Dropping blood counts during lymphoma chemotherapy is actually very common — so you're definitely not alone in this. Chemo can affect the bone marrow's ability to produce blood cells, which can cause all three main blood cell types to fall.
Here's what low counts can mean:
- Low red blood cells (RBC) — Can cause fatigue Show Full Answer
Dropping blood counts during lymphoma chemotherapy is actually very common — so you're definitely not alone in this. Chemo can affect the bone marrow's ability to produce blood cells, which can cause all three main blood cell types to fall.
Here's what low counts can mean:
- Low red blood cells (RBC) — Can cause fatigue, weakness, and pale skin. This is called anemia and is very common during lymphoma treatment.
- Low white blood cells (WBC) — Makes it harder for your body to fight infections, leaving your immune system more vulnerable.
- Low platelets — Can make it harder for your blood to clot, leading to easy bruising or excessive bleeding from minor cuts. When all three counts drop together, it's called pancytopenia, which can be a side effect of chemotherapy or radiation.
A MyLymphomaTeam member shared: *"Blood tests came back with great results, so waiting for another round of scans in three months"* — a reminder that counts can improve over time.
It's really important to let your oncology team know if counts keep dropping. They may:
- Adjust your treatment dosage
- Prescribe medications to support blood cell production
- Recommend transfusions if needed
April 27
My husband has been cell lymphoma and is doing rchop
He has been going through roughly with blisters, swollen feet 8 units of blood past 3 weeks
May 11
Hi EstherJamesBrown,
My white blood count went down during chemo (ABVD chemo for Hodgkin's Lymphoma). I was told this was normal. How is your treatment going? Hope you are doing good.
April 29
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