Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST]

Hey there,

I’ve been doing these routine checkups for years now as part of some extra insurance coverage I have, and I’m currently in my early thirties.
Everything looks pretty standard, except for a few things:

Alpha-amylase: serum at 112 (ref 23-91), urine at 447 (
I actually saw very similar numbers back in November 2019: alpha-amylase was 112, and NSE was 18.4.
But, after about a month, they settled back down (12/2019): alpha-amylase went to 80, and NSE dropped to 13.5.

I'm planning on checking in with my doctor to get their take, but since my insurance policy covers certain specialist visits, I'm trying to figure out the smartest way to play this.
I don't have any symptoms or anything.

Jessica White95 said:Hey, I've been running a fever for 12 days straight (around 99°F, mostly sitting at 99.0°F) along with this nagging cough, muscle and bone aches, and these crazy chills. Lupocet isn't doing a damn thing for the fever, and I've already tested negative for COVID twice.
I got my bloodwork done and everything looks fine except for this one thing:

Neutrophil granulocytes came back at 43.1%, while the standard range is 44-72.

My doctor acts like it’s nothing and can't tell me why I'm still running a fever, but he went ahead and prescribed Klavocin anyway (started yesterday). Honestly? I feel worse today than I did before—the coughing fits are longer and more brutal, the chills are hitting harder, and my temp spiked to somewhere between 100°F and 100.5°F. Other than that, nothing else.
Is this really such a tiny deviation, and what does it even mean?

Update: Because my doctor insisted, I finished the whole course of Klavocin (7 days, one pill every 12 hours). All those symptoms I mentioned totally vanished after about 10 days, but then they came crawling right back (chills, temperature around 98.6-99.0°F, dry cough, aching bones, joints, muscles, just total weakness).

So then I had a chest X-ray, and my blood and urine tests were normal (everything was checked 17 days after finishing the Klavocin). The treatment this time was Xorimax 500mg for 10 days, one pill every 12 hours. It helped a bit, but it didn't clear things up (still getting mild chills, a light cough, and a temp around 98.2-98.6°F). Five days after finishing that, I went back for more bloodwork, urine tests, and hormone checks (triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and TSH)—all perfectly normal. More negative COVID tests too.

Right now, my temp is hovering around 98.6°F, the cough is getting worse (I can actually hear rattling in my lungs), and I'm getting these very slight chills. My doctor's advice? Just watch it and don't take any meds for now.

Questions: if this gets worse, what kind of meds would actually work? Xorimax wasn't exactly a miracle worker, so would Zithromax do the trick? Is it dangerous to be slamming through this many antibiotics in such a short window? I haven't had any side effects yet, but the thought of starting a third antibiotic is freaking me out.

Hey everyone, I could really use some help looking over my lab results today.
I had my hormone levels checked because my period has been a total nightmare lately. My cycle usually runs about 23 to 27 days, and the bleeding lasts for 7 or 8 days—but the worst part is this long lead-up where there isn't much blood, followed by two days of heavy bleeding with huge clots.
On top of that, ovulation is super painful, and sometimes sex hurts, or even just certain positions when I'm working out.
My ultrasound for my uterus and ovaries came back completely normal, though.

Here’s what my hormone levels looked like on day 4 of my cycle:
Can anyone help me make sense of these numbers from my day 4 testing?

LH (s) 3.98
FSH (s) 10.95
Prolactin (s) 209
Estradiol (s) 98.75
Testosterone (s) 1.47
Tested using the ECLIA method, Roche Cobas E601 (E411)

From what I can tell, everything falls within the standard range for the follicular phase, but doesn't it seem like they're all hovering right at the bottom end of the scale?

Hey everyone,

I'm 41—no chronic issues, no meds, just a moderate smoker (maybe 10 a day).

Got my latest bloodwork back and I'm a little sketched out because both my white cell count and lymphocytes are high:

WBC 11.3 (3.4-9.7)
MPV 11.1 (6.8-10.4)
Lymphocytes 4.50 (1.19-3.35)
Glucose 6.5 (4.4-6.4)

Everything else—CBC, differential, urea, creatinine, eGFR, bilirubin, AST, ALT, GGT, potassium, sodium, iron, CRP, lipids, TSH—is totally normal.

My doctor asked if I've been dealing with any nagging colds lately, but I haven't—so now I'm wondering, should I actually be worried about these numbers?

Thanks.

restlesscobra13 said:To whom it may concern,

I’ve been dealing with painful joints, bones, and muscles for two months now. It started off minor, but it's steadily getting worse. Some of my joints are swollen, and even some muscle tissue. On top of that, I have reactive lymph nodes in my neck, armpits, and groin (confirmed via ultrasound). My abdominal ultrasound came back clear.
I had Strep A in my throat maybe four or five times—possibly more—and now I'm testing positive for Group B Strep vaginally.

Back in December, my peripheral blood smear was normal.
In early January, I had a CBC, ESR, CRP, and ASO titer checked. Monocytes were elevated (12.2, limit is 12), MPV was high (12.5, normal is under 10.4), and ASO was 695 (normal is under 200).

My immunologist ordered RF, CCP, and HLA-A, B, and DR locus testing. My radiologist even suggested a lymph node biopsy to get a better look at what's going on, along with serology, though I'm not sure which specific tests are needed.

I am considering ordering a CBC, peripheral blood smear, liver enzymes, ALP, LDH, CRP, ASO, and testing for EBV and Cat Scratch Disease.
If anyone has further recommendations for lab work, I would appreciate it.

Thank you.

Ma'am,

Regarding serology to rule out infectious causes for enlarged lymph nodes: typically, alongside EBV and Bartonella (Cat Scratch Disease), one should also check for CMV and toxoplasmosis. HIV should also be considered. Other pathogens aren't usually tested routinely unless your medical history specifically points toward them.

As for rheumatological testing, there are other options, but we really ought to wait for the current results to come in before deciding on those.

Jessica White95 said:Questions: if things take a turn for the worse, what kind of therapy would help? Xorimax wasn't exactly a miracle worker, so would Zithromax do the trick? Is taking too many antibiotics in such a short window actually dangerous? I haven't had any side effects yet, but the thought of starting a third antibiotic is nerve-wracking.

Ma'am,

I haven't been able to check in until now. If you're still struggling, a chest X-ray is necessary, and you should consider serology for atypical pathogens—think Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, or perhaps others depending on the clinical history, like Coxiella burnetii.

There’s no reason to fear Azithromycin (Zithromax), though whether it's indicated in your specific case is something I can't determine with certainty over an online forum. One thing is clear: it would have been my choice before Xorimax, especially since Klavocin failed to yield results.

Emily Ortiz27 said:Hello, I need some help interpreting my results today.
My hormone levels were tested due to irregular menstrual cycles. My cycle lasts about 23-27 days, with bleeding lasting 7-8 days—usually a long period of light spotting followed by two days of heavy bleeding with significant clotting.
I experience painful ovulation, and occasionally pain during intercourse or certain positions while exercising.
The ultrasound for my uterus and ovaries came back normal.

Hormone panel from day 4 of the cycle:
Please let me know how to interpret these hormone levels taken on day 4 of the menstrual cycle:

LH (s) 3.98
FSH (s) 10.95
Prolactin (s) 209
Estradiol (s) 98.75
Testosterone (s) 1.47
Tested via ECLIA method, Roche Cobas E601 (E411)

It looks to me like the results fall within the reference range for the follicular phase, though they sit on the lower end.

Ma'am,

Please include the units of measurement and the reference ranges provided, as those vary from one lab to another. Based on what you've sent, however, there don't seem to be any major deviations.

Has endometriosis been considered as a potential cause for your symptoms?

bluepilot45 said:Hi there,

I’m 41. No chronic issues, no medications, and I’m a moderate smoker (about 10 cigarettes a day).

My recent blood work has me a bit uneasy because both my white blood cell count and lymphocyte count are elevated:

WBC 11.3 (3.4-9.7)
MPV 11.1 (6.8-10.4)
Lymphocytes 4.50 (1.19-3.35)
Glucose 6.5 (4.4-6.4)

Everything else looks fine—CBC, differential, urea, creatinine, eGFR, bilirubin, AST, ALT, GGT, potassium, sodium, iron, CRP, lipids, TSH.

My doctor asked if I'd had any significant colds lately, but I haven't. Should I be concerned about these numbers?

Thanks.

Hello,

In the middle of the road here—mild leukocytosis with lymphocytosis. You see results like this in smokers sometimes, but you really need to compare them against your previous labs and have a clinical exam. I’d suggest repeating the test in 3-4 weeks just to track the trend.

Kenneth Rodriguez15 said:Hi,

I'm in my early thirties and have been doing annual physicals through my supplemental insurance policy for years.
Everything comes back normal, except for:

Alpha-amylase: serum 112 (23-91), urine 447 (
Back in November 2019, the results were very similar: serum alpha-amylase 112, NSE: 18.4.
However, they normalized after a month (December 2019): alpha-amylase 80, NSE: 13.5.

I plan to follow up with my doctor, but since my policy covers specialist consultations, I'm trying to decide the smartest way to handle this.
I don't have any symptoms.

Hello,

By all accounts, we're looking at minor deviations that have been fluctuating for over a year now. It seems highly likely there's no underlying cause and nothing serious happening, but since there is a slight deviation, the bare minimum is a medical consultation. Internal medicine specialists covered by those types of insurance plans usually handle these check-ups and can advise you on the next steps.

Hopefully, I've finally cleared out the backlog that piled up over the last few weeks.

Maria Fisher46 said:Hey there,

Could you include the measurement units and those reference ranges? You know how they vary from one lab to another, though looking at this, I don't really see any major discrepancies here.

By the way, did they even bother checking if endometriosis might be what's causing all this trouble?

Dear Felixe, honestly, whenever I even bring up the possibility of endometriosis, I just get brushed off—either with a shrug, a hand wave, or both. 😁

My hormone levels are technically within the normal range, sure, but most of them are hovering right on the edge of those reference limits. Just to be clear, I’m listing the values for the follicular phase since I had the bloodwork done on Day 4 of my cycle:
LH (s) 3.98 (2.4-12.6)
FSH (s) 10.95 (3.5-12.5)
Prolactin (s) 209 (102-496)
Estradiol (s) 98.75 (45-854)
Testosterone (s) 1.47 (0.29-1.67)

My whole cycle is a total mess, which is the only reason I actually managed to snag a referral for this hormone panel. But after seeing the results, the only "solution" she offered was to start on oral contraceptives. Since I've dealt with some nasty side effects from birth control back in the day, I'm really not feeling that option, and I have no clue if there's anything else out there besides just sitting here and suffering through this mess.

I’d suggest getting a private CA-125 test done first. If those levels come back elevated, then you should definitely seek out a top-tier specialist at a place like Mayo Clinic.

Amanda Wright86 said:Just go get a private CA-125 test done, and if those levels come back high, then go see a top-tier specialist at Mayo Clinic.

Thanks for the advice. I actually had that test run a few times back when my hormonal IUD was basically causing a total meltdown in my ovaries, so everything looked normal then. But it’s been at least three years now, so I guess I could just go ahead and have it checked out.

Everything looks fine on the ultrasound, so there hasn't really been any reason to worry. Though, during the last checkup, one of my ovaries was acting totally haywire—the doctor couldn't even find it right away, which he said is because that ovary is actually displaced.

Maria Fisher46 said:Hello,

When running serology to rule out infectious causes for swollen lymph nodes, doctors usually test for EBV and Bartonella (cat scratch fever), along with CMV and toxoplasmosis; HIV is also often considered. Other pathogens aren't typically tested routinely unless your medical history suggests they might be relevant.

There are other rheumatological tests to consider, but I guess it would be best to wait for the current results before deciding on those.

Hello,

Thank you so much for your response and for taking the time to help.
I had blood work done on February 23, 2021. I'm attaching links to the results here. (CBC, sedimentation, biochemistry, CRP, immunoglobulins, anti-CCP, RF, thyroid hormones, ANA, covid)
https://ibb.co/jJYS7b5
https://ibb.co/L534Xdk
https://ibb.co/XLW0098
The abnormal values are:
MPV 13.1 ( ASO 675 ( anti-TPO 65.32 ( I also had a peripheral blood smear performed.
Neutrophils 67 (44-72)
Lymphocytes 22 (20-46)
Monocytes 10 (2-12)
Eosinophils 1 (0-7)
Red blood cells, granulocytes, and platelets look normal morphologically. There are no immature hematopoietic cells.
Does an ANA titer count as positive or negative if the threshold is Maybe you have an idea of what the next steps should be?

restlesscobra13 said:Hello,

Thank you for getting back to me and for taking the time.
I had blood work done on February 23, 2021. I'm attaching links to the results here. (CBC, sedimentation, biochemistry, CRP, immunoglobulins, anti-CCP, RF, thyroid hormones, ANA, covid)
https://ibb.co/jJYS7b5
https://ibb.co/L534Xdk
https://ibb.co/XLW0098
The abnormalities present are:
MPV 13.1 ( ASO 675 ( anti-TPO 65.32 ( I also had a peripheral blood smear performed.
Neutrophils 67 (44-72)
Lymphocytes 22 (20-46)
Monocytes 10 (2-12)
Eosinophils 1 (0-7)
Red cells, granulocytes, and platelets look normal morphologically. No immature hematopoietic cells.
Does an ANA titer count as positive or negative if the threshold is Any idea where I should go from here?

In your case, the ANA is negative. Given these numbers, it’s unlikely you're dealing with an active systemic rheumatic disease right now. It's a bit like looking at a scattered puzzle; I'll need to sit down with this when I have more time to see if anything else sticks out. I noticed you mentioned joint swelling earlier—has that ever been clinically confirmed? Specifically, have you had an ultrasound or an X-ray on those swollen joints, and if so, what did they show?

Maria Fisher46 said:ANA is negative in your case. With these results, it seems unlikely that you have active systemic rheumatoid disease right now. I might look over your file again once I have more free time and will reach out if anything else comes to mind. I noticed you mentioned swollen joints earlier, so I was wondering if those were ever formally assessed—have you had an ultrasound or X-ray on the swollen areas, and if so, what did they show?

Hello, thank you for looking into this. My main issue right now is significant pain around my lymph nodes, specifically in my neck (including some above the collarbone) and my armpits. An ultrasound showed they are reactive, though I'm still unsure about the cause.
The swelling is located on my right pinky, between the metacarpus and proximal phalanx, and on my left hand between the carpus and metacarpus. I also have slight soft tissue swelling on my right forearm near the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis. My doctor described the joint swelling as "minimal," so I haven't been sent for further testing regarding the joints yet.

bluepilot45 said:Hey there,

I'm 41, no chronic issues, no meds—just a moderate smoker (maybe 10 cigarettes a day).

My latest blood work has me a bit sketched out because both my white blood cell count and lymphocytes are high:

WBC 11.3 (3.4-9.7)
MPV 11.1 (6.8-10.4)
Lymphocytes 4.50 (1.19-3.35)
Glucose 6.5 (4.4-6.4)

Everything else looks fine—CBC, differential, urea, creatinine, eGFR, bilirubin, AST, ALT, GGT, potassium, sodium, iron, CRP, lipids, TSH.

My doctor asked if I'd been dealing with a nasty cold lately, but I haven't, so now I'm wondering if I should be worried about these numbers.

Thanks and cheers.

Maria Fisher46 said:Hi,

It’s a mild leukocytosis with lymphocytosis. You might see stuff like this in smokers, but you really need to compare it to your previous labs and have a clinical exam. I’d suggest re-running the tests in 3-4 weeks to see how things are trending.

Hi again,

thanks for the reply. I went back for more blood work 4 weeks after the first round, and those same parameters are still elevated, though they're trending down slightly:

WBC: 11.1 (3.4-9.7) — was 11.3 last time
Lymphocytes: 3.41 (1.19-3.35) — was 4.50 last time

but now my neutrophils are also high: 6.85 (2.06-6.49) — they were fine at 5.86 during the first test.

Didn't redo the MPV.

Also, I dug up a lab report from a year ago and everything was totally normal then.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier: I had the blood drawn because I started getting these sudden, intense dizzy spells. Anemia and thyroid issues were ruled out by the blood work, carotid arteries look great, eye exam was fine, and the cervical spine X-ray wasn't amazing—but an ENT finally told me it’s likely BPPV caused by calcium carbonate crystals shifting around in the inner ear. I was prescribed Betaserc (2 x 24 mg), and after taking it for about 10 days, it’s actually helping.

Now I'm mostly worried if the diagnosis is even right? Looking at the blood work, I'm not sure if it's truly BPPV or maybe some kind of inner ear inflammation or something else? Should I be looking into more tests? (Just playing doctor here, 😁)

Thanks in advance!

Could someone please help clarify these results...
My doctor just noted that everything falls within the normal range..

https://ibb.co/0qrqf9p

https://ibb.co/2Sx8Mgw

I am a bit concerned about my ALT, which is right at the upper limit. For as long as I can remember, my levels have usually sat at the lower end, around 9 or 10. My AST is also trending higher than usual, though my GGT remains unchanged.

I did deal with a stomach virus about a week ago, so I wonder if that could have played a role.

The urine sample is also weighing on my mind... Could that be related to my diet?

Tomorrow, I have follow-up bloodwork scheduled for thyroid hormones, calcium, and phosphorus.

For context, I have been vegan for three and a half years now. I've always had a naturally thin build—just my genetics and metabolism. I am 33.

My hemoglobin and other markers seem fine, so I don't quite understand why my iron is low. When the iron drops, my UIBC and TIBC tend to rise. I have been taking Nature Made Iron (20mg) preventatively, though I stopped a few days ago for testing. I also take a Beta Glucan immune complex. I’ve been breastfeeding for a year, and having breastfed previously as well, I feel like my immune system is a bit depleted and I'm losing weight...

Does anyone have recommendations for further testing, such as an abdominal ultrasound or something similar?

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The findings seem perfectly fine, though we lack the necessary context regarding how they were actually collected. Digging deeper without any clear purpose would simply be a waste of everyone's time.

For some context... I dealt with some strange symptoms last summer that have kept resurfacing into this year. They come and go, and honestly, it's been pretty draining. Some of them include tingling, prickling, or a "pins and needles" sensation throughout my body, most notably in my right arm, along with weakness and a heavy feeling in my right wrist. Then there’s hot flashes, ears feeling flushed, and an itchy scalp. I’ve also had frequent heart palpitations and instances where my heart rate spikes up to about 130 bpm (though my cardiologist cleared me, aside from a minor mitral valve prolapse). I get shortness of breath and a tightening sensation in my neck, chest, and stomach. On a few occasions, I've experienced frequent urination, intense thirst, and a dry mouth. There's also this odd sense of lightheadedness, almost like I'm disconnected from my own body... plus some vision issues, where a part of my eye seems to blur for a split second when I blink, or like there's static in the corner of my eye. To top it all off, for the last six years, I've had these mosquito-bite-like welts breaking out on my face accompanied by itching. It comes and goes; doctors suggested it might be chronic idiopathic urticaria. My kidney function is fine. During my pregnancy, I was on low doses of Synthroid... I haven't taken it in six months now, but I have a hormone checkup scheduled for tomorrow.

So, that's the "short version"...

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Phosphorus levels are at the upper limit..
https://ibb.co/WKRsW55

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Hey there,
My 8-year-old girl just had some thyroid labs done because we noticed a slight swelling in her neck area.

Here’s what the results came back with:
- FT3 5.41 (5.1 - 7.4)
- FT4 11.12 (11.1 - 18.1)
- TSH 50.063 (0.67 - 4.16)