....Really?  Anemic for life? NO B-12 shots, no advice on vitamins, no liver or red  meat consumption...none will help? thanks.... I am going to post this on the natural thread...I hope they don't kill me with words over there...

sanbar8771

Hello, the exact same thing happened to me as well.At 6 months post chemo I had about a month of low counts. The next month I had my blood checked and every thing was going back up. It took about 3 months for everything to become normal again. My onc says that it is normal for our bodies to have fluxuation in the counts. I hope this helps. Oh I also did some acupuncture. Julie

MEG54

Hi, Kathleen:

 I have had the same problem with low counts after chemo/radiation...mildly anemic...

My regular doc ordered a colonoscopy and an endoscopy, to be sure that I wasn't bleeding from somewhere else,  (wasnt') and the oncologist has me on an iron supplement: Integra, which I take every day. When I take it as directed my counts are normal...