Posts by vividsailor7

stormyowl152 said:Hi everyone! I'm pregnant and just got my liver function tests back. Can anyone tell me if these results look seriously critical? Thanks!

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/441/nalaz.png/

This looks pathological.
First things first: you need to get in touch with your primary doctor immediately.
Don't just sit there—start tracking symptoms like itching (pruritus), jaundice, hyperemesis gravidarum (excessive vomiting), or elevated blood pressure.
You’re almost certainly going to need more testing to figure out what's actually happening. It'll likely look something like this:
CBC, CRP, Iron, UIBC, ALT, GGT, glucose, ALP, direct and indirect bilirubin, ammonia, urea, creatinine, AFP, hepatitis markers, lipid panel, copper, PV, AT III, bile acids, and a urinalysis.
Plus an abdominal ultrasound.
And for heaven's sake, keep a close eye on those blood pressure readings.

restlesspuma15 said:Hey everyone,
I couldn't find a dedicated thread regarding pre-op instructions.
Since our hospital staff is incredibly rigid, I have a million questions swirling in my head. To make matters worse, I’m getting conflicting information from different people, and my surgery date is creeping closer...
For instance, if my surgery is scheduled for March 21st, when should I go in for my blood work, urinalysis, and heart/lung screenings? Is ten days prior too early?
And how long does it typically take to get results back from the local clinic?
Thanks, everyone.

There's no point asking the hospital staff to explain things—you have your own primary care doctor for that.
Ten days isn't too early. Generally speaking, results come back the same day.

Angela Wright said:It's not too early,but I'm worried you might have to rush the cardiac stuff because the wait times for appointments are brutal.I was lucky and they squeezed me in because they had a cancellation, but that was before the centralized scheduling system went live, so I'm not sure what the current situation is. Usually, chest X-ray results are ready in a day or two, depending on how fast the radiologist writes them up. Same goes for the heart scans—if there's a cardiologist on site, they might write it up immediately. As for blood and urine, those results are usually ready by the next day.

He’s talking about the chest X-ray, which covers both the heart and lungs. It's essentially the same thing.

restlesspuma15 said:Thanks! I'm heading out tomorrow to tackle all these tests.🙂
Regarding the EKG and ultrasound, my GP told me you don't actually book appointments for those; you just show up in the morning and wait. I hope she's right.

Why do you need an ultrasound?
You don't make appointments for X-rays or EKGs.

nimblepanther14 said:Aside from the ultrasound, I haven't had any other tests done yet.
So, what's the deal? Are they going to run more tests on me, or am I heading straight into surgery?

The doctor in charge will be the one to walk you through the details.
But make no mistake—surgery is definitely necessary here.

Ashley Gonzalez27 said:Here’s a little horror story from San Francisco...

3:00 AM. They showed up within five minutes given how close the apartment is—so, props to them for the speed—but the doctor? Absolutely infuriating. Rude, unpleasant, and just plain gross. Honestly, she was probably just cranky because she was woken up, but she was busy asking a bunch of mindless, pointless questions while the patient was literally bleeding out right in front of her. She should have been helping! It’s a miracle the woman survived. That’s my experience with the ER for you...

Look, if you’re going to complain, the least you could do is provide some actual details. What kind of "bleeding" are we talking about here? And what exactly were these "incompetent" questions this doctor was supposedly asking? Give us something to work with.

nimblepanther14 said:I honestly don't know how to process this anymore. It feels like tumors are attacking us from every single direction.
This might sound like I'm joking, but I swear, it isn't.
I don't know how much more I can take, but I have to keep going.

1. My sister’s situation is pretty hopeless, as I described earlier.
2. My girlfriend's father was suddenly rushed into surgery for an intestinal tumor. (He barely escaped sepsis, by the way).
3. I just got my kidney biopsy results back—literally an hour ago. I'm sitting here at a coffee shop writing this while waiting to meet my primary care doctor.
- A follicular tumor on the kidney.
- A Warthin tumor on the salivary gland.
What is even happening? Mine is hopefully benign.

I'm at a loss... I'm holding it together because I have to, but man, I feel like snapping. If you know what I mean.

Regarding follicular carcinoma, there's a massive gap in information here. You need the ultrasound, scintigraphy, and hormone levels. You also need clinical history—things like local lymphadenopathy or whether there's any invasion into the muscle or trachea. They'll likely need to run additional scans on the skeleton and lungs too.

Kimberly Cox58 said:Good evening, I’m hoping someone can help me out. I’m a bit confused by my husband's test results. He had colon cancer surgery exactly one month ago. He recovered beautifully from the operation, but the pathology report shows a Dukes B tumor. Now he's starting chemotherapy. He had blood work done before chemo started, and I don't understand his GGT level—it's 60. During our talk with the doctor, he mentioned that this value suggests something is happening with the liver. I was in such shock at the time that I didn't ask for a specific explanation. Now I'm really curious, especially since they did a liver ultrasound and found absolutely nothing. Thank you.

The GGT result shouldn't be a major concern.

Kimberly Cox58 said:Hi everyone,
my husband is about to start chemotherapy following surgery for colon cancer. His doctor prescribed: Leucovorin 40mg and 5 Fu 900mg, along with Reglan 1 amp as premedication, administered over 5 days. Does anyone have experience with these specific drugs? What kind of side effects should we expect? Thanks for any insight.

As far as side effects go, you’ll find everything listed right there in the drug information leaflet.
The most frequent issues are GI-related. Reglan should help out with the nausea, but honestly, it won't do much if diarrhea kicks in. Then there are the hematological side effects to watch for.

Maria Fisher46 said:What in the world? Are you kidding me? We’re jumping straight into genetic screening before even running the basic diagnostic tests for Wilson's disease?! This is absolute madness! 🙂

I don't see anything controversial here.

Michael Sanchez7 said:It’s just like this:

Immunoglobulin E Result=16 IU/L Ref. interval
I just got my results back from the IP8 inhalation allergen screening—testing for things like dust mites, cat dander, dog dander, rabbit fur, various grasses, birch, and ragweed. The verdict? NEGATIVE.

FP5 Nutritional Allergen Screening (egg white, cow's milk, cod, wheat, peanuts, soy) — NEGATIVE.

Specific IgE.
INHALED ALLERGENS — KIU/L
Ragweed Thanks.

Clean results.

frozentinker992 said:Just checking in with an update.
Here are my results
Day 1.
Morning cortisol 379.6 (171-536)
Afternoon cortisol 399.5 H (64-327)

Morning ACTH 3.42 (1.6-13.9)
Afternoon ACTH 10.12 blank field on the report

Day 2. (Took 1mg of dexamethasone at 10:30 PM the night before)
Morning cortisol 24.19 L (131-536 )
I was wondering if anyone could weigh in on the ACTH levels? From what I understand, those should be dropping too.
P.S. And yeah, I didn't get the ACTH checked on the second day after the dexamethasone because my wonderful doctor failed to include both cortisol and ACTH on the referral—she only put down the dex test. Even though I told the nurse in the lab and showed her the orders saying I needed both, she just insisted they weren't necessary.

Look, we can't solve this through a web forum. Period.
You need a thorough endocrine evaluation and a coherent diagnostic workup, which is exactly what’s missing here.
The dexamethasone suppression test is considered normal if cortisol drops below 80 nmol, but keep in mind it can still come back "normal" even when there's episodic ACTH and cortisol secretion happening.
And honestly? The fact that a primary care physician doesn't even know how to write a proper referral isn't even surprising anymore. It's just pathetic.

Michael Sanchez7 said:Hey there, I just got my allergy blood work back and the diagnosis at the end says "dz 23." What on earth does that mean? Thanks a lot.

Sophia Moore38 said:I had some blood tests done because of stomach issues.

The only thing that came back high was my GGT at 63. My AST is 36 and ALT is 22.

Could that elevation be caused by gallstones?

For both of you, go ahead and transcribe the full complete findings.

Sophia Chavez50 said:I just got my lab work back because I’m supposed to start birth control pills soon. I'm wondering if it's okay to take them given these slight deviations in my results?
leukocyte - 4.9 (3.4-9.7)
RBC - 4.91 (3.86-5.08)
Hemoglobin - 144 (119-157)
Hematocrit - 0.409 (0.356-0.470)
MCH - 29.3 (27.4-33.9)
MCHC - 351 (320 - 345)
MCV - 83.3 (83.0-97.2)
Platelets - 279 (158-424)
RDW - 11 (9.0-15.0)
MPV - 6 (6.8-10.4)
Cholesterol - 5.5 ( Triglycerides - 0.5 ( Prothrombin time - 0.82 Q% (0.70-1.00)
Prothrombin time - 1.12 INR (0.8 - 1.12)
Thanks in advance! :-)

These results look normal to me.

Noah Barrett12 said:Hey there!
I’ve got tremors in my hands and legs. I went to see a neurologist, had an abdominal scan, and saw an eye doctor—everything came back totally fine. Then the neurologist ordered a blood draw, which I went ahead and did... but that was 9 months ago. I emailed him a few days ago asking for the results since I couldn't make it in personally while I was out of the country. Now I need to take those results to my primary doctor, but are they even still valid? Or am I going to have to get poked all over again???

And the main thing I wanted to ask: if anyone knows, please let me know (three substances are outside the normal range, so if someone can tell me what they are and if it's serious?) thanks in advance.
Total bilirubin result=32.6, Rel interval=7-30
Urea result=7.0, Rel interval=2.7-6.8
Copper result=9.6, Rel interval=11-22

Noah Barrett12 said:Basically, I'm 19, and this tremor has been going on for about 4 years now. I noticed it by accident; it started in both hands at the same time with low amplitude. I haven't dealt with any other illnesses, and no one in my family or relatives has ever had tremors... I did a full blood panel, but everything else is within the normal range except for these three outliers... I haven't noticed any changes in my mood, and when I saw the ophthalmologist, I just stared at a point while she looked through some equipment (the findings were normal). So, I hope that helps you guys enough to comment on my situation... thanks in advance.

You absolutely need more testing. Generally speaking, that would include
Urine Cu/creatinine ratio, ceruloplasmin, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, total bilirubin and direct, Fe, UIBC, ferritin, Ca and P, 24h urinary calcium
Abdominal ultrasound with specific focus on the liver and kidneys
Possible Cu biopsy of liver tissue
Possible genetic testing via ATP7B gene sequencing
Follow-up ophthalmology exam
And we should also consider an EMG of the extremities.

Richard Doyle11 said:Could someone please break down the difference between Glucophage and Glucophage XR? I'm trying to understand the various forms of metformin—specifically the standard pills versus the extended-release versions. In your experience, which one actually works better?
I recently started taking Glucophage, but I've been on a diuretic (Hygroton) for a while now. I’ve noticed several of you mentioning that diuretics can have negative metabolic effects—if I understood correctly, they might spike blood sugar levels. To make matters worse, the Glucophage instructions explicitly warn about unfavorable interactions with diuretics...
So, is there an alternative out there that can do the job of a diuretic so I can avoid using them altogether?

Glucophage XR is superior because of that extended-release mechanism. Even though it's officially approved, finding it in local pharmacies is a nightmare. For instance, they actually tried to special order it for me, but it's still nowhere to be found.
Honestly, you need to look into changing your antihypertensive therapy. You really should sit down and coordinate this with your doctor.

Sandra Green38 said:I'm on antidepressants and I'm about to finish my second box. Do I actually have to trek down to the doctor's office, or can I just give them a call and have the nurse send the prescription straight to the pharmacy? I seriously don't have the time to sit around waiting just for one single prescription, and I'm not sure if they even handle this over the phone anymore..

Look, you can call them, or just swing by and leave a message if you happen to be near the clinic. Personally, I feel like I'm losing blood every time I make the trip to the doctor just for a refill and a bunch of mindless chatter.

Megan Brooks said:I have just one question... I currently take Glucophage 850 for my type 2 diabetes treatment, but now the pharmacy is offering me Glucophage instead, claiming it is the exact same medication and telling me there is no reason to worry about switching. Is this actually something I can do, or should I be cautious?

I honestly don't get why pharmacists feel the need to mess around with prescriptions like this. Unless there's a massive shortage or some crazy emergency, they should just stick to what was ordered. It's frustrating.

Maria Fisher46 said:Colleague Hrvoje,

I specifically requested that any further discussion regarding stomach issues be moved over to the linked thread rather than continuing here. We need to avoid drifting off-topic. Since the test results provided are normal, from a clinical standpoint, this conversation is finished.

Please respect this request.

Thanks for understanding. 🙂

Since there wasn't a red warning notice, I assumed replying was fine, right?
I didn't read your response closely—just skimmed it—so I missed that. My apologies.

stormyraven46 said:Hey everyone!
.
Previous results:
Hb 90 (119-157)
Hct 0.299 (0.356-0.47)
MCV 75.12 (82-101)
MCH 22.62 (30-35)
MCHC 301 (320-345)
Neutrophils 40.84 (50-70)
lymphocytes 44.4 (20-40)
monocytes 10.24 (2-8)
Biochemistry
Iron 2 (8-30) !!!
Endocrinology
CA-125 36.3 (0-35)
Now requesting:
Selenium, ferritin, KKS, LDH, direct and indirect Cummings test, liver panel, GGT, bilirubin.
If anyone can offer any coherent help, advice, share their experience, or explain things, I would be so grateful. Thanks a million.
Best regards!

These results are definitely pathological. However, since I don't have the full clinical picture or patient history, my take is that they need much more extensive testing—specifically an abdominal ultrasound.
KKS, CRP, urea, creatinine, LDH, Iron, UIBC, ferritin, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Glucose, total and direct bilirubin, coagulation profile
TSH, ANA, ANCA,
Blood cultures x3, urinalysis,
CA-125, CA 15-3,
Gynecological exam and ultrasound
GI endoscopy—given the GI symptoms, lab findings, etc.

copperwalker19 said:Hi everyone!
I'm five months pregnant, and my recent blood work is slightly outside the normal ranges:
K-ERC 3.70 (3.86-5.08)
K-Hgb 12 (119-157)
K-Htc 0.328 (0.356-0.470)
K-MPV 10.7 (6.8-10.4)

My own takeaway is that this is anemia caused by increased blood volume during pregnancy. I expected low serum iron, but the result actually showed a high level of 19.9 (ref. range 8-30). Maybe I'm asking a stupid question, but I don't understand the difference between that iron and hemoglobin—why wasn't that iron utilized to produce hemoglobin?

Normal results.

Bryan Harris13 said:I’m asking because I want to know what happens if there's an actual answer out there. A specialist referred me for a gastroscopy because I’m dealing with constant burping that tastes like cigarette smoke—even though I haven't touched a cigarette in over 20 years.
We didn't go through with the gastroscopy because my esophagus was slightly damaged during one about 25 years ago, and I just wasn't willing to do it again. I’m currently on medication for my thyroid, blood pressure, and gout.

MCHC 346 is slightly elevated
basophilic granulocytes 0.08 x 10^9/L
basophilic granulocytes 1.4 rel %
Everything else in the blood work looks normal
Body mass: HEAVY, 108 kg / 176 cm

1. What exactly are your symptoms?
2. Can you provide the full set of results?
3. Which specific medications are we talking about? For the thyroid, I assume it's something like Synthroid (Levothyroxine),
and for blood pressure, there’s a massive selection—beta blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, Calcium channel blockers, etc.
As for the gout, I’m guessing Allopurinol or maybe some NSAIDs.
4. And what do you mean by "slightly damaged esophagus"?

Robert Green93 said:My GGT levels were elevated.
I went in for a blood draw about ten days ago.
I was at 84, and if I recall correctly, the limit is 55.

I hadn't touched a drop of alcohol for 20 days leading up to the tests.
Does this mean my liver is basically in a coma because of my past lifestyle, or can things actually get back to normal?

Look, your results aren't a catastrophe.
It would be a smart move to follow up with an
abdominal ultrasound
and check hepatitis markers
along with KKS, CRP, ALT, GGT, ALP, bilirubin (total and direct), LDH, CK, Iron, UIBC, glucose, urea, and creatinine.
Stick to a strict hepatoprotective diet.

mistywolf20 said:Hi there!
Sorry if this has already been asked before. I was just wondering how long it usually takes to get blood work results back (serum, electrolytes, glucose, liver panel, cholesterol, triglycerides, coagulation profile)? I have to go to my primary care doctor at a local clinic here in Washington, D.C. to get everything drawn.
Thanks in advance!

They’re usually ready the same day, or they come up the next day.

Chris Howard3 said:Hi everyone!
For four months now, I've been dealing with constant pharyngitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, and sinusitis. It basically means I am on a never-ending cycle of antibiotics. Specifically, since December 5th, when I ended up in the hospital due to throat edema, I’ve gone through eight boxes of antibiotics (four rounds of two boxes each). I’ve also been taking Citalon for about a month at 10mg daily for mild anxiety and depression. Additionally, I have glaucoma in both eyes. To top it all off, my kids caught Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease just a week ago.
Fifteen days ago, I developed pharyngitis. My doctors prescribed Lekoclar XL for a 14-day course. On day ten, I spiked a high fever and developed what looked like a herpes outbreak spreading across my entire face, eyebrows, and scalp. The infectious disease specialist's report noted honey-colored papulocrustous rashes on my ears, face, and scalp, along with small papular rashes on my palms. There is hyperemia in my pharynx and aphthae on the palatal arches. Also, cervical adenopathy. Heart shows a systemic murmur of 2/6.
Blood work results:
AST 53 (8-30)
ALT 62 (10-36)
CRP 68
MPV 11.1
WBC 11.7 (3.4-9.7)
MONOCYTES 1.33(0.12-0.84)
NEUTROPHILS 73 (44-72)
LYMPHOCYTES 15 (20-46)
MONOCYTES 11

I’ve transcribed the abnormal values. What could this mean? I saw an infectious disease specialist who isn't even sure if I should continue with antibiotics right now or not. I am begging for some advice. Today, I'm feeling a strange pain in my right groin that's radiating down my leg. Thank you.

If even the infectious disease specialist is stumped, what hope is there for us here?