Neutropenia

For some reason during a flare, my neutrophil counts are very high, but when the flare dies down my neutrophil counts steadily drop throughout the year. So far my doctors don't seem to know why. I do not have cancer or anything else. We talked about auto immune neutropenia but apparently that's when your body attacks neutrophils themselves, which is not what's happening with me.

My MD suggested that maybe there is an infectious reason for my UC, and that the neutrophils are dropping because the immune system is being spent on trying to fight it in vain.

The other problem is that I'm very iron deficient. My ferritin is below 3. I just got a blood transfusion and they added iron this time, so maybe that will bring up my neutrophils. Hard to say.

My neutrophil count is 1.7 and the normal range on my lab results says 2 - 8. The number keeps dropping.

Has anyone with UC dealt with this and if so how can I make it better? Winter is coming and having no immune system could spell disaster!!

My neutrophils were consistently low for years even in remission. In the last year it was also discovered I had a few other things drop below range including iron/ferritin. Started taking iron pills and everything, including the neutrophils are now in normal range. So maybe the iron will bring up your neutrophils.

On the other hand, after my first original flare (in 2008) finished I was very low in iron and took iron pills for a few months. Everything else went into normal range except neutrophils. So who knows!!

What medications are you taking?

I've been neutropenic for almost 3 years straight and then many times before that!! I am just so used to it now but it is caused from my biologic. I won't stop taking it so I just deal with the neutropenia as best as I can.

I have lived with this issue for decades. Dr.s originally called it idiopathic neutropenia. In other words no idea why. For about 7 years or so I was taking weekly injections of neupogen. It would raise the count and by weeks end it would get lower. After going on Remicade the cycle changed. My counts were decent for about 5 weeks. Then in the 5th week, one week before next remicade infusion, I would need to self inject neupogen to get in the normal range. My Dr. figure this out by taking my blood every week for about 6 weeks, then about once a month, then every 5 weeks. Sure enough this cycle of now only dipping one week before the infusion(remicade) was proven over about 18 months. My Dr. concluded that indeed as I thought the counts dipped from my own cells attacking each other. This was proven by watching the results from the Remicade infusion. After the infusion my counts were good for 5 weeks . After the 5th week as the remicade in my system diminished the cells once again went to battle killing each other off. So the remicade not only helped my guts immune system from attacking itself, it also helped the lymphocytes and WBC to stop battling itself.
I have stopped taking Remicade and have been on Humira for the past 18 months. My colitis has gone into complete remission and so has my neutropenia. That again leads us to believe that (neutropenia) is indeed autoimmune issue. As my immune system has somewhat been regulated and my colitis is in check so is my WBC issues. BTW I am taking Humira every other week at this point. I am contemplating asking the Dr. to take me off of it soon.