Chronic Lymphocytopenia

[Waverunner]

Hi,

does anyone suffer from chronic Lymphocytopenia? My lymphocytes are chronically low for years now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphocytopenia

The most common cause of temporary lymphocytopenia is a recent infection, such as the common cold.
Lymphocytopenia, but not idiopathic CD4+ lymphocytopenia, is associated with corticosteroid use, infections with HIV and other viral, bacterial, and fungal agents, malnutrition, systemic lupus erythematosus,[2] severe stress,[3] intense or prolonged physical exercise (due to cortisol release),[4] rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis,[5] and iatrogenic (caused by other medical treatments) conditions.
Lymphocytopenia is a frequent, temporary result from many types of chemotherapy, such as with cytotoxic agents or immunosuppressive drugs. Some malignancies that have spread to involve the bone marrow, such as leukemia or advanced Hodgkin's disease,[6][7] also cause lymphocytopenia.
Large doses of radiation, such as those involved with nuclear accidents or medical whole body radiation, may cause lymphocytopenia.
Lymphocytopenia that is caused by infections tends to resolve once the infection has cleared.

 

[Sing]

Yes, I have had low white blood cell counts in the abnormal range, almost every time I've gotten a CBC for twenty years. No doctor has ever looked any further into it as they
all assume or say it must be temporary. I think I read Dr. Byron Hyde saying that a lower than normal WBC count is a typical finding in ME.

 

[SOC]

Yes, I have had low white blood cell counts in the abnormal range, almost every time I've gotten a CBC for twenty years. No doctor has ever looked any further into it as they
all assume or say it must be temporary.

[my bolding]

It makes me wonder what we pay them the big bucks for. How hard is it to look back in your records and see it isn't temporary? That kind of sloppy thinking and lazy work gets you fired from jobs that pay a quarter of what we pay physicians.

It happens all too often in our illness -- high resting pulse, low blood pressure, low body temp -- they measure and record it every time and every time they say to themselves, "This is just temporary", don't even bother to verify with the records, then assume it's not a problem. We'd be better off with a computer doctor who would at least process the data.

Makes me wonder if physicians know much of anything about science -- like data collection, verifying/duplicating results, statistics, avoiding personal biases/assumptions, etc, etc

Rant over.

 

[heapsreal]

i have the opposite as i have high lymphocyte count called lymphocytosis.

cheers!!!

 

[3CFIDS@ourhouse]

I've wondered about the low white count I've had for 12 years and if others with ME/CFS have it, too. How low is your typical white count? I've been sent to a hematologist/oncologist several times, but since I don't fit into their diagnostic boxes they just scratch their heads after running other tests and conclude that it must be just "normal" for me. Have those of you with very low white counts ever had bone marrow biopsies?

 

[heapsreal]

There are different white cells as well, i often have low neutrophils called neutropenia but lymphocytes are high?? My doc says they are infectious related. My lymphocytes have come down with antivirals. neutropenia is common with chronic infections or post infections. I think these are signs that when occurr, doctors need to look further for a cause??

 

[glenp]

low lymphocytes

There are different white cells as well, i often have low neutrophils called neutropenia but lymphocytes are high?? My doc says they are infectious related. My lymphocytes have come down with antivirals. neutropenia is common with chronic infections or post infections. I think these are signs that when occurr, doctors need to look further for a cause??

My lymphocytes are always low normal or below normal

 

[rlc]

Hi all with low lymphocytes, unfortunately it is found in almost one hundred conditions including a lot of the ones that regularly get misdiagnosed as ME such as Celiac, Lupus. MS, diabetes, myasthenia gravis etc, so its a very none specific tests, however doctors should not be ignoring these results because it can be being caused by very serious illnesses! Theres a list of conditions that cause it here http://en.diagnosispro.com/differential_diagnosis-for/lymphocytes-lab-decreased/10408-153.html

All the best

 

[rlc]

Hi heaps, although low neutrophiles and high lymphocytes can be a sign of an infection it can occur with other conditions as well, theres a list of all the conditions that can cause it here http://en.diagnosispro.com/differen...ymphocytes-increased/10287_10408-153_154.html if there are any you havent had ruled out get them tested just in case

All the best

 

[heapsreal]

My doctor has said to me that high lymphocytes are an indication that you have an infection of some type and your body is trying to fight it, if these numbers are low then you still possibly have an infection going on but your immune system is tiring, thats the basics. There are other things that need to be checked like immune defiencies, leukemias etc. I also get lymphocyte subset test done which is a break down of your different lymphocytes and my cd8 lymphocytes appear to be the significant lymphocyte elevated which is commonly high in ebv and cmv. CMV seems to be my problem going by other tests i have had. I also have normal numbers of nk cells(sometimes have been slightly high) but tests show their function is very low, so shooting blanks i guess.

Thats a good link rlc. Heres a link you mind find interesting too http://www.sydpath.stvincents.com.au/tests/ImmunoFrames/lymphocytosis.htm

cheers!!!

 

[heapsreal]

i just found an article about hhv6 that says after 8 weeks from start of infection lymphocyte count go's down??? Maybe ebv and cmv increase lymphocytes and hhv6 lowers lymphocytes, a combination of hhv6 with ebv and or cmv who knows??? very sick i guess?

HHV-6 infection was associated with persistent lymphocytopenia and might thereby inhibit immune function. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10642809

cheers!!!

 

[Waverunner]

Very interesting. Thanks for the link, rlc. I find it ridiculous that whenever I speak with a doctor about chronic low lymphocytes they never are able to do anything. They look at you, tell you that it comes from a current cold and that's it. When you tell them that it's chronic and show them the blood work over the last 5 years they have no idea what to do. The same with EBV tests, do you get any treatment? No. Do they know if you have a EBV reactivation? No. What do they know?

 

[xrunner]

Hi,

does anyone suffer from chronic Lymphocytopenia?

Yes, me too for years. I was always told that it wasn't a big deal. I also had very low NK cells activity. However, they got normal about a year ago as a result of treatment.
There are a number of infections that are able to infect white cells (EBV, HHV6, Borrelia...) and likely affect count.

 

[heapsreal]

Very interesting. Thanks for the link, rlc. I find it ridiculous that whenever I speak with a doctor about chronic low lymphocytes they never are able to do anything. They look at you, tell you that it comes from a current cold and that's it. When you tell them that it's chronic and show them the blood work over the last 5 years they have no idea what to do. The same with EBV tests, do you get any treatment? No. Do they know if you have a EBV reactivation? No. What do they know?

Yes i have had past experiences like this to with doctors. Its a relief when u do find a doctor that sees what we see and is willing to try treatments off label, at this stage there is no real treatments for us other then symptomatic stuff. Generally the average doctor knows very little about immunology and infections unless it jumps up and hits them on the head, even immunologists too??? frustrating

 

[Waverunner]

Yes i have had past experiences like this to with doctors. Its a relief when u do find a doctor that sees what we see and is willing to try treatments off label, at this stage there is no real treatments for us other then symptomatic stuff. Generally the average doctor knows very little about immunology and infections unless it jumps up and hits them on the head, even immunologists too??? frustrating

Yes and I'm really scared that it stays this way in the next years.

 

[Cohen2]

I've been looking over my medical history and my lymphocyte count has been falling for the last three years. With each test it is lower. It's only slightly below normal range now but if this keeps up it will be very low soon.

 

[thruth1]

Hi all with low lymphocytes, unfortunately it is found in almost one hundred conditions including a lot of the ones that regularly get misdiagnosed as ME such as Celiac, Lupus. MS, diabetes, myasthenia gravis etc, so its a very none specific tests, however doctors should not be ignoring these results because it can be being caused by very serious illnesses! Theres a list of conditions that cause it here http://en.diagnosispro.com/differential_diagnosis-for/lymphocytes-lab-decreased/10408-153.html

All the best

Of course it does ,
In all this diseases, all of them are auto immune, most likely all of them are interconnected with thesame underpaying cause , same pathogen same retrovirus.
Or thesame one or similar strain, what people don't put together is that all come from low immunity, low Nk cell count or function , everything may look good even lymphocytes but the cell mediated immunity is the main line the 1 st line of defense of our. Body if we don't have immunity all this viruses bacteria pathogen go in overgrow shade inside of us uncheck,, when the other part of our immune system react create all this inflamation that we see in auto neuroimmune diseases .
Favoring even more the grow of this pathogens.