Posts by Nicholas Myers

redcyclist7 said:So... I'm a bit confused. I just had bloodwork done, and my Hematocrit came back low.

The result shows Hematocrit at 0.338L, while the normal range starts at 0.356.

And my iron is 20.🤔

Some people say low Hematocrit can signal bleeding... but everything else in my CBC Panel looks fine. What’s actually wrong here?

We really need to see the rest of those results, too. It would also help to know why you were sent for these specific tests in the first place.

Sarah Rodriguez68 said:I have a question as well. I had blood and urine tests because of some ovarian inflammation.
What worried me was finding ketones in my urine. I know that can be a sign of diabetes—my dad is diabetic—but my glucose was 4.6, which is normal. About six months ago, for entirely different reasons, I took an OGTT test; my fasting level was fine, but ninety minutes after the glucose drink, it was 3.6 (below normal).
Could there be a connection? Should I be looking into more testing? I'm feeling a little anxious about it.

It would be helpful if you could share the full report so we can see what we're dealing with. For instance, ketones in urine can show up if someone is simply fasting.

Sandra Brooks91 said:Are my results not interesting enough?🙂

To provide any meaningful feedback, we need context: why were these tests ordered, are you experiencing symptoms, and were you fasting?

Nancy Martinez70 said:I got my urine results back and Urobilinogen is 1. The report says the reference interval is 1, which implies my result is normal. But I've been reading online and everyone seems to say it should be zero?

As mentioned before, providing just one outlier value isn't enough for an interpretation. We need the full picture: the reason for the tests and the other related values.

Emily Ortiz27 said:Nicholas Myers, sorry for the off-topic, but I can't accept PMs because my inbox is full 😉

Unfortunately, I have a mountain of unread messages and can't get to my inbox right now. Maybe over the weekend or whenever I find a spare moment.

Mark Anderson2 said:Hi. I’m looking for some help interpreting blood work I was ordered after being suspected of having arthritis:

Urea 310
ALP 116
leukocytes 9.08
Erythrocytes 4.28
Hgb 133
Hematocrit 0.372
MCV 87
MCH 28.7
MCHC 330
RDW 12.6
Platelets 303
MPV 7.4
ESR 34

My ALP is right at the edge of the reference range, which goes up to 119.
Also, my ESR is quite elevated.

Any help would be appreciated.

All in all, these results won't be the deciding factor in diagnosing or ruling out arthritis. Based solely on the numbers you've shared here, a diagnosis can neither be confirmed nor dismissed.

frozentinker992 said:I have a question regarding a low-dose dexamethasone test.

About a year and a half ago, I had a low-dose dex test due to high cortisol levels.
I’d take a 1mg tablet in the evening and test my cortisol the next morning.

The first time, cortisol dropped below 25, which is normal.

Then, a month ago, I did the test again; cortisol was around 190. My endocrinologist said the suppression wasn't sufficient and sent me to repeat the exact same test.

After a month, the result was normal—cortisol dropped below 25.

Now I'm wondering, can this cortisol suppression fluctuate due to an illness, or could it be a lab error or something else?

I hope someone knows. Thanks in advance.👍

With an overnight suppression test using 1 mg of dexamethasone, false positives and false negatives are possible. For instance, things like depression, certain medications, or acute illnesses can cause false positives—meaning the cortisol doesn't suppress enough.

You should discuss what happened and whether further diagnostics are needed with your endocrinologist, but just as a general guide, erroneous results are certainly possible with this test.

restlesstiger102 said:Hi, I did some testing on my reproductive hormones and got the results today. Basically, I'm struggling with weight gain even though I don't eat much.
I'm planning to see a gynecologist, but I'm not exactly thrilled with my current one (he never says anything, just mutters to himself, and won't explain things when asked. His go-to answer is always "just get pregnant and everything will balance out"🤦... and yes, I'm looking for a new doctor, but that's a separate issue).

I'm attaching a photo of the results, so if anyone knows how to interpret them, please help—I can't make heads or tails of this. I just want to be prepared for the conversation with him and know if I need to ask for a referral for more tests.

http://postimg.org/image/3pvnldwtj/

Thanks🙂

What phase of your cycle were you in when you had the bloodwork done? Also, even if you aren't overeating, a lack of physical activity can still lead to weight gain. Have you checked your thyroid levels?

Emily Ortiz27 said:We also had an eye exam today where they noted megalocornea, and he'll be undergoing some follow-up tests under anesthesia soon.
Is all of this connected, or is it just a series of unfortunate coincidences? It feels like nobody is looking at the child holistically; everyone just focuses on their own narrow specialty, leaving us in quite a state of worry, while the child seems like a perfectly healthy (albeit tiny, with huge eyes 😍), energetic, curious, and engaged one-year-old 😕

Hmm, there are certain syndromes where megalocornea is a component. Wait for the ophthalmology workup to finish; it might not be a syndrome. Otherwise, I think it’s best to stick with Mayo Clinic for pediatric care—they have the most experience dealing with rare diseases and syndromes.

rapidranger79 said:I can't share all the specifics, but the results came back this afternoon... there's no other way to put it. Iron levels are Fe 9, UIBC 24, TIBC 33, ferritin 252... Ferlicit was prescribed at the hospital. Another internist thinks Ferlicit is unnecessary—actually, harmful.

At this ferritin level, an iron supplement is neither necessary nor helpful. The second internist is right. I can't comment further without knowing the full blood work, age, sex, or actual symptoms.

Sandra Brooks91 said:What happens to the liver when certain markers are low? Like ALT and ALP?

Low ALT typically carries no clinical significance. As for ALP, it depends on how low it is and whether the patient is symptomatic.

Hannah Peterson said:So how is it that they couldn't just tell her at the American Red Cross lab if she was positive or not, but instead found "one tiny marker that might suggest it's Hep"... I just don't get it. -_-

It is highly probable they will repeat the test or run a confirmatory one using a different method to either confirm or rule out the suspicion.

Grace Lewis6 said:Good grief, I didn't even make the connection that elevated erythrocytes meant blood in my urine. 🤦

It’s likely just microhematuria.

Amylase (urine) is around 600—the upper limit is about 400. As a full-blown hypochondriac, I already convinced myself I had pancreatic cancer, but the doctor says there's no need to worry about it right now. I suppose he doesn't have to worry; I'll handle enough worrying for both of us....

🤣

I agree that the high amylase reading isn't particularly convincing or cause for alarm. It doesn't necessarily point to the pancreas; it could easily stem from inflammation in the digestive tract (so-called intestinal amylase), such as gastritis, duodenitis, or gallbladder issues...

Edit: I just checked the guidelines. I think I'll send an email to Dr. Škerk; I've actually been admitted to her ward twice before (unrelated to the urinary infection).

👍

Edit 2: It just occurred to me—since I was dealing with upper respiratory issues, sinus stuff, etc., at the same time, the doctor mentioned Efox would help with that too. That might explain the prescribed regimen.

Yes, I follow the logic regarding Efox, but my point—if I can put it that way—was more about why Nolicin follows the Efox.

Emily Ortiz27 said:No.

Here’s my take: I would start by re-running the CBC. If eosinophilia persists, you need a peripheral blood smear for a microscopic differential. Once that confirms the high eosinophil count, then—and only then—do you move into a broader workup.

Check if the child is taking any medications, look for digestive issues or respiratory problems, and perform a thorough physical exam to check for anything unusual beyond just height and weight for their age.

After that: check CRP, liver and kidney function tests, urinalysis, serum protein electrophoresis, and determine IgG, IgE, IgM, and IgA levels. You'll also want tissue parasite serology. Depending on what those initial results and the clinical exam show, an X-ray, Abdominal Ultrasound, EKG, or other specific tests might become necessary.

Hannah Peterson said:Here's the situation. A friend of mine went to a private clinic to get tested for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. It cost her a fortune. All three results came back negative. The day before the testing, she had gone to the American Red Cross to donate blood. Seven days later, she gets a call from the Red Cross telling her they found a specific small marker that might suggest Hepatitis B. She’s headed back for more blood work now and is just waiting on the results. Is it actually possible for her to be positive if the initial tests were negative?

No single test is 100% sensitive or specific. False negatives and false positives are always a statistical possibility.

Grace Lewis6 said:Hmm, here’s the situation. Once a year, I get my blood work done—glucose, enzymes, the usual—and as part of the routine, the lab checks my urine too. This time, it showed elevated white blood cells, red blood cells, and a lot of bacteria. Then there’s that unfortunate amylase level. When the results came back high, I mentioned the unusual smell of my urine lately to my doctor. He was convinced it was just some gynecological bacterial issue, but he still sent me to the USA for testing. And sure enough, it’s E. coli. Even though this is the first time I’ve heard that it doesn't always need treatment, a friend of mine ended up on IV antibiotics in the hospital because it hit her kidneys—or so she thinks.

On the other hand, my doctor isn't usually one to throw antibiotics around lightly, but even I find it strange that I have to take two different kinds for 20 days. I really don't know what to do now.🙂

I have a gynecologist appointment tomorrow; maybe I should ask for their opinion?

Well, by "taking a medical history" (using quotes because this hardly qualifies as a full history), it becomes clear that certain symptoms were present, and there was indeed blood in the urine. Now the real question is whether this is true asymptomatic bacteriuria or if it's actually accompanied by symptoms, given that you noticed something felt off.

Regardless, there is no justification for using two different antibiotics, especially not for a 20-day course. You wouldn't even treat pyelonephritis (kidney infection) that way.

For the record, there are clinical guidelines for treating urinary tract infections. You can look them up yourself to see what is recommended for specific cases and for how long; I didn't just make this up.

Elevated amylase in the urine and the presence of E. coli likely aren't linked. How high was that amylase level?

First off, I don't see the logic in running a urine culture if there wasn't even any discomfort during urination. Furthermore, why on earth would a doctor prescribe two different antibiotics, both for 10 days straight, without a break? That’s 20 days of antibiotics total—that flies in the face of standard medical guidelines, even if you were dealing with a bladder infection. Two antibiotics back-to-back?!

No, treatment is only necessary during pregnancy. Besides, even if you "clear" that unfortunate E. coli now and conceive in, say, three months, who can guarantee your urine culture won't just show >10*5 E. coli again? I can't—and don't want to—interfere with the therapy prescribed by your doctor, the one who actually examined you and knows your medical history and clinical background. I can only theorize here on a forum, but my advice is to have a real conversation with him. Ask why he chose this specific course, what he expects from it, and why he ordered the urine culture in the first place. This all applies, of course, to asymptomatic bacteriuria. Perhaps he believes your case is symptomatic for some reason...

analogseal86 said:Hi 🙂 I had some blood work done today... because I was having stomach issues 🕺 (diarrhea)

The doctor says everything looks good...
I checked the results at home and everything seems fine, all within range 😁 but my glucose tolerance test came back at 36 H
Is that okay? Is that related to the liver?
By the way, I don't smoke and I don't eat fatty foods...

Everything is fine. It’s a clean report; there's no need to obsess over a single outlier in this specific test.

Emily Ortiz27 said:We took the kid to an allergist, and they sent us for stool parasite testing for him and his brothers. Everything came back negative.

Could you please share your thoughts on which direction we should look into next?
The child is still lagging behind in growth; height and weight are both falling below the standard charts for their age.
We have an appointment with an endocrinologist coming up soon.

(The sweat chloride test we ran recently was within the normal range)

Beyond the stool analysis, did the allergist or immunologist suggest any other tests to investigate eosinophilia?

swiftviper6 said:Good evening, everyone.

I had blood work done for Candida, and my results were:
Candida IgG 36.94
Candida IgM 28.31
I'm not quite sure what this means—does it mean I don't have it since it's within the reference intervals?

Thanks.

Why did you run that specific test? We all carry Candida.

Grace Lewis6 said:Hi.
Urinalysis shows E. coli levels above $10^5$. I’m completely asymptomatic, though my urine amylase came back slightly elevated—not sure if there's any connection there.

This sounds like asymptomatic bacteriuria. Generally, we don't treat that unless there are specific circumstances—like if you're pregnant, scheduled for urological or gynecological procedures, or have had a kidney transplant.

So, turns out no treatment was necessary.

Brian Doyle said:I know this isn't exactly how things work here, but I’m really hoping someone with actual expertise can walk me through this part about fibrosis. My local family doctor says the results look fine, but "fine" doesn't exactly sit right with me when I see that word on paper.
Once again, thanks in advance. 😉

Think of it as a sort of scar—likely just the leftover footprint from some inflammation she dealt with in the past. It doesn't seem like anything major, and I doubt it’s linked to the symptoms your mother is experiencing right now.

Given the elevated sedimentation rate and the symptoms your mother is experiencing, further diagnostic testing is necessary.

Angela Wright said:Given that this is the Mayo Clinic, nothing really surprises me anymore... I've heard all sorts of stories about that place. Though, one could probably make a rough estimate of what's happening here, provided they follow the protocol—the biopsy, then everything else following that.
Regarding the abdomen: An abdominal ultrasound? Colorectal cancer markers, among others?

But if there’s a specific protocol to follow, shouldn't he have noted that surgery is being planned pending the biopsy results? It seems a bit odd to document a pre-op workup plan before the biopsy findings are even in. Especially since we're talking about a window of just a few days for those results to arrive, as jadetinker85 mentioned.

Either way, that surgeon needs to review the biopsy or puncture results; he'll certainly be performing another exam before any surgery takes place.

As for the abdominal ultrasound and the markers, those fall under standard insurance coverage. With standard insurance, a patient can choose their provider. You won't get cancer markers at a local walk-in clinic, though you might find an abdominal ultrasound at certain specialized centers.

Aaron Thomas48 said:So, the question boils down to this: why are my white blood cell counts up, while my neutrophils are down?

These slight deviations in the results are likely connected to this:

Aaron Thomas48 said:I had a virus about a week before my blood work. My Fibrosis was 39.2.

Advice: It would be wise to repeat this test in four weeks. One would expect everything to fall within the normal range by then.

If this fatigue and general weakness linger for much longer, it would be wise to run some lab work.

Jessica Baker69 said:Can someone please weigh in? If we've already ruled out neurological causes, where else could this issue be stemming from?

Looking at these results, it seems like the issue might be tied to a specific section of the spine.

Because of those cold extremities and the fact that they turn livid—taking on a purplish hue—I’d recommend some follow-up testing. Given those findings, it would be wise to schedule an appointment with a rheumatologist or a clinical immunologist, assuming you haven't already been seen by one.

jadetinker85 said:Yeah, we're just waiting on the biopsy results now. Also, looking at her medical history, it’s clearly stated she needs all her preoperative screenings done. I checked. Her primary care doctor won't even give her the referrals because they claim they can't justify them based on the diagnosis, even though everything is documented right there in the charts.

In reality, the doctor just gave her some orders for abdominal imaging and blood work. They're insisting she gets the abdominal scan done at her local community clinic, even though Mom could have finished everything in a single day at the Mayo Clinic.👎

Hmm, what you're describing sounds a bit off.

I mean, why bother with a needle biopsy if the plan is to surgically remove the mass anyway? You'd just perform the surgery and send the tissue to pathology then. It doesn't make sense to run a biopsy and start prepping for surgery before those results even come back. That's not how things usually work. 🤷

Furthermore, under the current Medicare guidelines regarding preoperative testing, anything that can be handled at a primary care office should be. I'm not sure what kind of "abdominal exam" they are referring to here. What does that actually entail?

It feels like you might be recalling this from memory or something you heard second-hand, and there might have been a breakdown in communication somewhere.

Jeffrey Jones19 said:Hi everyone, I’m looking for some help here if anyone can provide it. I’ve been searching Google for an hour and a half, but haven't found anything concrete.
My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2006, then again in 2009. After all the struggles and trying different medications... her last results were fine. Except for constant bone pain... so she went for a bone scan.

The report says: Pathological uptake of radiopharmaceutical is visible in the anterior part of the 6th left rib, and a weaker intensity in one-third of the right femur. Also, pathological uptake is seen in the ethmoid projection in the left paramedial maxilla, as well as in the right shoulder and both trochanters, more pronounced on the left, which is most likely degenerative in nature.

I need help interpreting this. My mother and I are going to lose our minds waiting until Thursday when she heads into Chicago...😵
Thanks...

I have to say, the wording of this report is pretty awkward. Still, I don't think we can rule out metastases based on this alone; it looks like more testing will be necessary.

nimblewolf21 said:Could someone please help me read the blood work for my 6-month-old baby? She has a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. Do high eosinophils indicate a food allergy?

Here are the CBC Panel values:

Neutrophils 24.5 (23-66)
Eosinophils 15.2 (0.6)
Basophils 0.6 (0-2)
Lymphocytes 51.4 (18-60)
Monocytes 8.3 (5-13)
Neutrophils 3 (2.50-7.20)
Eosinophils 1.8 (0-0.70)
Basophils 0.10 (0-0.20)

(K) WBC 12.1
(K) RBC 4.73
(K) Hgb 133
(K) Hematocrit 0.368
(K) MCV 77.7
(K) MCH 25.4
(K) MCHC 326
(K) RDW 11.3
(K) Platelets 481
(K) MPV 9.3

If anyone could help, I would be so grateful. Is all of this okay for a 6-month-old? The platelets are elevated and the RDW is low...

The child has moderate eosinophilia. This can occur alongside atopic dermatitis or various allergies, but it also shows up in other conditions. Based strictly on this report, it's impossible to answer your specific questions beyond noting that the results deviate from the normal range.

Chloe Garcia10 said:She later sent me for UIBC and TIBC and ferritin, all within the normal range.

Then the matter is settled.

Could I get your opinion on the reliability of tumor markers CEA and CA 19-9 (with okay values) and a negative occult blood test? What are the chances that colon cancer exists despite normal results?

Best,

Neither a normal marker value nor a normal occult blood test can rule out colon cancer. If there’s an indication, a colonoscopy is necessary.

To be honest, I don't know what the exact percentage of probability is, nor if such data even exists—meaning, if anyone has actually conducted studies and calculations on this specific correlation.

Chloe Ruiz2 said:I have to thank Felix for the effort and the clarification. It really is Hashimoto. Confirmed.

You likely have autoimmune urticaria as a bonus, but you should still go through a full workup with an immunologist.