Could my lupus be leukemia?

I have been diagnosed with lupus for 3 years. I take prednisone because nothing else really works for me. My new doctor just called me after a new blood test telling me that my white blood cell count is very low. I say I know, it always is. I am told that since I am on the prednisone, my white blood cell count should have gone back up and not stayed so low. After some internet research I see that leukemia CAN be mistaken as lupus, but nothing is completely straightforward. Now I am all worried, do I have any basis for worrying that I could have leukemia?

Probably not. Low white counts are normal in lupus. Who told you that your white count would be normal with prednisone? Prednisone is an immunosuppressive drug. White cells are immune cells.

If you are worried, ask your doctor. If your doctor does not take you seriously get another doctor.

What led the doctor to diagnose you with lupus? What was the evidence? Did the doctor rule out leukemia at that time?

Talk to your doctor. Expect your doctor to talk to you. Don't rely on a bunch of people in yahoo answers to give you answers that require such medical expertise and can be life and death issues.

I don't think so. You take a lot of tests if you suspect Lupus in a patient and in my eyes it's impossible to miss leukemia. There are other hematologic conditions which CAN mimic certain aspects of lupus, but rather not leukemias.

By the way, in leukemia (which means "white blood") you would expect the whith cell count to be very high.

I'm sorry you are so ill and now so worried. I hope this will turn out well.

You probably do have lupus and prednisone is certainly classic as a treatment.

However, if you have a low white blood cell count, it could be something besides lupus:

"Answer
Sometimes the cause of a low white blood cell count can't be determined (idiopathic). Known causes of a low white blood cell count (leukopenia) include:

Infections, such as viral infections and HIV
Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus
Certain medications, especially those used in chemotherapy and some antibiotics
Radiation therapy
Bone marrow disease, such as leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes
White blood cells help fight infection in your body. A normal white blood cell count ranges from 4,500 to 10,000 cells per microliter of blood. A mild decrease in white blood cells below 4,500 cells per microliter doesn't necessarily indicate a serious illness. However, a dangerously low white blood cell count 鈥?below 2,500 cells per microliter 鈥?increases the risk of serious infection."
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-whi...

Having lupus does not mean you can't have something else as well. So, have your doctors investigate some more and do a reasonable number of tests to determine if there is something else that could be a problem. You may get a bone marrow aspiration or biopsy if your doc also considers leukemia.

The fact you have a NEW doc and he called abou the low count indicates he's open to investigating possibilities.

Good luck.