Posts by Elizabeth Ross48

coastaljackal8 said:This was just a follow-up blood panel because he’s been recovering from a bout of mono that dragged on longer than expected. He hasn't been doing any physical activity at all—quite the opposite, actually, since his arm is currently immobilized after spraining a finger during handball practice about ten days ago. He's going through a massive puberty growth spurt right now, and he also has ADHD, so I suspect those adult reference ranges might not even apply to a kid his age, though I would desperately love to know if there is any actual reason to be concerned here. Every other value looks fine, except for his lymphocytes, which are slightly elevated by 0.555%.

I just took a moment to double-check the manual, given that I don't typically work with pediatric cases... the reference interval for boys up to 19 years old goes up to 285, so there is absolutely no reason to worry about this.👍Cheers

coastaljackal8 said:My 14-year-old son just had his bloodwork done and his CK levels are sitting at 281 U/L, and frankly, after reading through all the potential causes online, I am spiraling. Please, if anyone here actually understands what this means, let me know. The standard reference range goes up to 170 for women and 195 for men, but there aren't any specific pediatric benchmarks listed here.

Listen, coastaljackal8, your son almost certainly engaged in some kind of physical exertion the day before the lab work—whether he was running around, playing soccer, or something similar—and I am absolutely certain you have nothing to worry about. CK is simply an enzyme released from the muscle tissue as a direct reflection of physical activity, so it’s a perfectly logical spike. Why was he even sent in for bloodwork in the first place?

darksurfer1 said:Hey everyone!

I just went in for my routine blood work—just checking in because I'm on the pill—and everything looks totally fine according to the standard ranges, except for a few things:
my inr is sitting at 1.02, even though the reference range listed is 2-3.5
my alp is 40 when it’s supposed to be 50 or higher
and then there's some K that should be at least 3.90, but mine came back at 3.60...

I honestly spiraled for a second over that inr reading because it seemed like such a massive gap, but then I did some digging online and found out a normal inr is actually between 0.9 and 1.2, so why on earth do they list those other reference values?🤷

Can anyone weigh in on this?

The inr is specifically used to monitor patients who are on oral anticoagulant therapy, so that specific reference range applies exclusively to them. In your case, your results are actually great. That K is just potassium, which is slightly low, but grab a banana or some tomatoes and you'll be perfectly fine. As for those lower alp levels, they generally don't carry any diagnostic weight whatsoever.😉

casualheron80: Look, I can try to break down those results for you, but let’s be clear about what we're looking at here. You've got negative protein, which is good, but then there's a significant amount of epithelial cells, 10-15 leukocytes, some bacteria, and 3-4 RBCs. Honestly, seeing that level of white blood cells and bacteria usually points toward a urinary tract infection, which is its own special kind of misery. As for your question about trying to conceive—yes, hormonal shifts and the physiological stress of an impending period can absolutely mess with your cycle, making it late, but those specific lab values aren't exactly a "pregnancy indicator." Most pregnant women actually see a rise in certain markers, but a presence of bacteria and elevated leukocytes is generally just a sign of an infection that needs addressing before you focus on anything else. Get it checked out.

Thanks in advance.🙂🙂🙏😢[/QUOTE
You’re dealing with a urinary tract infection. I strongly suggest you get a formal urine culture done immediately to identify exactly which bacteria is causing the issue, because leaving chronic infections unchecked can lead to serious complications and significant difficulties when you're trying to conceive—especially if we are talking about E. coli. There is absolutely no difference between the urine profile of a healthy pregnant woman and that of a healthy non-pregnant woman.

Carol Parker said:Is an IgE level of 9.5 for a 3.5-year-old girl considered low, or is it just normal?

Look, you absolutely need to have the reference ranges and the specific units provided alongside the lab results. It’s common sense because those standard reference intervals fluctuate wildly depending entirely on the testing methodology used and the specific units measuring the analyte.

Carol Parker said:So, looking at a standard blood panel, how can you actually tell if an inflammation is viral or bacterial, and which specific markers are supposed to be elevated—is it just the leukocytes?

Look, leukocytes spike during both viral and bacterial inflammations, so that alone isn't a smoking gun, but if you want a real differential diagnosis, you have to look at the lymphocytes, which climb during viral infections, versus the neutrophils, which surge when you're dealing with bacteria; furthermore, you absolutely need to factor in CRP and sedimentation rates, because those values skyrocket significantly more in the presence of bacterial infections.

Megan Adams4 said:Hi everyone, I had my liver enzymes checked... back in May, the results looked like this:
alkaline phosphatase 47 ref. range 54-119
AST 41 ref. range 8-30
ALT 24 ref. range 10-36
GGT 11 ref. range 9-35

Then my OBGYN had me stop taking my birth control, Logest, and I just went back for more blood work, which showed this:

alkaline phosphatase 65 ref. range 54-119
AST 32 ref. range 8-30
ALT 41 ref. range 10-36
GGT 14 ref. range 9-35

My doctor basically gave me this "hmm, this isn't looking great" look and told me I need to go get tested for hepatitis!!! I nearly fainted right there... she even brought up mononucleosis, but I don't have any symptoms... my real issue is that since yesterday, I've been spiraling through everything I can read online about hepatitis, and now I'm terrified to actually go get the testing done... there is absolutely no way, I am literally shaking right now... I even read somewhere that if it were acute, my levels would be massive, whereas chronic hepatitis can present with totally normal or only slightly elevated enzyme levels... I'm only 24 years old.

Please, if you have any insight, let me know... thanks.

Look, I honestly think you have absolutely nothing to worry about. These numbers are nowhere near being dangerously high, and frankly, you should never obsess over those reference ranges because there is always a segment of the population that falls slightly outside those arbitrary lines. That said, you should go ahead and get the testing done simply because you aren't going to find any peace of mind until you have official confirmation that everything is fine. Even in a worst-case scenario where it turns out to be hepatitis—everything is treatable; Hepatitis B with strict rest and specific medication, and Hepatitis C with interferon therapy. Sure, the treatment can be long and grueling, but it works. It is also entirely possible that you're dealing with latent mononucleosis without any outward symptoms. There is no reason to panic, but do the tests for your own sanity, because the absolute worst thing is having someone plant a seed of doubt in your head.👍 By the way, I absolutely loathe doctors who act like they have no idea what they're looking at and immediately jump to conclusions about hepatitis or tumors the moment they see a slightly wonky lab result.😠

Jose Thompson38 said:Hi everyone!!!🙂
Look, my father is 55 years old,
he's been dealing with health issues for years now, specifically liver cirrhosis,
alcoholic hepatitis...
and doctors recently diagnosed him with osteoporosis as well...
Now I need some clarity on this: a few days ago he had
his tumor markers checked, and these were the results:
PSA 0.31
CEA 6.8
AFP 6.78
CA less than 2.
If anyone can explain what these numbers actually mean,
I would be incredibly grateful... because I have spent the last two days scouring
the internet and haven't found a single clear answer regarding whether these results
are normal or not.???
Also, one more thing I'm really concerned about—his doctor referred him
for a bone marrow biopsy. What exactly are they looking for, and why on earth would you perform a bone marrow biopsy?

..A single snapshot of tumor markers is essentially meaningless on its own because these tests are used for prognosis, not for making an initial diagnosis of various cancers. Once a malignant tumor is actually identified, doctors monitor the rise or fall of these markers to determine if a treatment or surgery was successful, or to catch the emergence of metastases. In this case, almost all of these values fall within the standard reference ranges, except for the CEA, which is slightly elevated (standard ref is up to 5); however, aside from certain malignancies (it’s most commonly used as a marker for colon cancer or metastases from other cancers), CEA levels can also spike in smokers or people with inflammatory bowel or lung diseases. If there is any suspicion of a malignant process, it is absolutely critical to repeat the test in a month or two to see if the value is trending upward; only then does it become useful for diagnostic purposes. As for the bone marrow biopsy, that is typically indicated when there is suspicion of hematological malignancies, such as various types of leukemia or lymphoma.
Liver cirrhosis is an extremely serious condition that can lead to the development of carcinomas, primarily liver cancer, so I am convinced all these tests are simply precautionary measures intended to monitor his current status.

Olivia Adams46 said:Waiting until Monday is just too damn long, so I’m reaching out here for some help... my urinalysis shows a massive amount of bacteria, tons of mucus, and a high level of calcium oxalate. My squamous epithelial cells came back at 3, even though the reference range is 0-0. On my blood work, my hemoglobin, MCV, and MCH are all slightly elevated—what on earth does that even mean??? Also, my monocytes are low. Everything else seems fine, but this urine report is seriously freaking me out... what do you guys think???????????? thanks so much

Look, you clearly have cystitis. Are your leukocyte levels up in the urine? You need to get on antibiotics immediately, chug as much water as possible, and ideally drink some cranberry tea... it's that simple. Honestly, you should take that sample straight to a lab for a microbiology analysis right away so they can identify the specific bacteria; that way, your doctor can prescribe the exact therapy based on an antibiogram. In the meantime, you could start on some broad-spectrum antibiotics—you can even ask at a local pharmacy for something over-the-counter—but once you start, you absolutely must finish the entire course. After you're done, redo the urine test to make sure it's clear.
As for the blood work, everything there sounds perfectly normal.

[QUOTE=Chris Watson3;16217688]It’s basically this: I was looking back at my old lab work from 2007, specifically from April, and my fibrinogen was already up at 4.4, which means it’s been elevated since way before I ever started using birth control. Right now, I’m on Yasmin, though I actually stopped taking them last week.😲 My period started just a day after the blood draw. Here are the rest of the results: Biochemistry; bilirubin=9 (ref.interval 3.0-20.0)
alkaline phosphatase=79 (ref.interval 54-119)
AST=19 (ref.interval 8-30)
ALT=21 (ref.interval 10-36)
GGT=40(ref.interval 9-35)
Coagulation:
prothrombin time 0.99 (>0.70)
APTT:31 (22-28)
APTT ratio 1.24 (0.00-9999.00)
I still have my hematology results, but everything there is perfectly normal—nothing even touches the reference intervals—so let me know if you want me to type those out for you. Honestly, thank you so much, you’ve been like a sister to me.🙏
fibrinogen: 6.1 (1.8-3.5)[/QUOTE

Alright, look... all these other numbers are fine. Once your period wraps up in about ten days or so, you need to go back and redo the full coagulation panel, and make sure you include D-dimer at the very least. You absolutely must stop taking those pills immediately, and there is really no reason to be spiraling right now. You’re clearly panicking because of all the headlines regarding Yasmin, but the critical thing is that you are monitoring yourself and caught these minor shifts early enough. Send over the new results once you have them.👍[/QUOTE]

Chris Watson3 said:It’s at 6.1, while the upper limit is 3.5. My doctor told me there's nothing to worry about, but I don't find that acceptable.

Look, fibrinogen levels can naturally run high in certain individuals, and unless you have previous baseline results to compare this against, we are essentially flying blind here. Furthermore, it is physiologically common for those levels to spike during menstruation or pregnancy, and if you've dealt with even a minor throat infection or a bladder issue recently, a bacterial infection could easily be the culprit behind an elevated reading. Are you on any oral contraceptives? Those medications are notorious for interfering with coagulation profiles, and if they are, you really ought to consider stopping them. Have you completed a full CBC, ESR, or metabolic panel yet? If so, tell me exactly what the numbers look like and whether anything else fell outside the standard reference range.
If everything else looks fine, there is absolutely no reason to spiral into a panic; just get the tests repeated in a month. There is truly no need for hysteria.👍

Chris Watson3 said:I really need some help here. I just had my blood drawn and everything regarding my coagulation looks totally fine, except for my fibrinogen levels which are elevated, so what on earth does that actually mean? Everything I am digging up online is absolutely terrifying, though my doctor suggested it might just be due to low iron levels, which makes zero sense to me. How is that even possible?

Just how high is your fibrinogen level? And did you bother to get your D-dimer checked?

placidmarlin15 said:Nobody bothered to actually look at mine. 😢 Plus, I have this other thing on my report; the urine analysis mentions degenerative changes. What on earth is that even supposed to mean?? Thanks.

Hypo implies that the hemoglobin concentration within the erythrocytes is lower than what's considered normal, which is often just a direct consequence of low iron levels. In any case, we are looking at some form of anemia here... you really need to go back and get a full blood count, along with iron, TIBC, transferrin, and ferritin testing because all of this could easily be a temporary setback following a bacterial infection. If the hemoglobin and iron levels remain depressed, then there needs to be a consultation with a doctor regarding potential iron supplement therapy.
Regarding the urine test—does the sediment actually specify "degenerative changes"?????

dustyheron63 said:So, I have my urinalysis results here.
Can anyone who actually knows what they're talking about please make sense of this?

Appearance: cloudy
Color: yellow
pH: 5 (I know that's normal)
red blood cell/Hb: 300
Leukocyte esterase: 25
red blood cell: >30
Leukocytes: 5-6
Epithelial cells: quite a few
Bacteria: plenty...

(I think I might have a mild yeast infection, and I'm seven days out from my period... could that possibly be why my results look like this?)

Please, if anyone has an answer for these numbers!
By the way, my urine culture was sterile just a month ago, so I'll get it repeated! I had this test done because of some kidney concerns.
__________________

It’s entirely possible you're dealing with kidney stones or some sediment buildup in your kidneys... are you experiencing any actual pain?