Low white blood cell count: freaking out. Possible causes? page

[Witchy]

I'm usually a little more rational about these things (I take results with a grain of salt), but I happen to work in a cancer center, and had a childhood friend die of leukemia, and the doctor who's going to see me happens to be someone I work with every week...

Alright, let me back up. I've recently acquired a new GP, someone who's known for doing extensive testing for anything that's even potentially slightly out of whack. I'm ok with this; so far he hasn't asked for anything involving x-rays, etc, that could have harmful effects, so he can take all the blood and do all the ultrasounds he wants. He recently ran a blood panel, and my white blood cell count came back low (3.3). He suggested I see a hematologist, just in case. I told him I recalled always running on the low said, but he said it can't hurt.

Since I work with a hematologist/oncologist, I asked his opinion on whom I should see. He said he'd be happy to see me. Then he pulled up a record of my past counts. This time was 3.3; before that, 3.8, and before that, 4.4. It's this trend that's freaking me out. A lot. Like, sick to my stomach, having to calm myself down sort of freaking me out.

And I know I'm not being logical. The potential implications of this are just terrifying to me.

I do take several supplements, so if anyone knows of ones that can drop your WBC, that would be helpful. I'm mildly hypothyroid (well-maintained), overweight (but not obese); I don't sleep enough (I know, I know) and I work in a fully-enclosed windowless space, leaving before the sun is up and coming home once it's down. (I don't know if any of this is relevant, I just figured I'd offer up as much as I can think of.) I did live in a distant fallout zone during/after Chernobyl, and my childhood friend died of leukemia shortly after. My blood clotting is normal, I never get sick (once every two years? at most), I don't bruise easily, no mystery aches or fevers, etc. I'm not eating as strictly paleo as I could be, and I'm pretty sure that I'm eating a little too much protein and a little too little fat.

Thoughts?

[Korga]

Tagamet?

[Witchy]

Tagamet?

Erm, that's for... ulcers? I don't take that. My GI tract is nice and healthy. :/ Totally stressed. I have my appointment this week.

[pbbrown61]

One possible reason, because this is what happened with me, was my high blood pressure meds. One side effect is low WBC

[MalPaz]

i have low WBC too....

[Alex Good]

Have you recently had sex in africa?

[Witchy]

lmfao @Alex. No, funny enough, I haven't.

Got checked out today, and everything is totally normal. Apparently just chronic benign leukopenia. As a bonus, I found out my liver function tests are off-the-charts good.

The doc did run a few extra tests on the off chance, and one interesting thing (that I didn't know about) that some of you who also have low WBC might look into is any family history of rheumatoid arthritis. Apparently there's a correlation there worth testing for.

[billp]

You do know that "chronic benign leukopenia" is just the medical name for a harmless relatively low white blood cell count, don't you? It is your doctors way of saying the result doesn't matter so long as you aren't actually sick.

There is always a correlation worth testing for if you are paid by the test!

[TheDarkMistress]

Well that's hellagood news!

[Witchy]

You do know that "chronic benign leukopenia" is just the medical name for a harmless relatively low white blood cell count, don't you? It is your doctors way of saying the result doesn't matter so long as you aren't actually sick.

There is always a correlation worth testing for if you are paid by the test!

Yes, I'm quite aware--as I stated above, I work in the medical field. It's just nicer to hear that diagnosis than, say, some form of leukemia.

I understand your pessimism; I also have a problem with doctors running pointless tests to make money on them. On the other hand, this doctor is a colleague and actually gives a damn about my well-being. Blood tests are free for me, since I work in the hospital, and he's paid per patient visit with no extra kick-back for doing more testing (in this particular department).