When do WBC recover completely after final chemo?

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indenial
indenial Member Posts: 504

I am so tired of having to slather on hand sanitizer and avoid sick people!! Just wondering if anyone knows how long before I will have a fully-functioning immune system again. Do counts go back up by the end of 3 weeks or are they still in the low range for days/weeks/months after?

I had 4 rounds of Taxotere/Cytoxan and did NOT get Neulasta or Neupogen shots. 

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  • indenial
    indenial Member Posts: 504
    edited June 2013

    bump.... any thoughts?

  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited June 2013

    I did Neuslasta so my WBC were fine, but my platelets were really low after chemo. When I asked my doctor about it, he said it could take up to 5 years for the blood to recover (and maybe never fully).  My platelet count is just now starting to creep up toward normal, almost 6 years out! Gee, just what you wanted to here, right?!

  • moneeme
    moneeme Member Posts: 20
    edited June 2013

    Mine never fully recovered and I'm 4 years out. They sit at about 3.5 sometimes down to 3. Onc is fine with that. I have no issues either. Hope you do well long term.

  • Allagashmaggie
    Allagashmaggie Member Posts: 92
    edited June 2013

    My wbc has always been around 3.6 to 4.3. While doing chemo I got the neulastra shot so my levels went up into the 6 range. Now they are back to what appears normal for me - around 3.8. Doctors are fine with that. The rest of my blood work, platelets included, has been very normal. Had 6 rounds of chemo which ended February of 2012.



  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited June 2013

    I was fortunate - all of my blood counts were well within normal within a month after Chemo.  But I hear from women who have "off" blood counts for several years post chemo.

  • MiniMacsMom
    MiniMacsMom Member Posts: 595
    edited June 2013

    I had chemo surgery and rads. Mine were normal looking at 1 month after rads... 3 no after chemo. But the no said there are still microscopic systems that they can't test for that still qualified me for immune compromised at that point. I'm a year out of chemo and still measuring normal. But the barometer is hard. I am under 30. Otherwise healthy and I try to eat well. I really hope u feel better soon. Oh I had taxol weekly and then FAC. Mda uses that regime because they say it gives u the maximum doses of chemo while preserving you immune system as long as possible. I got two neulasta shots 3 weeks after my last chemo... when my ABC tanked for the first time. go figure.

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