Sikcell: People living with Sickle Cell

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Hydroxyurea and low white cell count

I've been taking 2000mg of hydrea a day for the past year and was having to do blood workup monthly until my sc went from approx 78% down to 46% and was put on a three month workup schedule until two months ago I it went back to a monthly monitoring. My white blood cell count went down to about a 3 and the doctor said it shouldn't drop below 4 but he called today and said it was down to about a 2.5 and i needed to stop taking 1000 mg a day for my immune system to recover.My hematologist last month said my sc count was going back up and she wanted to increase my daily hydrea to 2500mg a day and if i decreased the hydrea my sc count would shoot back up and i could start back having crisises and sc pain. So the question is what would you do, worry about the hematologist and the sc red blood count or the internal medicine doctor that deals with the sc organ and bone damage and the white blood count???? p.s. the don't agree which is more important

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Permalink Reply by Veon A. McGlory on February 9, 2011 at 12:21am

I was on hydrxurea for like 3 years and my white blood cell count dropped alot. Whenever i got a cold it would last for about a month because my immune system was all out of wack. So i stopped taking the hydroxurea.(Im not saying you should stop taking it), and i started eating better and taking folic acid, Fish oil, and bazi every day so far i've been feeling pretty good so good. But you have to do what works for you. My future Husband is on me about taking my Vitamins every day. He txts me every morning and he'll be like did you take you vitamins P.S. Drink fresh juice every day, and your immune system will get better. I juice apple's, 1 orange, pineapple, and 1 beet roots and all. Beets will bring you iron levels up. (God Bless You) I know the things that your going through but trust Gods got your back

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Permalink Reply by Ade Dotun on February 9, 2011 at 10:47am

that is a tough call, i would say you should talk to both doctors about the others point of view and let them know them both know how it is affecting you so that there is no disconnect between them and they are communicating, so maybe they can come to a decision that will work out for you better. But i personally feel like 1000mg or higher of hydrea a day is a bit much though, i take 500mg and havent seen a difference in my white blood cell but i am not too consistent with taking it since i still have my doubts about it as well...good luck..hope it works out