Blood Tests | Arthritis Information

I just got recalled to the hospital to get repeats of my blood tests. The nurse said my white blood cell count was low and that my immune system was too low. I am taking sulphasalazine and just started to feel like it was starting to work but I have been told not to take them untill I see the nurse face to face.

Does anyone know what this means? I thought the whole point of the tablets was to lower your immune system.

If your white count is low I would listen seriously to the advice of the nurse. I was on 70mg prednisone, humira, and 15mg of methotrexate and ended up with shingles on my head then cellulitis on top of that. I was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks and my face is still swollen and a little tender from the cellulitis. I also now have a sinus infection which is not helping recovery. I blame it all on too much immunosuppression and of course the massive dose of steroids is not helping at all. I've decided to be in misery and cut my steroid dose until I just can't stand it anymore so I can get well and back on my other meds.

My general point is that if your doc is keeping good track of your WBC count and immune function then listen to their advice. You may be in pain for a certain time with the RA but I'd rather have RA pain than shingles and anything else.( trust me here they HURT)

Good luck

Bob H

My guess is you have an infection somewhere in your body. They will do another blood test in a week or so and if the results are better, they will let you back on the Methx. A co-worker of mine went through this awhile back. She is fine. Good luck. well just been for repeat of bloods today and nurse explained that my wbc count has fallen below the recommended levels so they just need to keep monitoring until it comes back up. I wouldn't mind so much but I have just had the worst blood taking experience ever (for me anyway as i'm sure others have experienced worse). I don't like getting it took in the first place but this time it took 4 attempts before they found a vein that would give blood. My arm is killing and I'm now a bit scared to go back in in case the same happens again.

I want to ask for a different nurse but don't really want to offend her.

Also I am off my tablets untill my levels return to normal, they take about 3 months to start working and I have been taking them just over that time period. Does the fact that I am stopping them for a bit mean I have to wait another 3 months?

Jay, my WBC numbers went way below normal, my liver enzymes skyrocketed, and the rheumy upped my MTX - so I quit, forever. I felt no change in my health while on this drug.

I am doing the best in decades on minocin. MTX was not the right drug for me. Perhaps sulphasalazine is not the right drug for you. Good luck.

This has happened to me a few times as well. I just had to stop taking my mtx until my white blood cell count went back up. I believe it should be at the 4.0 mark and my doctor says that some meds (in my case the mtx) lowers the wbc count, Mine at the time was below the 2.5 mark I think. I stopped the mtx for a few weeks and kept testing my blood and when it went back up, I got the go ahead to start the mtx again.
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