I'm wondering if anybody else on has had high lymphocytes in their blood in addition to lymphocytic colitis. Evidently I had LC 10 years ago with my first colonoscopy, at which time a benign polyp was also removed. I did nothing different as far as diet goes and took no medications for it and it went away on its own. I didn't have problems again until 2 years ago, at which time my endometriosis was causing abd. pain in addition to LC. I had lost a bunch of weight due to nausea/vomiting and diarrhea, worked 2 jobs (stress!), was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, adrenal insufficiency, arrhythmias, degenerative joint and disc disease all within the past 2 years. On a more positive note, my interstitial cystitis wasn't present with my last cystoscopy. To manage my LC, I started keeping a food diary and found gluten, soy, and diary to be the most irritating to me. I've also been put on prednisone to help.
So anyway... I went to an Infectious disease doctor because I've been getting a variety infections every 1-2 months. He did an Immunodeficiency panel, which was negative. However, he was concerned that the lymphocytes in my blood work have been slowly climbing, I'm anemic, and I have been running low grade temps off and on for the past year. It concerns me that it concerns him that I may be starting to develop a lymphoma. So I was wondering if any of you out there have run into this problem. I live in a relatively small town so the doctors aren't exactly knowledgeable when it comes to lymphocytic colitis or anything else for that matter. I was told I may have to see a hematologist if the lymphocytes continue to go up.
The fact that I had carcinoma in situ with HPV for 1 year has me wondering if there isn't something else going on. I was on Lupron for the endometriosis last year and I had some very nasty side effects from that, plus I've read that it has a negative effect on the immune system. I just had a hysterectomy about 2 months ago for the endo and part of my incision came open. I had to get stitched up and I was hospitalized 2 weeks ago because of that and because my WBC was >20,000. I just finished my antibiotics yesterday. However, I just got a call from the OB-GYN that when they cultured me last Tuesday, it came back positive with VRE. Not cool...I know I had to have picked it up in the hospital.
I'm growing very tired of being at home all the time and unable to work. I wish there was a quick and easy fix to all this. I sure could use some advise, words of wisdom, and stories of anybodies experiences as far as this goes.
Elevated lymphocytes and lymphocytic colitis
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Sure, I've had an elevated white cell count from time to time when my MC symptoms were active, but never anywhere near that high. It's very likely that your elevated WBC level is due to the VRE, (assuming that you're referring to Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus). Such an infection will virtually always raise the WBC.
Incidentally, re-closing an incision poses a risk for infection. I've had abdominal surgery twice in the past 5 or 6 years, and both times, my incision split open for about an inch or two, but rather than try to re-close it, the surgeons chose to leave it open, and for several weeks or so, I packed it with fresh gauze each day, and covered it with a light bandage. It slowly grew shut. Presumably, by leaving it open to drain, this significantly reduced the risk of infection, because I never developed an infection while healing, either time.
Hopefully, your diet will soon begin to help control your symptoms. I don't know if you are aware of this, or not, but the corticosteroid will slow down your ability to heal, and it will limit your immune system's ability to fight the VRE. I developed a MRSA infection a couple of years ago, (from a separate issue), but fortunately, it was on the surface of my skin, and my immune system was able control it without the need for medical intervention. I hope your treatment goes well.
Tex
Incidentally, re-closing an incision poses a risk for infection. I've had abdominal surgery twice in the past 5 or 6 years, and both times, my incision split open for about an inch or two, but rather than try to re-close it, the surgeons chose to leave it open, and for several weeks or so, I packed it with fresh gauze each day, and covered it with a light bandage. It slowly grew shut. Presumably, by leaving it open to drain, this significantly reduced the risk of infection, because I never developed an infection while healing, either time.
Hopefully, your diet will soon begin to help control your symptoms. I don't know if you are aware of this, or not, but the corticosteroid will slow down your ability to heal, and it will limit your immune system's ability to fight the VRE. I developed a MRSA infection a couple of years ago, (from a separate issue), but fortunately, it was on the surface of my skin, and my immune system was able control it without the need for medical intervention. I hope your treatment goes well.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thanks Tex. Just to throw it out there, my cultures came back negative at the time my incision opened and my WBC was elevated, and evidently my lymphocytes have been elevated for about 3 months now. I was just told today that my culture that was done on Tuesday came back positive for VRE. And I was told yesterday that my stool cultures/VRE/O&P, etc. was all negative. Is it possible that I may have already been colonized with VRE but it didn't show until now? As for the steroids, the doctor told me that was likely why my incision came open and that it would take me longer to heal. I'm now on a maintance dose of 10mg/day of prednisone. I'm taking that for 1 more month then my GI guy wants to scope me again. Hopefully the VRE is cleared up by then!
I suppose that's not impossible, but just being a carrier, (without having an acute infection), shouldn't have caused a significant increase in your WBC. That generally requires an actual infection, or some major immune system activity. Of course, maybe you had a hidden infection, somewhere, that wasn't obvious at the time.smg2001 wrote:Is it possible that I may have already been colonized with VRE but it didn't show until now?
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Lots of repeat infections sounds like the office where I work this year. 
Vitamin D is related to increased rates of infection and slow recovery from infection, and the various forms of microscopic colitis. We don't absorb many vitamins well from our food - including D. I would be willing to bet if you have your vitamin D levels checked they will be very low. Restoring them will take time, but has got be worth a shot. Your GP can get you checked for D3 (the test is called 25(OH)D3 if I recall correctly). Have a search in the archives for this board for D3 to see how many of us choose to supplement.
I also take Zinc and vitamin A specifically for their impact on the immune system.
High lymphocytes can come from a range of things, most quite innocent, so the usual thing is to wait a few weeks (often 6 weeks) before retesting and then if they are still high and increasing to see the haemotologist or immunologist who will order lots more detailed blood tests. So your local doc is being quite reasonable in handling that.
Lyn
Vitamin D is related to increased rates of infection and slow recovery from infection, and the various forms of microscopic colitis. We don't absorb many vitamins well from our food - including D. I would be willing to bet if you have your vitamin D levels checked they will be very low. Restoring them will take time, but has got be worth a shot. Your GP can get you checked for D3 (the test is called 25(OH)D3 if I recall correctly). Have a search in the archives for this board for D3 to see how many of us choose to supplement.
I also take Zinc and vitamin A specifically for their impact on the immune system.
High lymphocytes can come from a range of things, most quite innocent, so the usual thing is to wait a few weeks (often 6 weeks) before retesting and then if they are still high and increasing to see the haemotologist or immunologist who will order lots more detailed blood tests. So your local doc is being quite reasonable in handling that.
Lyn