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

Susan Gray91 said:Hi, I could use some help here.
I'm currently undergoing fertility treatment, so it made sense to have my thyroid checked too. I was hoping for some good news, just to be safe 😢.
Anyway, my hormone levels look fine
Tsh -2.28 (0.3 - 3.6)
T3 1.3 (1.2-3.4)
T4 109 (58-161)
I had an ultrasound today, and the doctor mentioned thyroiditis and some nodules. She couldn't tell if they're just enlarged lymph nodes or adenomas. On top of that, she asked me to get blood work for PTH and serum calcium.
I'm just wondering what those two tests are and why they're necessary.

You should definitely get antibody testing done as well, if you haven't already.

PTH and serum Calcium are used, among other things, to evaluate parathyroid gland function. These glands sit right behind the thyroid. They secrete a hormone known as PTH. Based on the neck ultrasound, the doctor can't rule out that these glands might be enlarged; if they are, they could be overproducing PTH, which would subsequently drive up your serum calcium levels.

brightmoose34 said:Red blood cells in urine at 10-15... and that's from my first morning sample... I went in because of frequent urination and pain in the lower right abdomen, along with loose stools (I was worried it might be appendicitis)... the urine also showed some trace leukocytes, mucus(2), and some plate-like stuff (I don't have the report handy)... the doctor recommended drinking plenty of fluids.🐔

So, what’s the current status? How old are you? What did the full urinalysis show?

Kate Ruiz48 said:Hello, I was wondering if someone could help me interpret these HLA system results I recently received. I've been having health issues that might point toward an autoimmune disorder, but I have to wait a month to see an immunologist. The results read as follows:
HLA-A 3/10
HLA-B 22/ND
HLA-DRB1 14/15
Thanks in advance for any help! :-)

You really need to be more specific about which autoimmune disease you suspect. Almost any HLA type can be linked to some condition, but the question is how clinically significant that link is in your specific case. Looking at this, I don't see any antigens that are exceptionally strongly tied to a classic autoimmune disease.

hla-drb1*15 represents a genetic predisposition for multiple sclerosis.

The HLA-A3 marker indicates a genetic predisposition toward hemochromatosis.

Can someone help me make sense of my dad's shoulder imaging results? He’s 72, and honestly, it's heartbreaking to watch—he’s dealing with this massive amount of pain in his shoulder. He seems okay during the day, but once night hits, he just can't get any sleep at all because of it...

The scans of the right shoulder show that the joint surfaces are properly aligned. There are some mild degenerative changes in the glenohumeral joint near the bottom, specifically some marginal osteophyte formation on the edge of the glenoid surface, while the AC joint looks totally normal.
There's some minor bone buildup at the edge of the acromion, which points toward enthesopathy. Also, there’s an oval-shaped soft tissue calcification about 7 mm wide near the greater tuberosity of the humerus, which indicates calcific tendinopathy. No obvious signs of erosive changes on the joint surfaces were found.

I am 41 years old—currently breastfeeding a healthy 4.5-month-old baby girl.

For about 4 or 5 days now, I’ve been dealing with some digestive issues—specifically diarrhea.
Ever since giving birth, I’ve had occasional tingling sensations in my left hand—I had an emergency C-section, and was under an epidural prior to that.
Yesterday, that tingling sensation spread to my right leg as well.
On top of that, I experienced heart palpitations and a general sense of weakness.

So, I headed to the ER.
They ran an EKG—everything looked fine. Sinus rhythm at 80 bpm.

They also noted: Two hours of heart rate monitoring showed no extra beats or pauses.

They drew blood. Here are the results—they didn't list the reference ranges, so I'll bold the two things I'm most concerned about:
Intermediate electrical os. L7.6
E 4.73
Hb 136
Hct 0.388
MCV 82.02
MCH 28.8
MCHC 351
T 146
AST 19
ALT 23
CK 45
LDH 136
Urea 4.9
Creatinine 63
Na 138
K 3.4
Cl 105
IRS 7.1
FBI 31.8

I was given orders to complete an OGTT and a stool culture, which I plan to do shortly.

In the meantime, I have a few questions.

I had an OGTT during my pregnancy and those results were normal.
About an hour before yesterday's blood draw, I ate some strawberries and vanilla ice cream— I assume that could have spiked my IRS levels?

What concerns me most—and honestly, what is frightening me—is this very high FBI level. From what I understand, a normal FBI reading is under 5, but mine jumped to 31.8.

I suspect it might be some kind of bacterial inflammation, given my digestive symptoms. But just to settle my nerves, what would that level look like if we were talking about something malignant?

P.S. One more thing. I recently participated in a study where they tested my thyroid hormones. I was told over the phone that my TSH is a bit low—I don't have the official report yet—so they suggested I re-test in about 10 days.

But I'm primarily focused on this FBI reading because, frankly, it sounds terrifying.

Thanks to anyone who can offer some insight. 🙂

d

Hey,

I really need some input on these lab results... I'm 25 and I've been dealing with anemia since high school; it actually cleared up for a bit, but now everything is coming back to haunt me. I'm feeling all the classic symptoms—just constant fatigue, dizzy spells every now and then, freezing hands, and my face looks super pale..
My labs from February looked like this:
hemoglobin 117 (119-157)
iron 9 (8-30)
TIBC 100 (49-75)
UIBC 91 (26-59)
lymphocytes 60 (20-46)
MPV 6.7 (6.8-10.4)
RBC 3.79 (3.86-5.08)

ferritin - 31.6 (15-150)

So, after knocking back two bottles of Steel Dynamics supplements, here is the latest:
Everything is pretty much back in range except for TIBC at 94, UIBC at 79, and RBC at 3.82.

But the ferritin dropped down to 15.7 (15-150)

My doctor still has zero clue what’s going on and is sending me for more stool tests because she suspects bleeding, even though I literally just did those a few months ago and everything came back totally fine.

What other tests should I be asking for? This drop in ferritin is honestly freaking me out, and my doctor isn't taking it seriously even though I feel like absolute crap.

Maria Fisher46 said:So, how are things looking now? How old are you guys, and what did the full urinalysis show?
.

I just got my results back and I have 20 red blood cells in my urine (midstream), plus some white blood cell counts showing up between 10-12 in the first stream. My doctor hasn't checked my kidneys yet, but they did prescribe me Doxycycline. 😵😵 Should I be looking for a second opinion? My blood work looks great, but I just realized that on my lab results from two months ago—back when I went for my company physical—my creatinine was at 107. It doesn't hurt when I pee, and I haven't had any issues with frequency lately. The only thing left is some lower abdominal pain, though it's much milder than when this first started. I'm only 27.

I’d really appreciate an answer!

Bryan Kern said:Can someone help me make sense of my father's MRI results? He’s 72. He's dealing with intense shoulder pain—he manages okay during the day, but he can't get a wink of sleep at night.

Right shoulder imaging shows congruent articular surfaces. There are minor degenerative changes in the inferior portion of the glenohumeral joint, noted by marginal osteophytosis along the glenoid fossa. The acromioclavicular joint appears within normal limits.
Minor bony spurs at the edge of the acromion, consistent with enthesopathy. There is also an oval, elongated soft tissue calcification—about 7 mm in diameter—near the greater tuberosity of the humerus, indicating calcific tendinopathy. No obvious erosive changes were found on the joint surfaces.

An X-ray of the shoulder isn't exactly a lab report. You've asked this in the wrong place.

Short answer: you’re likely looking at calcific tendonitis or shoulder tendinopathy. It's a condition where calcium builds up within the shoulder tendons. The phase where that calcium actually starts to reabsorb? That's when the pain really hits.

The treatment plan involves a combination of anti-inflammatories and painkillers, followed by physical therapy.

You can find more details here. Here..

Of course, I should clarify that I'm speaking specifically about this diagnosis. Whether there’s something else at play remains to be seen—without a thorough examination and a full medical history, it's impossible to say for sure.

Carol Garcia80 said:My doctor ordered an OGTT and a stool culture. I'll get them done.

In the meantime, I have a question.

I had my OGTT during pregnancy, and the results came back clear.
I had strawberries and vanilla ice cream about an hour before yesterday's blood draw. I assume that could have driven up the IRS levels?

Yeah, that seems like the most likely reason for the IRS finding.

What interests me most—and honestly, what scares me—is this... The FBI levels are incredibly high.From what I gather, a standard C-reactive protein level should sit well under 5. Mine just spiked to 31.8.

A CRP of 31.8 isn't cause for panic, but it does tell a story. It’s not an especially high reading. Generally speaking, values under 50 often point toward viral infections. Once you hit the 50 to 100 range, you could be looking at either a virus or bacteria. Anything north of 100 usually signals a bacterial issue. Of course, medicine isn't an exact science—there are always outliers. Some viruses can push those numbers higher, and certain localized bacterial infections might stay lower. It's also worth noting that elevated CRP can stem from inflammation that isn't an infection at all, such as an autoimmune condition.

It’s worth noting that you can't judge the severity of an illness based solely on CRP levels. It's a flawed metric on its own. You'll run into people who look perfectly fine but have a CRP sitting at 200, while others are in critical condition despite having completely normal results. One number doesn't tell the whole story.

I’m guessing this is some kind of bacterial inflammation given my digestive issues. But just to put my mind at ease, what would his levels look like if we were actually talking about something malignant?

Whether this is a bacterial or viral gut infection—and whether diarrhea is even a direct consequence of the infection—is impossible to determine here on a forum without a physical exam. I'm not sure why the jump was made straight to malignancy. With cancer, your FBI levels could be perfectly normal or wildly elevated; you can't use those markers to diagnose or rule out a tumor.

Looking at these results, it appears there is mild hypokalemia, meaning low potassium levels. This is likely a byproduct of fluid loss from the diarrhea, so you should keep an eye on that. If the diarrhea is severe, you’ll need to focus on rehydrating and replacing electrolytes.

It is entirely possible you are dealing with two distinct issues. One might be an acute intestinal infection—again, purely speculative via a forum—which explains the diarrhea and weakness. You're probably dehydrated, which could also explain those heart palpitations. The second possibility involves those existing issues you mentioned, which might be linked to thyroid dysfunction.

stormyseal1 said:Hey there.

I’d appreciate some perspective on these results. I’m 25, and I’ve been dealing with anemia since my high school days. Things stabilized for a while, but now the issues are resurfacing. All the usual red flags are there—constant fatigue, bouts of dizziness, cold hands, and looking pretty pale.
The findings in the second month look like this:
Hemoglobin at 117. The range starts at 119. Just outside the lines.
Iron 9 (8-30)
TIBC 100 (49-75)
UIBC 91 (26-59)
Lymphocytes at 60 (normal range 20-46).
MPV 6.7 (range: 6.8–10.4)
Red blood cell count: 3.79 (normal range: 3.86–5.08). Slightly below the threshold.

Ferritin levels sitting at 31.6. The standard range is 15 to 150. It’s within the bounds, though definitely leaning toward the lower end of the spectrum.

After going through two cases of Steel Dynamics, here’s the breakdown:
Most values are within range, except for the TIBC at 94, UIBC at 79, and an RBC count of 3.82.

My ferritin dropped to 15.7. The standard range is 15 to 150. It's cutting it close.

My doctor still hasn't figured out what's going on with me. Now she’s sending me back for more stool tests because she's worried about potential bleeding. It feels a bit redundant, considering I just went through this exact same battery of tests a few months ago and everything came back perfectly fine.

What other tests should I ask for? My ferritin levels are dropping, and frankly, it’s starting to worry me. My doctor isn't taking it seriously, even though I feel like garbage.

What’s the cycle like? What about the diet?

brightmoose34 said:Just got my labs back. I'm seeing 20 red blood cells in a midstream sample, though the white cell count was low at 0-2 in the first stream before jumping up to 10-12. My kidney function hasn't been evaluated yet. For now, I've just been prescribed doxycycline. 😵😵 Should I seek a second opinion? My blood work is good enough to frame, but I just realized something from my physical back when I went in through my employer two months ago: my creatinine was at 107. There’s no pain during urination, nor was there before, and frequency hasn't increased. All that's left is some lingering pain in my lower abdomen, though it's milder than when this started. I'm 27.

I'd appreciate an answer.

I don't see the logic behind prescribing doxycycline here. That's usually reserved for suspected STIs. It’s also unclear what we're actually treating—is this a UTI or urethritis? At the very least, a urine culture should be ordered first. If the results warrant it, then we move on to more intensive diagnostics.

Just because your blood work comes back clean doesn't mean you're in the clear. It doesn't rule out a urinary tract infection or any other issues within that system.

Looking for another perspective.

Maria Fisher46 said:So, what's the deal with your period? And what are you actually eating?

My period isn't even that heavy, it just lasts about 4 days, I guess. I try to keep my diet pretty varied—I eat meat basically every single day and I'm trying to pile on more fruits and veggies lately... I already went in for a gynecological ultrasound and everything came back totally clear, no fibroids or anything like that, which is what the doctor told me to check for...

restlessstag71 said:And I'd ask one last thing, since I honestly don't know anyone dealing with this kind of stuff—is it actually possible for atrophied muscles to hurt that much??
Thanks!!

Maria Fisher46 said:I think that explanation is oversimplified, but the point was probably meant to be that the pain isn't inflammatory, but rather a mechanical cause of lower back issues, meaning physical therapy to strengthen the muscles is necessary. Whether that's what you're dealing with, I don't know. Pain is subjective—some people might scream from a needle prick while others barely feel it—so judging whether intense back pain can "just be from weak muscles" based solely on a diagnosis isn't really a valid way to look at it.

Hi,
Thanks for all the answers, the time, and the effort.
Just wanted to let you know—and maybe this helps someone else too—that I finally figured out what's going on. It turns out it's hemorrhoids and ischiofemoral impingement in my hips. I'm definitely looking at hip surgery, and as for the hemorrhoids, I still have to see, but surgery is likely there too. Also, just to mention, the pain was in my back, but mostly in my pelvis; I didn't realize that until things got worse.
Thanks again for everything!

Maria Fisher46 said:It’s possible you’re dealing with two separate issues here. One could be an acute intestinal infection—and I should clarify, I can't give medical diagnoses over a forum—which would explain the diarrhea and general malaise. You're likely dehydrated, too, which often triggers those heart palpitations. Then there's the second possibility: something related to the tingling sensations you've been experiencing, which might even tie back to thyroid dysfunction.

Thanks for the response. Just one quick follow-up: could those tingles—which haven't gone away—along with this occasional weakness in my limbs (it isn't everywhere at once), possibly point to a potassium deficiency? Also, I realized I forgot to mention a detail that might matter: I'm currently following a high-protein, low-carb diet.

I’m looking for some insight on these urine test results. It’s for a little girl, almost 7 years old. She isn't showing any symptoms that I've noticed personally—this was just a routine check required for her first-grade enrollment at the local elementary school.

BLOOD POSITIVE
BILIRUBIN NEGATIVE
UROBILINOGEN NORMAL
KETONES NEGATIVE
PROTEINS NEGATIVE
NITRATES NEGATIVE
GLUCOSE NORMAL
REACTION 5.0 (4.5-8.0)
SPECIFIC GRAVITY 1.032
WBC POSITIVE
APPEARANCE SLIGHTLY CLOUDY
COLOR YELLOW

SEDIMENT WBC 15 (ref 0-5)
SEDIMENT RBC 4 (ref 0-2)
SEDIMENT WBC IN WMLAT
SEDIMENT RBC IN WMLAT
SEDIMENT EPITHELIAL CELLS ST
SEDIMENT EP. ST-TUBULAR
SEDIMENT EP. ST-TRANSITIONAL
SEDIMENT EP. ST-SQUAMOUS 1
SEDIMENT CASTS
SEDIMENT BACTERIA SOME
CRYSTALS
SEDIMENT MUCUS MASS
SEDIMENT OTHER ELEM I
SEDIMENT OTHER ELEM II

Nicholas Myers, thanks so much for getting back to me! :-) They’re currently looking into rheumatoid arthritis—my uncle actually dealt with that—and spondylitis, mostly because walking has been such a struggle lately. I’ve been dealing with this constant pain in my hips and pelvis for about a year now, ever since I went a bit too hard during one intense workout session. They actually found a labral tear in my right hip, but before they go ahead with surgery, they want to rule out any underlying immune issues. The thing is, the pain feels more like inflammation; it radiates all the way down my leg and into my lower back, which doesn't quite line up with just a labral tear. On the bright side, my FBI levels are sitting at 1.8, so my bloodwork looks pretty solid. Honestly, though, I’ve started getting a little anxious about MS. I had an MRI of my brain about a year ago and everything came back totally fine, so I'm wondering if there's a connection there? It's just getting harder to stay mobile, and it's starting to affect my other leg too. I feel like I'm losing my strength. Lp

Maria Fisher46 said:If you haven't done it already, you really ought to get your antibody levels checked too.

PTH and calcium levels in your blood are used to gauge how those parathyroid glands are doing... they're tucked right behind the thyroid. They pump out this hormone called PTH. My doctor couldn't rule out that those glands might be enlarged based on my neck ultrasound, and if they are, they can start overproducing PTH... which then bumps up the calcium levels in your serum... just one thing leading to another...

Thanks so much for the info. I went ahead and got the PTH and calcium drawn, so now I'm just playing the waiting game for results. In the meantime, I checked my antibodies... anti-Tg looks fine, but the anti-TPO came back high—it's at 238, when it's supposed to be under 9...

Is a blood calcium level of 2.56 dangerous? My results show the upper limit is 2.53.

Hello, I would like to hear a doctor's opinion regarding my blood work results.
RBC-5.40 (4.34-5.72) hematocrit-0.46 (0.42-0.53)
hemoglobin 161 (138-175) MCV-86 (83-97) MCH-29.0 (24.3-33.9) MCHC-338 (304-346) platelets-295 (158-424) WBC-13.1 (3.4-9.7)
CBC
seg-63 (45-74) neseg-2 (0-2) eosinophil-4 (1-7) basophil-0 (0-1) lymphocytes-12 (20-45) monocytes-6 (2-12) reactive lymphocytes-12

glucose-5.5 (4.2-6) urea-4.3 (2.8-8.3) creatinine-81 (80-115) bilirubin-10 (3-20)

AST-28 (11-38) ALT-65 (12-48) GGT-120 (11-55) ALP-107 (60-142)
K-4.1 (3.9-5.1) Na-144 (137-146) iron-15.7 (10.6-28.3) UIBC-39.3 (25-54)
TIBC-55.0 calcium-2.56 (2.14-2.53) P-1.05 (0.79-1.42) Cl-99 (97-108)

coagulation: PT-1.18 (0.7-1.2) INR-0.9 (0.9-1.26) APTT-s-24 (24-33) APTT-r-0.9 (0.8-1.2) fibrinogen-4.3 (1.6-4) PT-20 (14-22) D-dimer-265.8 (0-500) AT-1.23 (0.75-1.25)

ferritin-303.20 (30-400) free cortisol-343.4 (100-379) total cortisol 8h-1050 (171-536) total cortisol 16h-590 (64-327)
I am 28 years old.
I had my blood drawn because I was experiencing high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate, though those have stabilized now.
I have already completed an abdominal ultrasound, a CT scan of the renal arteries, and hepatitis screening, all of which came back normal.
My echocardiogram showed a slight valve leak, so I have been referred for further imaging.
I should mention that I have been under constant stress for the last 2-3 weeks since my blood pressure first spiked. I am constantly worrying about it and experiencing panic attacks.

Currently, I am concerned about the white blood cell and lymphocyte counts.

I should have mentioned that my nose feels constantly stuffed up, and I occasionally get this sensation of drainage in my throat.

I was wondering if anyone here might happen to know what it actually signifies when someone's blood iron levels come back slightly elevated—say, somewhere in the range of 35 to 40—even though every other single metric on the lab report appears to be perfectly normal? I would truly appreciate any insight you all might have. Thank you.

This is regarding my 10-year-old child's blood work results.
At the end of January, we decided to get a routine CBC done—it had been a few years since her last checkup—mostly because she’s been looking a little pale lately and I wanted to check her iron levels.

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Everything looks fine for the most part, except for those elevated lymphocyte percentages. Interestingly, when we did this first draw, she didn't show any signs of a cold or a virus—even though everyone around us was absolutely hacking and sneezing (it was peak flu season, you know how it goes).

Then, in April, we repeated the blood work, but just two days after the draw, she came down with a cold—coughing, stuffy nose, the whole deal. Once again, the lymphocyte percentage was slightly elevated.

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The doctor suggested we follow up with another blood test in a month, so we went ahead and did that today (and she isn't sick at all right now):

View on imgur

Basically, the lymphocytes are trending down, though they are still sitting right at the upper limit of the normal range.
After that second round of blood work, we also ran a mono test where the IgM was negative but the IgG was positive. (Honestly, I have no idea when she might have had it—there were zero symptoms).
We also did allergy testing (total IgE and a prick test for inhalation allergies) because her eyes have been itchy, but those came back negative. We even tested for parasites two months ago because I noticed some tiny thread-like things in her stool, but all three parasite tests were negative too.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts regarding these lymphocytes. Is there any reason to push for further testing, given that this has been dragging on for quite a while now?
Just as a side note—ever since she started school about three years ago, aside from maybe two or three minor colds in the winter (no fever involved), she hasn't dealt with any major viruses, the flu, or fevers... even though plenty of kids in her class have been out sick.

Also, if anyone can explain this MPXI value—I see it moved from -8 in the first draw to -1.7 in the latest one. What does that actually signify?

Dear all—after my third child, I dealt with a bout of thrombophlebitis, and since then, I’ve been struggling with varicose veins in my legs. Because I’ve also been having some breathing issues lately, I went in for a bronchoscopy and had a coagulation panel done. Could someone please help me make sense of these results? PV 0.99, INR 1.00, APTT 26, APTT Ratio 0.8
FIBRINOGEN 4.3

Thanks so much

Justin Phillips15 said:Hello, I was hoping to get a doctor's opinion regarding some blood work results...
RBC-5.40 (4.34-5.72) Hematocrit-0.46 (0.42-0.53)
Hemoglobin 161 (138-175) MCV-86 (83-97) MCH-29.0 (24.3-33.9) MCHC-338 (304-346) Platelets-295 (158-424) WBC-13.1 (3.4-9.7)
CBC
Seg-63 (45-74) Non-seg-2 (0-2) Eosinophil-4 (1-7) Basophil-0 (0-1) Lymphocyte-12 (20-45) Monocyte-6 (2-12) Reactive lymphocyte-12

Glucose-5.5 (4.2-6) Urea-4.3 (2.8-8.3) Creatinine-81 (80-115) Bilirubin-10 (3-20)

AST-28 (11-38) ALT-65 (12-48) GGT-120 (11-55) ALP-107 (60-142)
K-4.1 (3.9-5.1) Na-144 (137-146) Iron-15.7 (10.6-28.3) UIBC-39.3 (25-54)
TIBC-55.0 Calcium-2.56 (2.14-2.53) P-1.05 (0.79-1.42) Cl-99 (97-108)

Coagulation: PT-1.18 (0.7-1.2) INR-0.9 (0.9-1.26) APTT-s-24 (24-33) APTT-r-0.9 (0.8-1.2) Fibrinogen-4.3 (1.6-4) PT-20 (14-22) D-dimer-265.8 (0-500) AT-1.23 (0.75-1.25)

Ferritin-303.20 (30-400) Free cortisol-343.4 (100-379) Total cortisol 8h-1050 (171-536) Total cortisol 16h-590 (64-327)
I am 28 years old
I had my blood drawn because I was dealing with high blood pressure and heart palpitations, though those have stabilized now.
I've already had an abdominal ultrasound, a CT scan of the renal arteries, and hepatitis markers, all of which came back normal.
My cardiac ultrasound showed a slight valve leak, so I've been referred for further imaging.
I should mention that I've been under constant stress for about 2-3 weeks since the blood pressure issues started. I can't stop thinking about it; I'm having panic attacks and everything.

Now I'm just worried about these white blood cell and lymphocyte counts...

Is anyone available?
My doctor told me based on the CBC that it's likely just some kind of virus. She wouldn't even give me a referral for a retest; she just said to check back in a month if I develop any other symptoms.