Boy, you've got a lot going on. What is likely happening is the immune suppressant drugs you are taking, especially the Imuran, are lowering your blood counts. This is common and desired to a degree, but it can become unhealthy if it goes past a certain point. The WBCs are the main cells we think of when we think white cells or immune cells, and they help fight infection. They also can be instigators in attacking your body. The HgB and HCT are related to the red cell counts. The red cells help transport oxygen. When these cells are low, you are anemic. This will make you feel extremely tired, depending on how low they are. The A/G ratio has to do with the amount of proteins in your blood. The IVIG may be the culprit for lowering this, and sometimes that is the intended effect, just like the Imuran lowering the WBCs.
When you have autoimmune disease and take these powerful drugs, you need to have regular blood work to monitor your progress. It sounds like you are doing that. Sometimes it is a fine line between suppressing your immune system enough to cool down the diseases and lowering your immunity to the point that you are in danger of getting sick. So we do the blood work and keep a close watch and sometimes add things or tweak dosing in an attempt to get maximum benefit with minimum risk. It isn't easy, and it isn't a perfect solution. Right now, though, it's the best we have.
You say you are feeling crummy and my guess is side effects from those meds and the anemia. You didn't say how low those counts are, but you don't have to be very anemic to feel utterly exhausted all the time. This is because your red cells transport oxygen around your body, so when you have fewer red cells, your tissues can be a little oxygen deprived.
Your neuro should be able to get those results from the staff at your GPs office. Although one week isn't going to make a huge difference if that's how long the vacation is. Give yourself all the rest you need, and be sure you are eating as healthy a diet as you can. Diet can make a big difference in how you are feeling.
I have one piece of advice that I feel is really important: Watch your labs. Get copies of them. The reason is it is not unusual for labs to get lost between the facility that does them and the doctor's office or stuck in a chart by office staff and missed by the doctor and that sort of thing. With what you have going, those labs are important and you don't want something to be inadvertently missed for a month or six weeks. You are the one who knows when you have them done, so request that the office send you copies and that way if the office misses a change, you will catch it. This happened to me, even though I'm a nurse, and it happens to lots of other people. Be assertive in your care and you will be healthier because of it.
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Hi Jenner77-
Boy, you've got a lot going on. What is likely happening is the immune suppressant drugs you are taking, especially the Imuran, are lowering your blood counts. This is common and desired to a degree, but it can become unhealthy if it goes past a certain point. The WBCs are the main cells we think of when we think white cells or immune cells, and they help fight infection. They also can be instigators in attacking your body. The HgB and HCT are related to the red cell counts. The red cells help transport oxygen. When these cells are low, you are anemic. This will make you feel extremely tired, depending on how low they are. The A/G ratio has to do with the amount of proteins in your blood. The IVIG may be the culprit for lowering this, and sometimes that is the intended effect, just like the Imuran lowering the WBCs.
When you have autoimmune disease and take these powerful drugs, you need to have regular blood work to monitor your progress. It sounds like you are doing that. Sometimes it is a fine line between suppressing your immune system enough to cool down the diseases and lowering your immunity to the point that you are in danger of getting sick. So we do the blood work and keep a close watch and sometimes add things or tweak dosing in an attempt to get maximum benefit with minimum risk. It isn't easy, and it isn't a perfect solution. Right now, though, it's the best we have.
You say you are feeling crummy and my guess is side effects from those meds and the anemia. You didn't say how low those counts are, but you don't have to be very anemic to feel utterly exhausted all the time. This is because your red cells transport oxygen around your body, so when you have fewer red cells, your tissues can be a little oxygen deprived.
Your neuro should be able to get those results from the staff at your GPs office. Although one week isn't going to make a huge difference if that's how long the vacation is. Give yourself all the rest you need, and be sure you are eating as healthy a diet as you can. Diet can make a big difference in how you are feeling.
I have one piece of advice that I feel is really important: Watch your labs. Get copies of them. The reason is it is not unusual for labs to get lost between the facility that does them and the doctor's office or stuck in a chart by office staff and missed by the doctor and that sort of thing. With what you have going, those labs are important and you don't want something to be inadvertently missed for a month or six weeks. You are the one who knows when you have them done, so request that the office send you copies and that way if the office misses a change, you will catch it. This happened to me, even though I'm a nurse, and it happens to lots of other people. Be assertive in your care and you will be healthier because of it.
Good luck.
April 7, 2010 - 6:51amThis Comment
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