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What Does Low White Blood Cell Count Indicate?
Question: Been feeling ill for a month had low grad fevers was given keflex, fever came back high this time, was put on 2000mg keflex a day. Had blood work pulled on Wednesday and all was perfect except wbc was a little low 3.6 lymphocytes .63 plateIets 186 already had a fever when they pulled this lab. 3 days later I went to ER and wbc 1.7 and platelets 94. They told me I need to get a biopsy cause it might be cancer.....scared me and I am not sure I fully agree.
Brief Answer:
whole body PET scan
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Low white blood cell count can be due to cancer or other diseases that damage bone marrow, leukemia, overwhelming infections that use up white blood cells faster than they can be produced and viral infections that temporarily disrupt bone marrow function.
If white blood cell count does not return to normal after completion of course of Keflex which contains cephalexin which is a first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic then i suggest u do a whole body PET scan.
If any space occupying lesion is found in the scan then u need to do biopsy from it to rule out malignancy.
Hope i have answered your query
Regards
DR De
whole body PET scan
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Low white blood cell count can be due to cancer or other diseases that damage bone marrow, leukemia, overwhelming infections that use up white blood cells faster than they can be produced and viral infections that temporarily disrupt bone marrow function.
If white blood cell count does not return to normal after completion of course of Keflex which contains cephalexin which is a first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic then i suggest u do a whole body PET scan.
If any space occupying lesion is found in the scan then u need to do biopsy from it to rule out malignancy.
Hope i have answered your query
Regards
DR De
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Brief Answer:
Blood and urine culture
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Cancer does not bring down white blood cell count so quickly and also keflex causes bone marrow depression as its adverse effect.
You do not need to worry at this moment and most probably you are suffering from some infection and I suggest you do a blood and urine culture test to find the cause of your low grade fever.
If you have no more clarifications then rate the answer and close the thread.
Regards
DR De
Blood and urine culture
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Cancer does not bring down white blood cell count so quickly and also keflex causes bone marrow depression as its adverse effect.
You do not need to worry at this moment and most probably you are suffering from some infection and I suggest you do a blood and urine culture test to find the cause of your low grade fever.
If you have no more clarifications then rate the answer and close the thread.
Regards
DR De
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
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