NOT happy with blood test results; what did I do?! | Arthritis Information

 

man, oh man, I don't get it. I started taking ten mtx a week and my inflammation tests are STILL going up... they went down drastically when I first started mtx (and before that, kept rising when I first started plaquenil), and my WBC is weird looking... like, lymphocyte and macrowhatevers keep going down, but nuetrophils went through the roof.

Anyone think this could be because I quit taking my fish oil for five days before I did the blood test? I don't even take the max you can a day, just one pill (1000mg?) in the morning. Also I did the blood test on the day I take the mtx, but in the afternoon, before I actually take it.

ARGH. I'm just frustrated--I don't want to start Enbrel, don't want another prescription to complicatedly order and pay for, don't want to do moooore blood tests... I feel like I've actually become aware of my disease over the past few months and have been better about taking care of my body, and have (most significantly) changed my mindset and perceptions...but everything seems worse than before! What am I doing wrong, or not doing at all?!
hi gypsy  sorry to see your tests are going up. i dont know how long your on mtx
but when i was on it the dose went up and up untill max dose and it simply
stopped working.. i took 7.5mg pred whith it to..i see you had plaq as well
there are many dmrds out there arava azorhiaprin cyclosporin gold injects..
why not talk to your doc.... 

Boney
Gypsy - sounds like you are doing everything you can for yourself - you are battling a cunning foe.  Good luck and take care ~~ CathySorry your numbers are going up...do what you have to do to get them down.

I'm sorry you're getting a reverse reaction..  maybe that is just not the combination or med for you?

gypsy, I can understand why you're so frustrated.  Has it been several blood test showing a trend higher each time, or was this just your second one since taking the mtx?  I guess I'm wondering if something else is throwing this one off.  I did find this piece below about neutrophils from something someone else posted on the web.  Are you extremely stressed right now?  Is it possible you have an infection?

Neutrophils

Also called PMNs, segs or polys .
Normal is 50-60%; absolute cell count 3000-7000
Neutrophils are the first cells to enter infected area. Their primary function is phagocytosis. Bands or stabs are immature neutrophils (1-3%). The life span is 6 hours.

Neutrophilia - Relative percent >70%; absolute neutrophils > 8000

Causes of neutrophilia: acute bacterial infection, inflammation, metabolic or chemical poisoning, acute hemorrhage, acute hemolysis, myeloproliferative diseases, tissue necrosis, early stages of some viral diseases.

Interfering factors: stress, excitement, fear, anger, joy & exercise temporarily cause neutrophilia. Crying babies have neutrophilia.
Labor & delivery, menstruation causes neutrophilia. Children have greater neutrophilic response than adults. Some elderly patients have little or no neutrophilic response. People of any age who are debilitated, may not have neutrophilic response.
Number of neutrophils decrease greatly with overwhelming infection, resistance exhausted, approaching death. I've been on MTX since january, and the max dose for a month now... So I still have two more months to go before trying anything else. My doc didn't even mention trying anything else before moving to a TNF Inhibitor. And I'm going to start taking my fish oil again... lol and I guess there's always a chance that I could have an infection and I have had allergies lately. Haven't spoken with my RD yet...

I'm considering going again to get blood drawn Monday (though I'm not due for another one til next month) just to do a redo. (Don't even know if Kaiser will do that? It'a standing order so I don't think there's a limit or anything.)

Yes, I just moved home wednesday! I somehow seem to have ten times more stuff than I left with, with is going to be SO fun to go through lol... don't know where I'm gonna put everything. But I'm pretty sure I got ALL A'S THIS SEMESTER! My classes were Creative Writing, Humanties Honors lecture & seminar, biology, and radio-activity... So that's pretty awesome. :)  I'll post when grades come out ;)
HI Gypsy, best of luck with your health and exam results, I kinow you will do well as you handle everything especially this dreaded disease very well for a young'un.  HUgs Janie.XX gypsy, congrats on doing so well at school!

 

Just wanted to add that there are a couple of other traditional DMARDs they can try before moving to anti-TNF, such as Plaquenil, Arava and Imuran.  Doesn't hurt to ask.

 

Good luck!

I'm on plaq now, but I'll ask about the other two... It always seems like when I suggest slowing down in any form my RD says something like, "the disease is progessing agressively and I highly advise you to do x [in this case assuming the other dmards won't work and going to anti TNF]"... So we'll see... thanks guys for your support :)
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