Red blood cell count 3.89, all other results normal - cause for concern?

It’s rare to look at the RBC count. Usually the hemoglobin or hematocrit (Hct) are more important as a first approximation for pathologic conditions. Your doctor is right. Sounds totally “normal”. Since you eat red meat, you are asymptomatic, and it sounds like your hemoglobin was in the normal range, you aren’t anemic and shouldn’t worry.

^^yup

My hemoglobin or hematocrit were both borderline low, but still in normal range. Still not something to worry about?

My RBC is often low. Usually when my RBC is low my hemoglobin and hematocrit are low also. When they are I now know I am low in iron, and taking iron pushes all the numbers close, or up to, the normal range.

At my lab the low parameter for normal RBC is 3.8, but I don’t remember the units.

My doctors, yes plural, almost never bother to mention the low numbers. Never for years and years. Finally, one agreed maybe I should take some iron. A few years later a new GYN I was seeing routinely checked iron as part of my annual with a simple finger pin prick blood sample, and she mentioned I was low in iron. I finally got serious about my iron level and getting my iron up helped me enormously.

I’m not recommending you take iron, I’m only saying you might want to look at your hematocrit and hemoglobin levels also, and if they barely are in the normal range maybe just keep an eye on it, or maybe next time you get a blood test ask for your iron to be tested also if it wasn’t this time.

Also, the jellies above say the RBC number isn’t very important, so that’s another doctor besides your doctor saying the same thing.

I had my iron tested at my gynecologist appointment in November and they never said anything about it, so I assume it was normal.

Just saw your last post. Did they check your iron?

I wouldn’t be worried. I had low numbers for many years and I don’t feel like it caused me harm, but I do think I would have been much better off having had a little extra iron.

We are writing at the same time.

Yep! :)

The words you want to worry about are severe or abnormal. Borderline is okay and not cause for concern. If your doctor was concerned you would know.

I did finally go to a hematologist about it about 6 years ago. She did some blood tests and ruled out some stuff, and she also recommended to take even more iron than I was and retest. Like I said, the iron does move the numbers for me and I feel much better. Iron can be dangerous if too much is taken, so like I said, you can’t go by my experience, but it does sound similar. Maybe eat more foods with iron like raisins, green veggies, some legumes, etc. and see if the lab tests get better and if you feel better (not that your sick) when you get it up into normal ranges.

@prettypenny I think it depends on the thing. Borderline for some people causes symptoms. Also, borderline might mean depending on the day the number is actually low. The only way to know is to test again. I don’t mean the next day, but within a reasonable time.

I’m finding out women are not told about a lot of borderline things and then they wind up feeling less than par. If not in the immediate, then eventually. My girlfriend was borderline low for B12 and her doctor didn’t think to mention. She was already in the range that some people are symptomatic (it says that on the labs) and what if she didn’t test again for a year or longer (likely) she easily could get lower. Her number was around 300. 300! When I was in the high 300’s my doctor thought it worthy to mention and treat. I just take the supplements when I remember to keep it around 500. Japan says 500 is borderline; Japan changed the parameter.

I’m just talking mostly vitamins and minerals here. Other types of tests some ranges are very narrow and fluctuate a little and are a whole different story. Ranges sometimes do get changed also, the old normal becomes the new low. It happened with vitamin B12 in Japan, vitamin D here. There has been debate over some of the thyroid ranges for years.

My last WBC listed the range as 3.7 to 5.90. I think you’re fine.

^This is about RBCs, not WBCs.

Excuse me, it was the total blood count, but that was the range for the RBC.