How long For WBC to return to Normal?

Each_day_2018

I finished Chemo at the end of March and subsequently did 30 treatments of radiation. I went back for blood work and my WBC are still really low. I would have thought by now they'd be closer to normal. How long does it generally take for them to go back up?

CBK

Good question and not sure there is an exact answer I’m over a year and a half out and mine is still really low and bounces all around.

I actually went to a hematologist when my MO dismisses this, and he did a bunch of bloodwork to make sure nothing else was going on! Extensive bloodwork came back normal.

Hematologist said it can bounce around for your lifetime after chemo and if I’m not symptomatic no reason to worry. I have not had a cold or flu since chemo. If you were having recurrent infections I was told then it’s somethng to worry about .

WC3

I'm about 9 months PFC. My WBCs hit the low end of normal about a month and a half ago and then dropped again after my exchange surgery.

CBK

WC3

Interesting ...maybe why mine is still so low; 5 surgeries in less than 2 years . 🤔

Jsniffs

I'm not exactly sure how long it took to fully bounce back, but I will share that I had moxibustion done during chemo, and that actually caused some of my wbc counts to increase after the downward trend caused by chemo. It prevented me from having to delay chemo, so I always thought it was amazing. Acupuncture might work as well, since it can use the same points. You might want to investigate to see if it might work for you.

Each_day_2018

Thanks for your input! I was just really curious! I have not been sick at all, but with the counts being low if that indicated anything to be concerned about. Now that I am done with chemo and rads, I am terrified of anything being wrong!

IAmElaine

I am over 15 years out and my WBC never recovered. It is always very low but I am never sick. My onc is also a hematologist and he said this is my new normal. The WBC doesn't bounce around at all. All of my other counts are squarely in the middle of the normal range. Go figure.......