Posts by Hannah Stewart27

Hello,

I would appreciate some perspective on my current situation. For nearly a month now, I’ve been dealing with alternating bouts of watery diarrhea—which is how this all started—constipation, and mushy stools accompanied by constant cramping, nausea, bloating, gas, an intense urge to go, and very loud bowel sounds. When I'm not experiencing diarrhea, my stools are voluminous, have a particularly pungent odor, and occasionally float.
I’ve had a full battery of tests done. My blood work is completely normal, urine is fine, and I tested negative for all viruses, bacteria (including Helicobacter), and parasites. My tumor markers were also within range: CA 19-9 was 15.2 kU/L (ref. < 37.0) and CEA was < 1.7 (ref < 5.0). The only outliers were my Vitamin D level at 29.2 (ref: 75 - 100) and a slightly elevated calprotectin at 121 (ref < 80).
My doctors at the Mayo Clinic suggest that since everything else looks normal, no further action is needed and there's no need to retest the calprotectin, even though my symptoms aren't subsiding and I've lost about 2 kg (I am a naturally thin woman, age 44). I've been prescribed Vitamin D. Any attempt to ease the discomfort—whether through diet changes or medications like Loacid capsules—has been unsuccessful or only provided very short-lived relief; the symptoms just seem to shift around.

About 1.5 years ago, I underwent a colonoscopy due to specific anemia (which we successfully treated with an iron infusion), abdominal pain, and family history (my father had colorectal cancer). Those results were all clear. At that time, a gastroscopy did reveal gastritis (for which I take Emanera 40 mg), GERD, a hernia, and Helicobacter, which was resolved with treatment.

Thank you in advance.

Hello,

Thank you. I’m going to try to push for the ANA and ENA panels, though everything feels a bit like a mystery right now—including how exactly malabsorption would manifest if those tests come back positive.

Regarding Vitamin D, yes, we were using the same units. Three months ago, I was at 69.5 nmol/L, but it has since dropped to 14.7 nmol/L (target range: 75-100).

The protein electrophoresis results, provided in both % and g/L, are as follows:

12/23/2021:
Albumin - 61.5% (52-68)
Alpha 1 globulins 2.7% (2-5)
Alpha 2 globulins 7.8% (7-11)
Beta globulins 7.6% (9-14)
Gamma globulins 20.4% (12-20)
Albumin 45.5 g/L (35-49)
Alpha 1 globulins 2.0 g/L (1-4)
Alpha 2 globulins 5.8 g/L (4-11)
Beta globulins 5.6 g/L (6-10)
Gamma globulins 15.1 g/L (8-14)
Albumin/Globulin ratio 1.60

02/10/2022:
Albumin - 68.0% (52-68)
Alpha 1 globulins 2.4% (2-5)
Alpha 2 globulins 6.5% (7-11)
Beta globulins 4.9% (9-14)
Gamma globulins 18.2% (12-20)
Albumin 48.3 g/L (35-49)
Alpha 1 globulins 1.7 g/L (1-4)
Alpha 2 globulins 4.6 g/L (4-11)
Beta globulins 3.5 g/L (6-10)
Gamma globulins 12.9 g/L (8-14)
Albumin/Globulin ratio 2.13

I appreciate all the information provided so far.

Thank you all for the responses, perspectives, and suggestions. From our discussion, I’ve pulled these specific values:

C3c - 1 (0.9-1.8) - assuming what you mentioned is correct...
C4 - 0.2 (0.1-0.4
Immunoglobulin A - 0.94 (0.70-4)
Immunoglobulin M - 1.51 (0.40-2.30
Immunoglobulin G - 15 (7.00-16.00)
(S)Alpha amylase 66 (23-91)
(U)Alpha amylase 374 (0-400)
albumin/Globulin 2.13
Cholesterol 4.7 HDL cholesterol - 1.5 >1.2
LDL cholesterol - 3.2 Triglycerides - 0.6 Ferritin 106 (20-300)

Everything listed looks fine; my heart health is excellent. Still waiting on the stool sample results. My thyroid is perfectly normal—we even did a TSH test, which came back clear.

The main things that have shifted compared to six weeks ago are:

Alpha 2 globulins - 7.8 : 6.5 (7.0-11.0)
Beta globulins - 7.6 : 4.9 (9.0-14.0)
Gamma globulins - 20.4 : 18.2 (12.0-20.0)
Beta globulins (dr. fraction) - 5.6 : 3.5 (6.0-10.0)
My vitamin D was 69.5 three months ago, but it's down to 14.7 now.

Apologies if any of this data feels redundant.

Hi everyone,

I really appreciate the clarification. My main issue is that the waiting list is absolutely massive right now. It feels impossible to get any real answers from anyone, so I decided to follow up on my inquiry after getting my latest test results—especially since my specialist appointment isn't scheduled for several months. Also, seeing these vitamin D levels was a first for me; I wasn't quite sure why they would be relevant from a gastroenterology standpoint.

Thanks again.

Thanks so much!

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some insight on why a gastroenterologist might order a 25-OH Vitamin D test. After dealing with iron deficiency and abdominal pain, I went through a full workup—including a colonoscopy, endoscopy, and MR enterography—but everything came back normal, aside from some GERD, gastritis, and a hiatal hernia. I finished iron supplementation, which successfully cleared up the anemia. My tumor markers have also been consistently normal at both the ten-month and three-month check-ins. Generally, my blood work is fine, except for these specific outliers:

25-OH vitamin D - 14.7 (75-100)
Alpha 2 globulins 6.5 (7-11)
Beta globulins 4.9 (9-14)
Beta globulin part II - 3.5 (6-10)
Alanine aminotransferase 44 (10-36)

My thyroid has been stable and under control for three months now since I stopped medication for hyperthyroidism. Urine tests are clear. However, I've been dealing with daily hives since August and am waiting for my first dermatology appointment; all my immunoglobulin levels are within range. Stool tests were negative for H. pylori. I’m currently waiting on blood culture results and fecal calprotectin.

I maintain a healthy weight (leaning toward thin), don't drink alcohol or caffeine, and don't smoke. For medication, I take Elice 1 x and Letizen 1-2x for the hives.

Apologies for the long post, and thanks in advance for any help.

I really appreciate your perspective; I’m completely on board with what you said. I'm currently waiting to hear back from my endocrinologist, and I managed to snag an appointment with my dermatologist as well.

Best regards,

Maria Fisher46 said:Hello,

are anti-TSHR antibodies ever actually tested?

No, they aren't.

Hello,

I appreciate you clarifying things; I apologize for the confusion given how sparse my initial information was. A low TSH level was flagged during a routine checkup four months ago, which was subsequently confirmed through several follow-up tests. My initial treatment involved Athyrazol, but after just two weeks, I began running fevers and breaking out in hives all over my body. Suspecting an allergic reaction, my doctor switched me over to Propylthiouracil (starting at three times a day for two weeks, then moving to twice a day, which I am currently doing). Alongside this, I was diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. Given a family history of colorectal cancer, I underwent both a gastroscopy and a colonoscopy. To summarize, in addition to chronic gastritis, GERD, and a hiatal hernia, they found H. pylori in my duodenum, which has been properly treated with triple therapy—today’s results came back negative. However, the hives haven't let up for a single day since they started, and despite regular TSH monitoring, my doctor is ordering further tests. I shared those results here for interpretation because of the holiday season, though honestly, I'm struggling to understand the reasoning behind some of these exams; my most pressing issue remains the unbearable urticaria (for which I take Letizen 2 x1). As for the anti-CCP, I assume that was ordered due to the persistent, intense pain and a lump in my elbow that has been bothering me since August, which my doctor diagnosed as tennis elbow. I am 43 years old, maintain a healthy weight, and follow a balanced diet.

Thanks again!

Hi everyone, I was hoping someone could help me make sense of these results. They were ordered primarily because of hyperthyroidism diagnosed back in August (my TSH was under 0.01, though it climbed to 1.63 at my one-month follow-up), as well as some other ongoing issues—specifically dealing with daily hives, which is why we ran a protein electrophoresis.

Albumins 61.5 % - 52.0 - 68.0
(S) Alpha 1 globulins 2.7 % - 2.0 - 5.0
(S) Alpha 2 globulins 7.8 % - 7.0 - 11.0
(S) Beta globulins 7.6 % L - 9.0 - 14.0
(S) Gamma globulins 20.4 % H - 12.0 - 20.0
(S) Albumins 45.5 g/L - 35.00 - 49.00
(S) Alpha 1 globulins 2.0 g/L - 1.00 - 4.00
(S) Alpha 2 globulins 5.8 g/L - 4.00 - 11.00
(S) Beta globulins 5.6 g/L L - 6.00 - 10.00
(S) Gamma globulins 15.1 g/L H - 8.00 - 14.00
(S) Albumin/Globulin 1.60 1

(S) Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies - 0.2 kU/l - <5 CMIA
(S) Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) - 5.07 mIU/L H - 0.35 - 4.94 CMIA
(S) Triiodothyronine, free (FT3) - 4.13 pmol/L - 2.43 - 6.01 CMIA
(S) Thyroxine, free (FT4) - 9.96 pmol/L - 9.01 - 19.05 CMIA

Thanks in advance!