Low WBCs two months after chemo

Options
sarahstronger
sarahstronger Member Posts: 12
edited June 2018 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Ladies!! I’m looking for some info about blood counts post chemo. Is there a thread about this that I can’t find?

I finished four rounds of taxotere/cytoxan on January 30th. Started my hormonal therapy three weeks ago. My WBC is still low, 2.4 today and the ANC is 1.4. I'm frustrated. I've had two neupogen shots. Last week the count was 4. Now it's down again so I got another neupogen today. My MO says if it continues to stay low he may recommend a bone marrow biopsy. I feel scared of that.

What were your experiences with your counts after chemo? The nurses at the MO office today were reassuring, they told me they've seen people's counts go up slowly. I'm just trying to be patient and stay positive!!

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • buttonsmachine
    buttonsmachine Member Posts: 930
    edited April 2018

    Sorry this is happening to you. I finished TC in January of last year, and my counts were not in the normal person range again until June. Basically, it took six months but I finally got there. My MO didn't offer any neulasta or other solutions, but my counts eventually recovered on their own. Hope yours do too.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rambros
    Rambros Member Posts: 78
    edited April 2018

    me too -took almost a year to get over 4. I was concerned but my doctor told me it would take time and not to worry about it.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • VL22
    VL22 Member Posts: 851
    edited April 2018

    I just checked my last blood work - about 3 months after chemo and I was not in range. My MO said everything looked good at the time. Seems it can take sometime

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sarahstronger
    sarahstronger Member Posts: 12
    edited April 2018

    Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I’m grateful for the reassurance. I don’t know what I’d do without this site!!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited April 2018

    My GP said it could take up to 5 YEARS for the blood counts to rebound all the way! and it took that long for me.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CBK
    CBK Member Posts: 611
    edited April 2018

    Ruth 

    Did your WBC see-saw?  March 14th I was at a 4.0 and then my WBC dropped to 3.4 on April 4th? I was on an antibiotic previous to the April 4th blood draw, wondering if that could make a difference?  

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited April 2018

    Infections, antibiotics, having a cold.....lots of things can make numbers bounce around. The numbers have always see-sawed, but we just never noticed it before. I think the only concern would be if they would keep going down, down, down over a number of checks.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pennsygal
    pennsygal Member Posts: 346
    edited June 2018

    Hello all -

    I'm glad to have found this thread. I am three years out from chemo, and my WBC yesterday was 3.7. GP said it's most likely from treatment, but I take everything he says with a grain of salt ;)



    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • beauz
    beauz Member Posts: 207
    edited June 2018

    Hi all, here is a thread I found in BCO which can give you more information.

    Topic: Low white blood cells long after chemo

    Forum: Stage III Breast Cancer — You are not alone. Meet others who have Stage III breast cancer.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • VL22
    VL22 Member Posts: 851
    edited June 2018

    My MO at my 3 month after chemo visit said all my blood work looked good. I looked at it a few days later and saw that my WBC was low. I guess it is normal

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories