Is this a cause for concern?

lmliess

Okay - I hope I am just being silly but wondered if anyone knows anything about high neutrophils.
I had a CBC done on 1/8 and everything was in normal range except my neutrophils %. Normal range is 40 - 74% and mine was 78.4%. I asked the nurse and she said I may just be fighting an infection. Then I went to my new bone dr becuase through all this I was DX with osteoporosis. She ran a blood test too. Today I got a call that everything was normal but 'oh by the way, your neutrophils were a little high and you might have been fihting an infection". So I got on the internet and researched high neutrophils and what pops up....CANCER. It said I could be fighting a virus or something like cancer. So now I am freaked out! I haven't been sick...at all! Can your body fight infections and you not even know it?
I go next week to Houston for all of my scans but this caused a bit of concern seeing the cancer word again.

So has anyone had this and what are your thoughts?

mom_2_3

Some googling
I went to review all my blood records (they are online and go back to when I started treatment) and reviewed all my ANC results for the past 15 months. My ANC has been in the normal range the entire time since I have been seeing my oncologist (except for once when they dropped below the range).

I did google it a bit and saw that high neutrophils can be related to:

Stress from nervousness, exercise, or seizures
Damage or inflammation of tissues
Ketoacidosis (high ketones)
Cortisteroids
Lithium carbonate (psychological drug)
Infection

I know you exercise quite a bit so there's that stress. You have a scan coming up next week and that could be causing you some worry. Are you on a protein diet (that could cause ketones to increase)? What about steroids? Is it possible that you have a UTI that you have not detected through symptoms?

I noticed that my numbers for the ANC did go up about every 5 weeks (which is interesting as they corresponded to my monthly cycle). I am not sure if that was just coincidental or not but I found it curious. But when diagnosed I had a CEA of 283 and an ANC of 5.6 with large tumors in my liver. So my ANC was normal even though I had that cancer in me. So don't worry too much about this right now and just wait until next week. I had a bit of a scare with my CEA 6 weeks ago so I know we can get wrapped around the numbers but I try and do my best to just wait until I get "official" test results.

All the best,
Amy

dianetavegia

I worked in a private mental
I worked in a private mental institution for a number of years and remember well that lithium had to be limited to those from Texas because it's in the soil and occurs naturally in foods. I saw lithium listed as a cause for high neutrophils.

It's VERY hard to do, but a common medical term is 'when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras'. Most probably you're a bit nervous or under stress. Aren't you an accountant? Tax season? Tests coming up? Sounds like a good time for a FREAK OUT to me. )

Got you in my thoughts tonight for release from worry and continued great health.

Diane

lmliess

dianetavegia said:

I worked in a private mental
I worked in a private mental institution for a number of years and remember well that lithium had to be limited to those from Texas because it's in the soil and occurs naturally in foods. I saw lithium listed as a cause for high neutrophils.

It's VERY hard to do, but a common medical term is 'when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras'. Most probably you're a bit nervous or under stress. Aren't you an accountant? Tax season? Tests coming up? Sounds like a good time for a FREAK OUT to me. )

Got you in my thoughts tonight for release from worry and continued great health.

Diane

Maybe stress and exercise....
I did start working out more lately and yes, I do accounting so this month has been a bit hectic at work. As far as:

Stress from nervousness, exercise, or seizures - No seizures but yes to the other two.

Damage or inflammation of tissues - I did have radiation a year ago and my rear end has been hurting a bit lately. Especially since I started exercising so maybe the tissues are still damaged?

Ketoacidosis (high ketones) No...

Cortisteroids No

Lithium carbonate (psychological drug) Nope, just on a low dose prempro to get hot flashes and moods from my partial hysterectomy under control.

Infection - My daughter has had a cold and fever for about 2 weeks on and off so maybe my body was fighting her infection?

Anyway - thank you!! In reality the amounts are only over by 4% (74 to 78.4%) and the 2 dr's don't seem worried. I think it was the initial shock of seeing the word CANCER again. My absolute neutrophils are normal, it is just the percentage that was a little high.

I am really feeling good, I love my life and this past year put in perspective what matters to me. UGH - I really hate cancer. MAYBE...I need to get a big kickboxing bag and beat the you know what out if it! That would be a great workout!

Buzzard

lmliess said:

Maybe stress and exercise....
I did start working out more lately and yes, I do accounting so this month has been a bit hectic at work. As far as:

Stress from nervousness, exercise, or seizures - No seizures but yes to the other two.

Damage or inflammation of tissues - I did have radiation a year ago and my rear end has been hurting a bit lately. Especially since I started exercising so maybe the tissues are still damaged?

Ketoacidosis (high ketones) No...

Cortisteroids No

Lithium carbonate (psychological drug) Nope, just on a low dose prempro to get hot flashes and moods from my partial hysterectomy under control.

Infection - My daughter has had a cold and fever for about 2 weeks on and off so maybe my body was fighting her infection?

Anyway - thank you!! In reality the amounts are only over by 4% (74 to 78.4%) and the 2 dr's don't seem worried. I think it was the initial shock of seeing the word CANCER again. My absolute neutrophils are normal, it is just the percentage that was a little high.

I am really feeling good, I love my life and this past year put in perspective what matters to me. UGH - I really hate cancer. MAYBE...I need to get a big kickboxing bag and beat the you know what out if it! That would be a great workout!

Plastic trash cans work best..............
be positively sure they are plastic though.......

thready

lmliess said:

Maybe stress and exercise....
I did start working out more lately and yes, I do accounting so this month has been a bit hectic at work. As far as:

Stress from nervousness, exercise, or seizures - No seizures but yes to the other two.

Damage or inflammation of tissues - I did have radiation a year ago and my rear end has been hurting a bit lately. Especially since I started exercising so maybe the tissues are still damaged?

Ketoacidosis (high ketones) No...

Cortisteroids No

Lithium carbonate (psychological drug) Nope, just on a low dose prempro to get hot flashes and moods from my partial hysterectomy under control.

Infection - My daughter has had a cold and fever for about 2 weeks on and off so maybe my body was fighting her infection?

Anyway - thank you!! In reality the amounts are only over by 4% (74 to 78.4%) and the 2 dr's don't seem worried. I think it was the initial shock of seeing the word CANCER again. My absolute neutrophils are normal, it is just the percentage that was a little high.

I am really feeling good, I love my life and this past year put in perspective what matters to me. UGH - I really hate cancer. MAYBE...I need to get a big kickboxing bag and beat the you know what out if it! That would be a great workout!

First responders
Just wanted you to know that yes you can be fighting an infection (Viral or bacterial) and not even know it. Neutrophils are actually common white blood cells, they are the first responders to a situation.
About Stress:
In times of stress our resistance tends to lag and so here comes Neut. out to defend us. The only thing Neut knows is there something wrong so he shows up. I know the reaction to think all is not well when lab test show an abnormality, but things might be working like they were intended to work.

If it were me I would be a bit of a nut case until I had my next appointment so I will not tell you not to worry, but I will suggest plenty of rest, and plenty of fluids, maybe some homemade chicken soup. Then get that plastic trash can and kick it around the block.

Take care and keep us posted.
Jan