Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST]

Maria Fisher46 said:Look, lady,

I don't see why you're stressing over these results. We're talking actual basophilia when those levels hit above 0.2x10*9/L, and those heavy diagnoses you're worried about usually involve numbers much higher than that, like 0.5x10*9/L or more. Your report just shows a slight uptick in basophils and monocytes, which is probably just a reactive or temporary thing. I guess there isn't really any reason to panic right now.

Thanks so much for the reply... My primary care doctor told me pretty much the exact same thing just a bit ago. Best of luck to you!

slystag4 said:Thanks a lot. Here was the situation: two weeks before this bloodwork, I had a fever, body aches, nausea, and intense joint pain. Eight days prior to this liver panel, my levels were extremely high, including a CRP of 17. Around that same time, we ran serology for CMV (IgM negative, IgG positive) and parvovirus (IgM negative, IgG positive). Eight days after the liver tests, everything looked normal again—except for the GGT, which dropped significantly from being three times the limit, and amylase, which hit 118 (normal range goes up to 91).

When should I schedule a follow-up EBV serology test?

Repeat the serology testing 2-3 weeks after the initial test.

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone else deals with something similar. Over the last few months, I've had my blood work done a few times now, and my white blood cell count keeps coming back low—around 2.7 or 2.8. My platelets have been hovering between 130 and 140 lately. I haven't had COVID as far as I know, maybe just some random virus, though nothing recently. On top of that, since last November, my blood pressure has been high so I'm on medication for that, and I'm struggling with issues in my neck—kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis—which causes this constant ringing in my ears. Honestly, these low white blood cell counts are really weighing on me. Should I go see a hematologist? If anyone has any real advice on what I should do... (just a heads up, I take quite a bit of Advil and Voltaren for my neck pain)

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Did you get a CBC done? If so, what did the results actually show?
Besides that, the main suspects here are those NSAIDs you're popping like candy just to deal with your back pain.

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In my opinion, those pain meds are still the primary culprit here. I’d suggest cutting them out entirely if you can, or at least slashing your dosage as much as humanly possible. Once you've done that, wait about 6 to 8 weeks before getting your bloodwork redone—you have to give your hematopoiesis enough time to actually stabilize.

Thanks so much.

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Hey everyone,
I had some blood work done about a month ago, and I just got my latest results back today. I’m scheduled for gallbladder surgery in two weeks, but things seem to have taken a turn for the worse. I guess it's possible the gallbladder itself is causing this decline?
Right after those first labs came back, I had a gallbladder attack—one of the worst ones I've ever dealt with, honestly.
Now, seeing these poor numbers has me pretty rattled. I'm not even sure who to ask, but I can't help wondering if the very organ I'm about to have removed is the culprit behind all this.

For instance, my FDA levels were at 49 when the limit is 40, but now they've jumped to 129.

I don't really get it. Maybe it's because I smoke, but as far as food goes, I haven't been eating much fat or snacking on junk. 😠

Given the context provided and the way things have been laid out, it seems highly probable.

Hello
Back in January, I had my blood lipids checked and they were pretty high: cholesterol was 7.2, HDL was 1.2, LDL was 4.9, and triglycerides were 2.2. I started a diet and managed to drop 10kg in two months, which brought my levels down to: cholesterol 5.6, HDL 1.3, LDL 3.9, and triglycerides 1.9. Are these values somewhat acceptable now? I’ve started eating a bit more "normally," so I'm wondering if I should stick strictly to the diet. I'm 34 years old, weighing 85kg at 175cm.

Aside from your total cholesterol and triglycerides—which are both running a little high—everything else looks completely normal. My advice? Stick to the diet. It’s going to be much better for you and your health in the long run.

Can someone make sense of these results for me?
Two years ago, a tick bite landed me a diagnosis of Borrelia. I’m currently living abroad (in Sweden) and was treated with a 10-day course of Penicillin-based Penicillin.
Before that, life was fine, aside from kidney stones and being told I have Gilbert's syndrome—though I've never actually had a genetic test for it.
Then everything changed. It started with neck and spine pain, flu-like sensations, and facial flushing. I suffered an ocular migraine with aura, followed by relentless headaches that simply won't quit. My shoulder blades lock up constantly. For the last few months, I've dealt with muscle twitching. To put it bluntly... there are many symptoms. I just feel terrible and generally weak.

The Borrelia flagell CLIA test was performed:
IgG 20 AU/ml <15
IgM 20 AU/ml <22

The verdict? They told me I was exposed, but apparently, there is no active infection.

We all know there are countless infections spread via insect bites, yet this whole area seems to be nothing but controversy.

Most of my other tests look fine, except for my Ferritin levels. I am also a bit concerned about this Immunoglobulin M. Can anyone explain?
Thanks.

analogbison7 said:Hey everyone, I was hoping someone could help me make sense of my lab results.
About two years ago, I got bitten by a tick and ended up with Borrelia. I’m living abroad right now—specifically in Sweden—and I was put on a 10-day course of Penicillin-based antibiotics.
Up until then, I didn't have any issues at all, aside from some kidney stones and being told I have Gilbert's syndrome (never actually had a genetic test done though).
Then everything changed—started with neck and spine pain, feeling flu-ish, and this flushing sensation in my face. I even had an ocular migraine with aura, and since then, the headaches have been absolutely brutal and won't quit. My shoulder blades lock up constantly too. Lately, over the last few months, I've been getting muscle twitching. Ugh, I won't go on forever... just a ton of symptoms. Honestly, I just feel terrible and weak overall.

They ran a Borrelia flagell CLIA test:
IgG 20 AU/ml <15
IgM 20 AU/ml <22

The doctors basically just said I was exposed but there isn't an active infection currently.

I know there are a massive amount of infections you can catch from a bite, but this whole thing feels like such a controversy.

Everything else looks fine on my other tests except for my Ferritin, and I'm a little worried about this Immunoglobulin M, so if anyone could explain that, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks

You really ought to get a better Western Blot for Borrelia, along with some immunology work like ANA, RF, and anti-CCP, plus testing for EBV and thyroid antibodies. If you’re vegan, definitely check your B12 levels too.
I wouldn't jump straight to neuroborreliosis—it could be anxiety or depression, or maybe tied to autoimmune stuff like rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, or benign fasciculation syndrome.
From a neurological standpoint, it would also be smart to get an MRI of the brain and an EMG.
Also, watch out for those charlatans surrounding this disease who are just looking to line their pockets at private clinics with "alternative" treatments.

Thanks for the response.
My brain MRI is done, and everything looks fine.
I’ll be getting an MRI of my spine in a few days.
B12 Cobalamin is at 317.
Should I be losing sleep over this slightly elevated Immunoglobulin M? (I included links to the tests performed.)
Kidney function is normal too... Is something being missed?

Getting a Western blot seems impossible, or perhaps they just don't bother with it. Private labs here only offer standard blood panels.
It doesn't look like a trip to the States will be necessary.🤔

Rheumatology says rheumatic conditions can sometimes slip through the cracks. They claim everything is okay. I should have the results on Monday.

Here is what the neurologist provided:

The ENA screen wasn't shown.
Spec ANA using FEIA technique:
SS-A (Ro52)
SS-A (Ro60)
SS-B (La)
Sm
U1RNP
Sci-70
Jo-1

For the low Ferritin, I was prescribed tablets that I take during my period.

All these results look solid to me. A Western Blot for Borrelia is a much more definitive and specific way to go. If you're planning to get this done here in the States, I’d suggest using Labcorp—they send samples out for specialized testing and usually have a turnaround in about four days.

The weird part to me is that you already know you were bitten by a tick and finished your treatment. I find it hard to believe that symptoms matching neuroborreliosis would just suddenly flare up two years later. How did those symptoms actually start—was it triggered by stress or something else?

If we were looking at actual neuroborreliosis, there would be visible brain damage or some pretty bad indicators on your scans...

Regarding B12—it wouldn't hurt to bump that up to at least 500, but honestly, I doubt such a minor deficiency is what's driving all these symptoms.

The bite happened in May 2019.
A month later, the Borrelia rash appeared. I took antibiotics for it, as previously mentioned. Since then, I’ve been stuck with this constant sense of impending illness and a flushing sensation in my face. It started with wrist pain, shoulder blade aches, a stiff neck, and mid-spine pain—the exact symptoms that sent me running to physical therapy.
Six months after the bite, I suffered an ocular migraine with aura and paralysis in my left arm. (I saw an ophthalmologist immediately since I’d never dealt with migraines before.) My eyes are fine. But since then? The headaches have become unbearable. It feels like my brain is going to explode. Why was my MRI clear? It makes no sense. I’ve had two such episodes.
Now, my head aches constantly, even if the intensity fluctuates.
I’m becoming hypersensitive to light and smells.
Then there’s the fatigue, coming and going in waves.
In January of this year, the muscle twitching began, along with pain in my bones, knees, ribs, and collarbones. Sometimes the tremors last for seven days straight. I suspect stress plays a role, given that I've been feeling terrible for nearly two years without a diagnosis. My life is actually quite stable; I don't have any external issues that would trigger depression or anything similar.
The only reason I managed to get any help at all was through private health insurance.

I can't find any explanation other than that bite.
Unless it's something with my spine.

Thanks for the responses.🙏

analogbison7 said:The bite happened back in May 2019.
About a month after the bite, this Borrelia rash popped up. I took antibiotics for it, just like I mentioned before. After that, I started feeling like I was constantly coming down with something—just this constant flushing sensation in my face. Then came the wrist pain, shoulder blade issues, a stiff neck, and pain right in the middle of my spine—those were my first symptoms, and they’re actually what drove me to start physical therapy.
Six months after the bite, I had an ocular migraine with aura and my left arm went paralyzed. (I rushed straight to the ophthalmologist since I'd never dealt with anything like a migraine before.) Turns out my eyes are totally fine. But ever since then, the headaches have been unbearable. It feels like my brain is literally going to explode. Honestly, it made me wonder why my MRI came back clean. I've had two episodes like that.
Since then, my head hurts pretty much all the time, even if it isn't always at that extreme intensity.
I'm getting super sensitive to smells and light now.
And the fatigue... it just comes and goes.
Then this past January, the muscle twitches started, along with bone pain in my knees, ribs, and collarbones. I've had tremors that lasted as long as seven days straight. I do think stress plays a part—I mean, I've been feeling terrible for nearly two years now and we still can't pin down what's happening. My life situation is actually great, so honestly, I don't have any other stressors that would trigger depression or anything like that.
The only reason I've managed to get any help at all is because of my private health insurance.

I can't see any other explanation besides that bite...
Unless there's something wrong with my spine.

Thanks so much for the replies.🙏

Maybe you didn't take enough antibiotics—I think the standard practice is usually about 3 or 4 weeks.
I don't know what else to do besides that positive Western Blot test. There are some other pricey tests over at ArminLabs, but almost everyone I know who went there ended up being a false positive. This whole Borrelia situation is just a complete mess. Good luck.

Hey everyone... Just got back from my physical at the doctor's office. I'm trying to make sense of some of these lab results and wanted to see what you guys think about my blood work and urine panel. Specifically, my MCHC came back slightly elevated—the reference range is 320-345, but I clocked in at 346. Should I be sweating this?

Then there's the urine analysis...
Leukocytes are 0-5
Epithelial cells 0-5
Some mucus present

https://ibb.co/GW5JDVP

Brandon Brown29 said:Hey there... Just had my physical. I was wondering what you guys think about these blood work and urine results. Specifically, my MCHC is slightly high—it's at 346, while the range is 320-345..

Then there's the urine..
Leukocytes, 0-5
Epithelial cells 0-5
Mucus-a little

https://ibb.co/GW5JDVP

Results look normal, I guess.

Jacob Lopez51 said:Maybe you didn't get enough antibiotics. Standard practice seems to be about 3 or 4 weeks of treatment.
What else is there to do besides waiting for a positive Western Blot? There are other expensive tests at Quest Diagnostics, but almost everyone I know who went there ended up being a false positive anyway. This whole Borrelia situation is a mess. Good luck.

That’s exactly what my former doctor in Chicago said. A short course of an antibiotic that isn't even the right choice. But what can you do? That's how they've been doing things here for over 30 years. Not to mention the doctor failed to even recognize the bullseye rash. Why would anyone trust them?

I considered sending blood work to Quest Diagnostics, but I have my doubts about their reliability.

So far, all my results look fine... except for a Vitamin D deficiency, elevated Bilirubin, and low Ferritin.
I'm waiting on an MRI of my spine before I decide on my next move. Either way, it's just a bunch of nonsense, and frankly, I'm exhausted by it all.