Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Low White Blood Cell Count?

So far the only test result that could indicate that something is "up" is the low white blood cell count.  Fortunately, I had a checkup in September 2013, so I am able to compare my results to the time before my first gout attack.  I was already starting to have issues standing up for more than a few hours, but it was easier to ignore then.  After doing some reading on it, it is probably trochanteric bursitis.  The morning I saw the doctor I also seemed to have ischial bursitis, sharp pain when I sat down or got up.  My white blood cell count was 4.5 thousand/uL which was clearly within the normal range.  The neutrophils were 2714  cells/uL and the absolute monocytes 207 cells/uL.  In March 2018 the white blood cells count was 3.8 thousand/uL, neutrophils 2.0 thousand/uL and monocytes 0.2 thousand/uL.  So not very low, but enough to merit some investigation.  The monocytes were close to or below the normal range during both tests.

Low monocytes could be due to an inflammatory condition, autoimmune disease, infection, bone marrow issues, etc.  Low neutrophils could be due to bone marrow diseases, vitamin deficiencies like B12 or folate, infection, enlarged spleen, autoimmune diseases, medications such as antibiotics.  Someone suggested to me that my achy joints could be due to B12 deficiency.  I had that before, but the red blood cells are currently normal in size and quantity making that a little less likely.  I take a prenatal vitamin along with a B-complex pill here and there to prevent anemia.  I had a mild case of mastitis that resolved about 3 weeks before the blood test was done.  Maybe it was a simple as the counts not going up before the test was done.  I'll be sure to keep taking my vitamins and supplements, maybe more often now, and hope I don't get sick before getting tested again in August.

I write all this because it may end up shedding some light on some early signs of whatever it is that I have.  It could be gout, like the genetics suggest.  That's a lot of issues with bursitis if it is gout.  And with a uric acid level of only 4.6 mg/dL.  So what looks to be bursitis was my first symptom in 2013.

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