Dear Doctor, I had tonsillitis last week, and my WBC was 17x10000/L. After taking the prescribed medication and no longer experiencing a sore throat last Thursday, I repeated my blood test on Tuesday, and my WBC has decreased to 13x10000/L. Although it has come down, it is still above the normal range. Could you please advise if this rate of reduction is normal and whether I should be concerned?

Answered by 1 Apollo Doctors

Dr Bhanu Prakash

General Practitioner

MBBS
AFIH
Advanced certificate in critical care medicine
Fellowship in critical care medicine
10+ Yrs

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A WBC of 17 during infection is normal your body was fighting tonsillitis. Its a good sign that it dropped to 13 after treatment. WBC may take 1 to 2 weeks to return to full normal range. No need to worry if you are feeling well and have no fever or new symptoms. Repeat CBC after a week to confirm recovery.

Dr. Bhanu Suggests...

Take a CBC Test (Complete Blood Count) Test

Book CBC Test (Complete Blood Count) Test

Answered 12/09/2025

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