My mum is on chemo and was rushed to A and E this morning with a zero white blood cell count. I am very worried. Has anyone else been in this situation?
Hi, sorry to hear about your mum. I don’t know, but could this be neutropenia? This can happen on chemo, the medical team should know how to lok after her.
I think some ladies on here have had neutropenia, so I hope they see your post and can reassure you.
Take care,
Alison x
Dear Over the Rainbow.
I hope you have got more info about your Mum now.
I am only on cycle 2 of chemo, so not as experienced as many ladies here who will be able to give you more advice.
Or phone the Support Line?
I had a funny turn last week at the same time as my white cell count was found to be low. Advised to go straight to A&E where they went into instant action, I had a drip in and bloods taken, and intra venous antibiotics in, in what seemed like 10 minutes. Kept in hospital for 48 hours plus as no further problems developed.
A close friend had more serious problems with blood infection confirmed, in Intensive Care for days, but now she is fully recovered and robust and cheerful.
The hospitals take it all very seriously, as infection can make you ill very quickly, and they have the system to deal with it as fast as possible.
Hope you hear good news soon.
Lavender Lassie
I was admitted to hospital after my first chemo. I wasn’t ‘rushed’ as such but phoned them as I had a temperature and they asked me to go there. When I got there they did a blood count test and mine was 0.3 (anything under around 1.0 is considered dangerous) so they admitted me immediately as I was neutophenic. The fact they have admitted your mum is a good thing they will give her IV antibiotics as if your blood count is so low and you get an infection is is serious. Once the antibiotics kick in she will be ok - and as its IV it gets into the system vey quickly. I had to stay in for four days though as although I felt well - my bloods were still low and took that time to get back up - they let me go home when my count went to 1.0 and my temp was normal. I understand your worry but to be honest she is in the best place and they deal with neutrophenia all the time and know exactly what to do. Luckily for me it didn’t happen again and i went through the next 5 chemos without any problems - I did get infections but as my blood count was ok they just gave me oral antibiotics. I am sure she will be fine.
HI,
This happens fairly often. It happened to me after my first chemo and I was rushed in to a medical emergency ward. I was put on a drip, given fluids, anti-biotics and injections to raise my white cell count.
I was kept in for only 2 days as the treatment worked quickly.
I was given an injection to stabilize my white cell count after the next 5 chemo’s and did not have further problems.
Hope this helps,
E
Hi,
I was neutropenic after every chemo. Every time I had my bloods checked and told to monitor my temperature. I was kept in a few times but was fine everytime. Thankfully my hospital has a designated chemo support unit so no sitting in a and e.
Hope she’s ok.
Em x
Hi,
I was admitted to hospital after my 5th chemo with levels down to 0.4, the hospital acted very quickly and treated me with extreme expertise. Your Mum will be well looked after and will be feeling better very soon I am sure. My hospital wouldn’t let me home till I got to 1.5 which took 3 days of fluids and antibiotics through a drip. I felt ok in myself whilst in hospital.
Hugs for you both
Suze xx
Thanks so much for all the replies. My mum will probably in hospital a week she’s been told - but at least she’s in the right place. She has an infection and a white blood cell count of zero so she is in complete isolation. It has all been very frightening but the chemo team went to see her and are going to put measures in place for the next chemo.
hi over the rainbow
i was rushed in to hospital after my 5th chemo , my blood count was borderline for the prev 2 cycles 1.2 then i developed temp ect.
they were very quick with treatment and i was home the next day !
since then i have been taking manhuka honey in my tea each day , now its said to increase white cell count although not backed up by med council, but i know alot of ladies who take it and swearr by it and when i had my bloods done tues they were the highest they have been since starting chemo , so make of it what you will but im sold,lol.
its widely available at all top supermarkets, just thought id throw it out there worth a try.
x
When I was having chemo, over 3 years ago, I had an infection and neutrophils of zero after my 4th dose. I had IV antibiotics and blood transfusions too but for some reason was not put into isolation, which I would have thought would have been very sensible. I had already had the Neulasta injection which is meant to stop this happening. I was in hospital for about a week. In the end, they decided that it was probably best for me not to have the final 2 doses of chemo(I had already had a blood clot after the 3rd chemo).
All the best to you and your Mum
Anne
This must be a great worry for you.
I was told that you can have a zero white cell count and be fine but if you pick up an infection and get a high temp (neutropenic sepsis) then you need hospital care.
After my first taxotere my count went down to 0.1 and I got an infection. I felt incredibly unwell at that point in time and was in hospital for 5 days being pumped full of antibiotics. Amazingly my next session of chemo was not even delayed by a day as my bloods all picked up and I was fine.
If you mum hasn’t been prescribed it, she will need some small injections to boost white cell production after each chemo treatment. I only developed neutropenic sepsis once and that’s when my consultant was away and they refused to give me the injections. I self administered these but your mum could have a district nurse visit if she preferred.
If your mum is on her own then it will be very important that someone keeps a close check on her after her next chemo. Any sign of a high temperature and the chemo unit should be contacted.
I do hope your mum is now feeling a lot better.
take care
Elinda
Dear Over the Rainbow,
Really pleased to hear that your Mum is doing OK.
I am also finding it helpful hearing about other people’s experiences of neutropenia, as it is the thing that has worried me most out of the whole experience. I did not expect to have a low white cell count so quickly as it was only the first chemo cycle and I had filgrastim injections daily, given by my husband to the district nurse’s relief as we live in the sticks.
Being so far from the oncology unit is worrying but the nearest A&E and medical unit were very quick and helpful.
Has anyone else tried the Manuka honey, and what do their oncologists think about it?
Best wishes to you and your Mum
Lavender Lassie
Lavendar Lassie, the cells do drop quickly and like you I live in the sticks so I understand your concern. It took me 50 minutes to get hospital when I was very ill.
Frightening as it is that the white cell count drops so much, it shows that the chemo is doing what it is supposed ie. killing fast growing cells. I kept hold of that thought through my roughest times. Healthy non-cancerous cells recover quite quickly and white cells can increase fast. Mine went right back up between each chemo although I had a temperature each time I had tax.
With regard to the manuka honey - who knows! If you feel it works then that’s great.
sorry to hear that you mum is feeling so poorly right now! I was rushedinto hospital when i was on chemo (i did FEC) , which finished Feb this year.
hope she feels easier soon
eva