Hey there! Woke up yesterday morning with this swollen thumb—specifically right around the base of the thumb and the fleshy part of my palm. It’s all swollen, red, and just hurts like hell. I ended up heading over to the Mayo Clinic last night because the pain wouldn't let up. They told me it looks like gout, so they put me on some Indomethacin, told me to rest, and said I should get bloodwork done today. Well, I got the labs back, and apparently, it doesn't look like gout, though my CRP is right on the edge. I have no clue what's going on, but it feels exactly the same today. I didn't trip or twist my hand or anything, so is it possible I just strained something during my workout and caused this kind of swelling and pain? (I can't even bend my thumb right now). Or could it still be gout even if my uric acid levels aren't elevated?
Hey everyone! I'm 42. Around Christmas, I dealt with some kind of stomach flu—you know the drill, fever, weakness, nausea, vomiting. I had some abdominal pain and a stinging sensation on my right side just above the navel, so I went ahead and got blood work done: My CBC was fine, ESR was 12 (4-24), CRP was 4.8 (0-5), lipase was 26 ( I just repeated the labs today because I’ve been feeling nauseous and pretty run down for the last couple of days. My blood work looks great otherwise (including lipid panel and thyroid hormones), but my AST and ALT are still high. AST is 41 (8-30) and ALT is 55 (10-36), which has me getting a bit worried. I don't have any abdominal pain right now. Currently, I'm on day 6 of Clavulin because I had a mole removed, and I'm also taking half a dose of Faverin along with Trintellix to help me sleep. Is there any chance one of these medications could be messing with my liver enzymes? Thanks! I had an abdominal ultrasound about 3 or 4 months ago, and everything looked normal. Thanks!
Last week (starting Wednesday night), I caught some nasty stomach flu—you know the drill: fever, total exhaustion, nausea, and vomiting. Now, I’ve still got this lingering ache on the right side just above my belly button, almost like a stinging sensation in my gut. I went ahead and got blood work done today: CBC looks fine, ESR is 12 (4-24), CRP is 4.8 (0-5), lipase is 26 ( So, basically, my AST, ALT, and urine amylase are all running high? Is it possible for these numbers to be spiked just because I dealt with a stomach virus?
So, last week (starting Wednesday night), I got hit with what felt like a nasty stomach flu—you know the drill: fever, total exhaustion, nausea, and vomiting. Now, I’m still dealing with this weird little ache on the right side just above my belly button, almost like a stinging sensation in my gut. I went ahead and got some blood work done today: My CBC looks fine, ESR is 12 (4-24), CRP is 4.8 (0-5), lipase is 26 ( Basically, my AST, ALT, and urine amylase are all running high? Is it possible for these numbers to be elevated after dealing with a stomach virus..?
Maria Fisher46 said:They didn't check your iron levels in the morning while you were fasting? If that's the case, then honestly, those results are pretty much useless. And if they just checked iron alone without looking at any other markers, you have to wonder why they even bothered testing it in the first place—what exactly was the doctor hoping to find with such a narrow scope?
Later on, she sent me over for UIBC and TIBC and ferritin, and all of those came back within the normal range.
Can I get your take on how reliable tumor markers like CEA and CA 19-9 are (since mine are fine), along with a negative occult blood test? What are the actual odds that colon cancer could still be lurking even when all these numbers look perfectly normal?
Hey everyone, quick question—is an iron level of 9 way too low? My other numbers like UIBC, TIBC, ferritin, plus my RBC, hemoglobin, MCV, and MCHC are all sitting right within the normal range. Also, does it mess with the iron reading if I didn't get my blood drawn first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and instead did it in the afternoon?
I’m dealing with some pretty heavy anxiety and a whole bunch of physical symptoms. For the last few months, the worst part has been this constant feeling of suffocation and like I just can't catch my breath. I've been on Elice for about six months now, along with either Xanax or normabel as needed, but these symptoms are still absolutely killing me. Is it even normal to feel this way while being on an antidepressant? Has anyone else here had experience using Elice?
How much normabel and Xanax are you guys taking on a daily basis?
So, I started taking half of my 10 mg Alice dose this morning. I’ve already had to run to the bathroom three times with diarrhea, and honestly, the dizziness is hitting me way harder than usual. I'm assuming these are just the side effects kicking in. Has anyone else dealt with Alice before?
My potassium levels always seem to be hovering right at the bottom edge of the normal range. I had some bloodwork done yesterday because I was running a fever, and my potassium came back at 3.52 (the lab range is 3.9-5.1). Is that considered dangerously low? Should I start taking supplements, or what's the move?
I’ve also really noticed this heaviness in my legs at night over the last 10 days or so. Maybe that's linked to it.
I caught a nasty bug last Friday. My nose is completely stuffed up—I can barely breathe through it. Then I woke up yesterday with my mouth feeling bone-dry. Anyway, I got hit with this brutal dizzy spell while I was at work yesterday. Has anyone else dealt with this when you're coming down with a cold or some kind of virus? I’m guessing it’s because my nose is clogged, sometimes my ears feel blocked too, and I’ve already got some issues with my cervical spine. It’s such a disgusting feeling! Then last night, my heart started pounding so loud in my chest. It wasn't even racing super fast, just heavy, but I was so freaked out I couldn't sleep.
Today feels like a bit of a chill in the air.
Are all these things actually possible symptoms of a common cold or a virus?
You're totally right about all that online searching. It does more harm than good. I've actually decided to hold off on the MCst for now... I showed my results to a friend who's doing his cardiology residency, and he thinks it's completely unnecessary. He's someone I actually trust, so I'm just going to try and relax and wait for my follow-up appointment in a few days.
Scott Allen10 said:Just stay off the web, because if you keep searching like that, you'll somehow manage to diagnose yourself with ten extra heart conditions...😁....just look at it this way—if your EKG and ultrasound came back fine, and your stress test was pretty much okay too... then there's a huge chance your coronary arteries are wide open like the falls at Niagara... and as for that MSCT they recommended, it could have been suggested or not, and a cardiologist still wouldn't have made a mistake by ordering it....
Hey, are you a medical professional too, Scott Allen10?
The internet is seriously driving me insane. I spent some time digging into info about dental bridging, and now everything looks terrifying. I haven't quite wrapped my head around what the doctor said, though. Indeed, it’s anyone's guess whether I even need it in the first place.
Thanks for the support, everyone. Honestly, I’m just hoping everything turns out fine. I actually just got off the phone with Quest Diagnostics, and they managed to squeeze me in for an appointment on June 28th.
wanderingcobra76 said:Why go through all this stress? I mean, even in the worst-case scenario—if there actually is a significant arterial narrowing—they could just perform a balloon angioplasty or place a stent during a standard coronary angiography. Isn't that far better than simply playing the guessing game while waiting for a heart attack to strike?🤷
I think... I truly understand the anxiety here (which might be more a fear of the unknown than a fear of the actual medical outcomes), but please, try to look at this rationally. Besides, based on everything we've discussed, it seems highly unlikely that there is any major pathology present at all. 😉