Leukopenia and Thrombocytopenia w/CIDP
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February 6, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Somebody I know has CIDP with Leukopenia (low white cell counts) and Thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts).
Neither multiple IVIG infusions nor steroids nor Rituxan were effective in raising either the white blood cell count or the platelet count.
The hematologists’ answer after due diligence checking and eliminating other common, and some not so common causes said, “It’s probably autoimmune related and idiopathic (no known cause or arises spontaneously) and, no, there is nothing else to try.”
Of course, lots of people have these conditions and do not have CIDP.
Know thyself.
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February 7, 2014 at 1:44 am
I had a colonoscopy last year where they found a bleeding ulcer. They had me go on omeprazole to help heal the ulcer. Then my white blood cell count fell stumping my Hematologist. After doing some research on drug side affects, she asked me to stop taking the omeprazole and my WBC came back to normal a few weeks later.
Omeprazole is a drug well tolerated by most people, just not me.
JK, did they do a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy test on your friend? http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/bone-marrow
A stem cell transplant might be worth exploring to see if it could correct your friend’s condition. This is a very expensive procedure and some insurances will not cover it. There are 2-3 clinical trials that are still recruiting. Here is one to check out: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00716066?term=NCT00716066&rank=1
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February 7, 2014 at 3:10 am
My WBC count has been low all along as well.. I think the lowest in the upper 2’s, but usually it’s in the upper 3’s or lower 4’s.. My dr said this is common in people with autoimmune issues, especially females.. We don’t do anything to treat it at this point
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February 7, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Hello Jim-LA. Yes, the person referred to did have both of those tests, and many others. And, some of those tests were performed at GBS-CIDP Centers of Excellence. (go to one if you are able) All the test results were negative. Thank you for the links. Some patients and their doctors might consider a stem cell transplant to be too high risk.
It’s been said on this web site before . (what was said before?) It turns out that a stem cell transplant is risky and that Each patient is different, and a treatment that’s good for one someone may be a poor choice for someone else have been said before.
bny806- thanks for your input. With leukopenia it seems to be a trade-off between your personal tolerance for infection susceptibility and the choice of a suitable treatment.
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