White cell count | Arthritis Information

I'm new here to the discussion boards but am certainly not new to RA. Well, okay so technically I have JRA, but hey one is just as nasty as the other right? My question for everyone here is this. Has anyone here with RA had a very high white cell count while in a flare up and is this a relatively normal thing? (the count at it's highest was 28 thousand)

On my primary care physicians request I consulted an oncologist for testing for leukemia all of which were negative. I don't believe that I have an infection either as I've been through 4 different antibiotics and still feel the same. I've been told it was from prednisone that I have taken daily for some time. My dose was 5mg/day for the last few years but at one point in time was 30mg/daily and I never remember my cbc being this far off.

thanks all

Bob H.

They took fluid from my knee during my first flare and the white count was very high. I don't remember the number. Didn't have an infection though. That was, in part, how I was dx'd.Me too....I had an extremely high white count and was tested by the oncologist. I too didn't have an active infection and the count was high for a year. Hiking_gal

That's actually what I was thinking. With all of the white cells that are most likely in my swollen joints, that my body has released more to deal with the demand. Supply and demand it's not just for gas and oil anymore. I have doubts that it is an infection now after taking 14 days of augmentin, rocephin through iv in the hosp. while doing oral cipro too, then finally to avelox. If there is an infection, the only things left are the big boys, i.e., vancomycin, clindamycin and those are usually reserved for nasty stuff like MRSA.

thanks for the help folks.

Bob

We often have patients come to the ER, do a cbc and the white count comes back elevated. When questioned further they remember being on corticosteroids for some reason, usually for coughing their heads off. I don't recall seeing white counts that high with patients taking higher doses of oral prednisone. Many times with patients having RA, we see just the opposite, white cell count low. Perhaps the wbc's are tangled up in joint fluid "attacking" the preceived foreigner?Hi Bob!

You might get the New Arthritis Breakthrough by Henry Scammell available on Amazon and look under white blood counts/cells. There is a LOT of info in there on how high or low WBC play into these diseases. I'm afraid I don't remember that part as it didn't apply to me but my FIL was talking about it prior to starting Minocin for OA as his docs all thought he had cancer but didn't.

Hugs,

Pip

So, do we think, then, that the elevated WBCs are from taking so much pred? Or do we think it is because of inflammation? If I look at my latest chemistry, my immune cells (neut/mono/leuko) are directly inverted lower to the WBC count. And my hemo and MCV/MCH are really high.

What's our final thought on this/

I'm certainly not trained beyond college biology but I would think that if you are on an immune suppresant, you're wbc would lower. If you have an active disease with no treatments the wbc could be high. After my first 4 months of treatment for RA my wbc counts were starting to lower. I will go ahead and have another round of bloodwork to see if my counts are still heading in the right direction. Hiking_galSaw my primary guy today...thank GOD! He's not happy about the WBC count being up, but not so worried about the hemoglobin and the other red blood cell issues. He's mostly worried about my blood sugar now. Tonite, about 2 hours after a healthy dinner, it was still in the 160 range. So he is taking over the wheel of my healthcare and is going to facilitate between the specialists and me. I'm so glad to have him back, but with HMO's it's a crap shoot. Fortunately, the one I have allows me to go in and out of different groups fairly easily. Now that one hospital has bought out another (my different docs are split between the two), I will get all of my favorites back, even my women's doc. YEA!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a funny thing: My Humira is a copay for a one month supply, but it's also a copay for a 3 month supply. Same price, more drug. I'm sure many of you have found this out yourselves, but if not, check your formulary for drugs/cost/coverage. It was VERY hidden.

My docs can't seem to make a decision on what is causing my elevated white cell count but they don't seem to be terribly alarmed about it yet either. (even though I'm terrified) I noticed someone had mentioned MCV and MCH in an earlier post. These, as you may know, are measures of the size of the RBC and their hemoglobin concentration. The results can be used to help classify any present anemias which some of us with active RA may have.

I WISH my copay for humira was only . I have one of the medicare part-D plans and it requires that for tier 4 drugs I pay 25% of the total cost as a copay. I just got my first month of humira for around 2. The three month supply I couldn't afford. I guess I could always start a career in bank robbing to pay but I'd be too easy to id. Just look for the short guy who limps badly and moves about as fast as a turtle

Bob