Funky Bloodwork?

[OkRadLakPok]

I am just wondering if anyone has had weird blood wok for a long period? This trend has been going on a long time for me. It is up and down so it is not that the low is "normal for me". I feel bad when it goes down and I can tell.

My WBC are always low.
Neutropenia
Thromobocytopenia
And Macrocytosis (Large red blood)
And large Platelets.
MCV high
Also a long genetic duplication over 8 genes (clinical significant gene is the PACSIN gene)

They are always borderline. Never too low except when I got the mercury fillings out -----then they did they crash and I almost had to get a bone marrow biopsy.

 

[Living Dead]

Wikipedia says https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrocytosis can be caused by low B12 og folate. Have you tried supplementing these? It seems like some ME patients need a higher level of these than healthy persons.

 

[OkRadLakPok]

Hi, living-

Yes, i did take hydroxycobalaine once. no difference. i also then took a vit with high levels b12. no diff!

 

[drob31]

Low WBC always makes me think chronic infection.

 

[helen1]

Hi, living-

Yes, i did take hydroxycobalaine once. no difference. i also then took a vit with high levels b12. no diff!

Many brands of B12 (or the B12 in B complexes) have very poor absorption rates so it's no surprise you didn't notice a difference. There are threads on PR about which brands work best, you might want to check those out and consider trying B12 again with a better brand. MCV/macrocytosis is usually caused by low B12, sometimes by low folate, which cause many serious symptoms, so you wouldn't want to ignore those test results.

I agree with drob31 and my doc says the same thing about low WBC. You might want to investigate which infections could be depleting your WBC.

Some of these lab results are pretty common for people with ME e.g. low WBC, high MCV, neutropenia. Not thrombocytopenia though as far as I know. Do you know what's causing it?

@OkRadLakPok

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

Deficiencies of the other cell lines (white cells and platelets) plus your macrocytosis (high MCV) look similar to patients who have a B12 deficiency. Your doctor should look into this further to at least determine the cause of your macrocytosis, as that in itself is an abnormal finding.

It would be helpful if you could post your most recent CBC results:
WBC (with reference range)
Hemoglobin "
Hct "
MCV "
Platelets "
B12 level if available "
folate "

http://b12deficiency.info/

 

[OkRadLakPok]

Hi CF. Yes, they do test that and it is always OK. Sometimes the B12 is even a tad high.
Here are some of the past tests and current

WBC 4.5 3.4 2.7
Neutrophils 2.2 2.1 2.2 1.6 2.3 1.6 1.6
Macrocytosis +1 +1 +1 Slight
Platelets were 89. then 101 now 151. Was low because they are large and clump. Probably bad count as they are large

MPV-12.8
MCV 100

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

@OkRadLakPok, laboratories determine their own reference ranges, so it would have been helpful it you had posted those, because some of your values are borderline. I found some reference ranges on Medscape just to keep this conversation on track:

• Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): 80-100 fL.....Your value: 100 Borderline, but definitely worth noting
  
• White blood cells (WBC) 4-10 x 10^9/L.....Your values: 4.5 3.4 2.7 LOW
  
• Neutrophils: 2-8 x 10^9/L.......Your values: 2.2 2.1 2.2 1.6 2.3 1.6 1.6 LOW
  
• Platelets: 150-400 x 10^9/L........Your values: 89. then 101 now 151 LOW

Please add a hemoglobin or hematocrit.

When I studied hematology, platelet size (MPV) wasn't available so I don't know how to interpret this measure.

I'm wondering if @Jonathan Edwards would be willing to take a look at this and suggest a way to move forward.

 

[OkRadLakPok]

@OkRadLakPok, laboratories determine their own reference ranges, so it would have been helpful it you had posted those, because some of your values are borderline. I found some reference ranges on Medscape just to keep this conversation on track:

• Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): 80-100 fL.....Your value: 100 Borderline, but definitely worth noting
  
• White blood cells (WBC) 4-10 x 10^9/L.....Your values: 4.5 3.4 2.7 LOW
  
• Neutrophils: 2-8 x 10^9/L.......Your values: 2.2 2.1 2.2 1.6 2.3 1.6 1.6 LOW
  
• Platelets: 150-400 x 10^9/L........Your values: 89. then 101 now 151 LOW

Please add a hemoglobin or hematocrit.

When I studied hematology, platelet size (MPV) wasn't available so I don't know how to interpret this measure.

I'm wondering if @Jonathan Edwards would be willing to take a look at this and suggest a way to move forward.

Hi CFS!
Thank you for the response. Here are the reference ranges for the two hospital I go to. And I found B12 results.......

WBC 3.2-9.8 x 10^9/L
Platelets 150-450 x10^9/L
Neuts 2.0-8.6 x10^9/L
MCV 80-98 fL
Macrocytosis- Not present

Other one:
WBC 4.5-11.0 10*9/L
Platelet 150-440 10*9/L
Neuts: 2.0-7.5 10*9/L
MCV 80.0-100.0 fL
Macrocytosis Not present

B12 results: 1050 1030 635 915 pg/mL tend to be high
Reference rages of hospitals: 123-730 and Hospital #2: 193 - 900 pg/mL

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

Hi CFS!
Thank you for the response. Here are the reference ranges for the two hospital I go to. They are within 10 miles of each other, so I am not sure how they are so different.

WBC 3.2-9.8 x 10^9/L
Platelets 150-450 x10^9/L
Neuts 2.0-8.6 x10^9/L
MCV 80-98 fL
Macrocytosis- Not present

Other one:
WBC 4.5-11.0 10*9/L
Platelet 150-440 10*9/L
Neuts: 2.0-7.5 10*9/L
MCV 80.0-100.0 fL
Macrocytosis Not present

Thanks for posting those. I can't comprehend the difference between the WBC ranges, but the rest look standard.

Please add a hemoglobin or hematocrit, which you must have somewhere.

I can't say what's going on, but your bone marrow is having some issues. That's why I asked Dr. Edwards to take a look at this.

 

[OkRadLakPok]

Yes, the ref ranges are different and the two places are within ten miles of one another!
I did find them the other ones: They look good.

Here are the references ranges:
Hemacrit: 36.0% to 46/0% and 35.0%-45.0%
Mine: 39.3 41.2 40.3 41.9 40.8 41.0 37

Hemoglobin:
Reference ranges: 12-16 and 12-15.5
Mine: 13.2 14.0 13.6 13.6 14.1 13.4 12.7
Thank you for looking into this!!

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

Your Hct and Hgb look excellent.

I can't say what's causing your low WBCs and as you say, "funky" platelets. I wish I could say more; that's why I tagged Dr. Edwards. Just hold on.

 

[OkRadLakPok]

Not to hijack my own thread, but I forgot to add this. This is the lymphoctes and the ref range is so different from the two hospitals.
the one is: 0.6-4.2
the other is: 1.5 -5.0
My reading are: 1.3 1.3 1.2 0.9 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.7 1.5 1.5
So by the one, it is low, by the other, it is OK.
OK that is confusing.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Not to hijack my own thread, but I forgot to add this. This is the lymphoctes and the ref range is so different from the two hospitals.
the one is: 0.6-4.2
the other is: 1.5 -5.0
My reading are: 1.3 1.3 1.2 0.9 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.7 1.5 1.5
So by the one, it is low, by the other, it is OK.
OK that is confusing.

None of these values are sufficiently out of line to be of great significance on their own. Results should only be read in the context of the range of the lab doing the test. Differences in ranges are largely due to technical differences in doing the test. There is no 'right' reference range. I think there is little point in worrying about values like these in isolation. If they mean anything it will be because of the clinical context and that should be assessed by the attending doctor. Slightly low white cell and platelet counts can be important but often are not.

If I remember rightly the in platelet volume is used chiefly as an internal calibrating (quality control) marker by the lab and is of no importance to the patient as a rule.

 

[OkRadLakPok]

Thank you, John, for taking the time to review my bloodwork!
I am glad to know that everything is OK. I have so many other things to worry about.
And thank you, also, for explaining how the values work. It can be very complicated for a consumer.
Be well!