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

Hi everyone.

My dad just had a colonoscopy that confirmed a colon tumor. The whole thing started because there was blood in his stool... They took some tissue samples for a biopsy, and now we're just waiting on the results... I'll post the actual lab work below... For the most part, everything looks okay—his tumor markers have been steady except for the lung ones, so if anyone knows how to read these, please help me out... He’s had these markers checked three times over the last year, and they were always normal. My mind is racing right now... I can't stop thinking about potential lung metastases... On the other hand, he’s dealt with two bouts of pneumonia this past year, and during the first one about a year ago, he was actually on oxygen for three weeks due to COVID-19. I'd assume an X-ray would have picked that up since he’s probably had ten scans in the last twelve months. Thanks.

Alpha globulin 1 is 5.2 (ref. range 5), and 3.7 (ref. range 3.5), plus the NSE marker is 23.7 (ref. div>

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.

Hannah Stewart27 said:Hi there,

I'm looking for some perspective here. For nearly a month now, I've been dealing with a cycle of watery diarrhea (which is how this all kicked off), constipation, and mushy stools accompanied by constant cramping, nausea, bloating, gas, an intense urge to go, and very loud bowel sounds. When it isn't diarrhea, the stools are large, have a really intense odor, and sometimes float.
I’ve had all the tests done. Blood work is perfectly normal, urine is fine, and everything came back negative for viruses, bacteria—including H. pylori—and parasites. My tumor markers were fine too: CA 19-9 was 15.2 kU/L (ref. < 37.0) and CEA was < 1.7 (ref < 5.0). The only outliers are Vitamin D at 29.2 (ref: 75 - 100) and a slightly elevated calprotectin at 121 (ref < 80).
The doctors at the Mayo Clinic say that since everything else looks normal, I shouldn't do anything or bother repeating the calprotectin test, even though the symptoms aren't letting up and I've lost about 2 kg (I'm naturally thin, female, 44 years old). They prescribed Vitamin D. Any attempt to ease the discomfort—diets, bland food, Lordiar capsules...—has been useless and short-lived. The symptoms just keep shifting.

About 1.5 years ago, I had a colonoscopy because of specific anemia (which was successfully treated with an iron infusion), abdominal pain, and family history (my father had colon cancer). Everything was clear then. However, a gastroscopy at the time showed gastritis (I take Emanera 40 mg), GERD, a hernia, and H. pylori, which was cleared up with treatment.

Thanks in advance.

My take? You aren't going to get a diagnosis. I've been dealing with this for a year now. Cramping, alternating diarrhea and constipation, vomiting, unbearable gas, and stool that smells absolutely foul. Every test comes back clean, including small bowel X-rays and colonoscopies. But the one thing we have in common is that no doctor—not even a gastroenterologist—will ever admit this is caused by certain things. Long-term PPI use—in your case Emanera, in mine Nexium—is a big factor. I took it for 2-3 months after a gastroscopy confirmed GERD. If you look at medical literature, you'll see that long-term PPI therapy reduces stomach acid, which makes you more susceptible to various bacteria migrating into the small and large intestines, throwing everything out of whack. I get bouts of gastroenterocolitis, vomiting, diarrhea, and heavy rumbling in my gut, yet all tests are normal. Stool samples for bacteria, rota, entero, or Norwalk viruses come back negative; the only thing that ever shows up is Candida on a fungal screen, but the GI doc just tells me everyone has that. Then you do a SIBO test and confirm the flora in your digestive system is totally messed up. I've tried all sorts of diets and probiotics that professors of infectious disease swear by. The only thing that actually helped was Rifaximin, but there's no guarantee the bacteria won't just come right back. Again, I'm telling you: you won't get a formal diagnosis, and no doctor will admit it's due to these various factors. But go ahead, Google it, and you'll see.

Hey there. Looking for some input here. Just got my blood and urine results back. They told me my urate is high, apparently due to diet (though I rarely touch beans or jerky). What’s really eating at me, though, is this elevated basophil level. Google says it could be leukemia.
Laboratory Hematology
Test Result Unit Ref. range
Leukocytes 6.3 ( 3.4 - 9.7 ) 10e9/L
Differential CBC
Blasts % 0
Myelocytes % 0
Metamyelocytes % 0
Metamyelocytes % 0
Unsegmented % ( 0 - 2 )
Neutrophils seg. 61 % ( 44 - 72 )
Eosinophils 6 % ( 0 - 7 )
Basophils 1 % ( 0 - 1 )
Prolymphocytes % 0
Lymphocytes 25 % ( 20 - 46 )
Monocytes 8 % ( 2 - 12 )
Plasma ST % ( 0 - 1 )
CBC #
Neutrophils # 3.80 ( 2.06 - 6.49 ) 10e9/L
Eosinophils # 0.30 ( 0.00 - 0.43 ) 10e9/L
Basophils # 0.10 ( 0.00 - 0.06 ) H 10e9/L
Lymphocytes # 1.60 ( 1.19 - 3.35 ) 10e9/L
Monocytes # 0.50 ( 0.12 - 0.84 ) 10e9/L
Erythrocytes 5.09 ( 4.34 - 5.72 ) 10e12/L
Hemoglobin 152 ( 138 - 175 ) g/L
Hematocrit 0.449 ( 0.415 - 0.530 ) L/L
MCV 88.2 ( 83.0 - 97.2 ) fL
MCH 29.9 ( 27.4 - 33.9 ) pg
MCHC 339 ( 320 - 345 ) g/L
RDW 13.4 % ( 9.0 - 15.0 )
Platelets 288 G/L ( 158 - 424 )
MPV 7.7 ( 6.8 - 10.4 ) fL
Urinalysis
Test Result Unit Ref. range
U - Dipstick
Appearance clear clear
Color light yellow light yellow
pH 5.0 ( 5.0 - 9.0 ) pH units
Rel. specific gravity 1.025 ( 1.002 - 1.030 ) kg/L
Glucose 0 mmol/L 0
Bilirubin 0
( 0 - 0 ) μmol/L
Ketones 0 mmol/L 0
Erythrocytes/hemoglobin 0 mg/L 0.3
Proteins 0
( < 0.2 ) g/L
Urobilinogen 17 ( < 17 ) μmol/L
Nitrites 0
( 0 ) μmol/L
Leukocyte esterase 0
( < 10 ) Lkc x
10e6/L
U - Microscopic sediment exam
Leukocytes 2
( 0 - 2 ) /vp
Erythrocytes 2
0 - 2 /vp
Metabolites and substrates
Test Result Unit Ref. range
Urea 6.4 mmol/l ( 2.8 - 8.3 )
Urate 440 H umol/l ( 182 - 403 )
Creatinine 98 umol/l ( 64 - 104 )
Enzymes
Test Result Unit Ref. range
AST 21 U/L ( 11 - 38 )
ALT 30 u/l ( 12 - 48 )
GGT 17 U/L ( 11 - 55 )
Electrolytes
Test Result Unit Ref. range
Potassium 4.6 mmol/l ( 3.9 - 5.1 )
Sodium 140 mmol/l ( 137 - 146 )

👋

After finishing my first round of chemo, they wanted me to get some bloodwork done (there's actually another set scheduled right before the second round starts).
The results came back as:

Do you think these monocyte levels are going to mess anything up during the next phase of treatment? Is there anything I should be doing or looking into?

Chris Morales4 said:Good afternoon. I'm looking for some perspective here. I just had blood and urine tests done, and they told me my uric acid is elevated—apparently, it’s diet-related (though I rarely eat beans or dried meat). What’s worrying me most is this high basophil count; Google says it could be leukemia.
Laboratory Hematology
Test Result Unit Ref. range
Leukocytes 6.3 ( 3.4 - 9.7 ) 10e9/L
Differential CBC
Blasts % 0
Promyelocytes % 0
Myelocytes % 0
Metamyelocytes % 0
Unsegmented % ( 0 - 2 )
Segmented Neutrophils 61 % ( 44 - 72 )
Eosinophils 6 % ( 0 - 7 )
Basophils 1 % ( 0 - 1 )
Prolymphocytes % 0
Lymphocytes 25 % ( 20 - 46 )
Monocytes 8 % ( 2 - 12 )
Plasma ST % ( 0 - 1 )
CBC #
Neutrophils # 3.80 ( 2.06 - 6.49 ) 10e9/L
Eosinophils # 0.30 ( 0.00 - 0.43 ) 10e9/L
Basophils # 0.10 ( 0.00 - 0.06 ) H 10e9/L
Lymphocytes # 1.60 ( 1.19 - 3.35 ) 10e9/L
Monocytes # 0.50 ( 0.12 - 0.84 ) 10e9/L
Erythrocytes 5.09 ( 4.34 - 5.72 ) 10e12/L
Hemoglobin 152 ( 138 - 175 ) g/L
Hematocrit 0.449 ( 0.415 - 0.530 ) L/L
MCV 88.2 ( 83.0 - 97.2 ) fL
MCH 29.9 ( 27.4 - 33.9 ) pg
MCHC 339 ( 320 - 345 ) g/L
RDW 13.4 % ( 9.0 - 15.0 )
Platelets 288 G/L ( 158 - 424 )
MPV 7.7 ( 6.8 - 10.4 ) fL
Urinalysis
Test Result Unit Ref. range
U - Dipstick
Appearance clear
Color light yellow
pH 5.0 ( 5.0 - 9.0 ) pH units
Specific gravity 1.025 ( 1.002 - 1.030 ) kg/L
Glucose 0 mmol/L 0
Bilirubin 0
( 0 - 0 ) μmol/L
Ketones 0 mmol/L 0
Erythrocytes/hemoglobin 0 mg/L 0.3
Proteins 0
( < 0.2 ) g/L
Urobilinogen 17 ( < 17 ) μmol/L
Nitrites 0
( 0 ) μmol/L
Leukocyte esterase 0
( < 10 ) Lkc x
10e6/L
U - Microscopic Sediment Examination
Leukocytes 2
( 0 - 2 ) /vp
Erythrocytes 2
0 - 2 /vp
Metabolites and Substrates
Test Result Unit Ref. range
Urea 6.4 mmol/l ( 2.8 - 8.3 )
Urate 440 H umol/l ( 182 - 403)
Creatinine 98 umol/l ( 64 - 104 )
Enzymes
Test Result Unit Ref. range
AST 21 U/L ( 11 - 38 )
ALT 30 u/l ( 12 - 48 )
GGT 17 U/L ( 11 - 55 )
Electrolytes
Test Result Unit Ref. range
Potassium 4.6 mmol/l ( 3.9 - 5.1 )
Sodium 140 mmol/l ( 137 - 146 )

What was the primary reason you were sent for these blood tests?
Both parameters can deviate from the reference values due to a wide spectrum of different conditions and diagnoses; interpreting results depends entirely on the context.

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Emily Ortiz27 said:👋

After finishing the first round of chemo, I had to get some blood work done (there’s another set scheduled right before the second round).
Here are the results:

Will these monocyte levels mess anything up during the next phase of treatment? Is there anything I should be doing or watching out for?

It shouldn't be an issue.
That said, considering you're undergoing chemo, your blood counts aren't exactly where you'd want them to be.
Just watch out for infections, and keep doing whatever it is you've been doing.

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Angela Wright said:What was the primary reason you were sent for blood work?
Both parameters can deviate from the reference range in a whole spectrum of different conditions and diagnoses; interpretation depends entirely on context.

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I’ve started getting this pain on my left side, just above the groin, right during ejaculation.
So far, I’ve had urine and sperm cultures done, and everything came back fine.
Abdominal ultrasound was normal too.
Now, regarding this blood and urine work—with those deviations—the doctor told me it isn't anything dramatic. But since I'm used to everything always being perfectly fine and I've never had any abnormal results before, this doesn't sit right with me. Some things are borderline, and two specific values are actually elevated.
I'm still waiting on a testicular ultrasound; she ordered that too, and the appointment is in 7 days.
If that comes back clear, she said she’ll refer me to a surgeon to check for a hernia (even though when I was doing the abdominal ultrasound, I pointed out the exact spot where it hurts, and they didn't see anything at all).
By the way, I deal with airborne allergies—I go through about two boxes of Allegra tablets a year—and I noticed that basophils can be elevated because of allergies.

Chris Morales4 said:I've started getting this pain in my upper left groin area right before ejaculation.

Just finished the urine culture and the semen culture—everything came back clean.

Abdominal ultrasound completed.

So, I showed the doctor my blood and urine results—the ones with all those deviations—and she just brushed it off like it’s nothing dramatic. But here’s the thing: I’m used to being healthy. My labs are usually perfect, and I’ve never dealt with abnormal readings before. To me, this isn't "nothing." Having several markers sitting right on the edge and two of them actually elevated? That doesn't feel right. It feels like a red flag that's being ignored.

I'm still waiting on a testicular ultrasound; that's the next thing on the schedule, and I've got the appointment set for seven days from now.

If everything goes according to plan, she told me she’s sending me to a surgeon just to rule out a hernia. While I was lying there doing an abdominal X-ray, I pointed exactly to the spot where the pain is hitting me, but when she took a look, she couldn't see a thing.

I basically wiped out my airborne allergies by knocking back two boxes of Desalt tablets over the course of the year. I also noticed that my basophil levels can run high because of those allergies.

Now that we know you're dealing with allergies, it makes perfect sense—your basophils are up because of the histamine response. It’s a direct link.
When you look at what's actually driving this, it isn't just one thing. You’ve got people overdoing it on the caffeine and booze, carrying extra weight—say, an extra inch around the waistline—or just dealing with the hand they were dealt through their genetics.
It doesn't look like there’s any connection whatsoever to the pain you're talking about.
You definitely don't have cancer.

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Angela Wright said:Well, now that we know you deal with allergies, those elevated basophils make sense—it’s just histamine at work.
As for the urates, things like drinking too much coffee or alcohol, carrying extra weight, eating stuff like herring, or even just genetics can trigger them.
It doesn't look like there's any connection to the pain you're describing.
And you definitely don't have cancer.

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Thanks so much for getting back to me.
Honestly, I’m less worried about the urates and more concerned about this pain during ejaculation; it’s been going on for two months now. At first, I thought it was an infection, but all the tests come back normal—both urine and semen. Even if I just lightly tap that spot with my finger, there's a dull ache. Nothing is swollen or anything, but when I touch it or during ejaculation, there's pain on the left side, right at the top of the groin, maybe 2-3 cm above the genitals.

Regarding the urates, I'm just as confused. I’m 5'10" and 165 lbs, I don't smoke, I might have a beer once a week, and that's about it. I don't eat legumes or jerky at all. My diet is mostly fruit smoothies (pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, banana, cherries) and I have white fish twice a week. It's not just the urates being high; my creatinine is hitting the upper limit and my urine pH is at 5, which is right at the bottom edge of acidic. My main priority is figuring out why it hurts right there when the labs say everything is "fine." I feel like I should probably get blood and urine tests again in a month to see if things stabilize or get worse. For now, I'll try taking Daselta for about 15 days in hopes that something improves.

Chris Morales4 said:Thanks so much for the reply.

Honestly, I don't care why it’s happening, I just want this pain during ejaculation gone—it’s been dragging on for two months now. At first, I assumed it was some kind of inflammation, but every single test so far has come back clean, including my urine and semen analysis. Even if I just lightly tap that specific spot with my finger, there’s this dull ache. There’s no swelling or anything visible, but when I touch it or during ejaculation, it hurts right on the left side, at the top of the groin area, about 2-3 cm above the genitals.

As for the uric acid, I’m just as confused. I’m 5'10", 165 lbs, a non-smoker, and I only have a beer about once a week. I don't eat legumes at all and rarely touch dried meat. My daily routine starts with a fruit smoothie (pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, banana, cherries), and I eat white fish twice a week. It's not just the uric acid that’s high; my creatinine is hitting the upper limit too, and my urine pH is at 5, which is the absolute bottom end—already quite acidic. My main priority is figuring out why it hurts right there when the lab results claim everything is "normal." I feel like I should probably get my blood and urine checked again in a month to see if things stabilize or spiral further. For now, I’m going to take Delta tablets for about 15 days in hopes that something actually improves.

Have you had testing done for STDs? If not, it would be a smart move to get that sorted.

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Angela Wright said:Have you guys gone out and gotten tested for STDs? If not, honestly, it’d be a smart move to just get it over with.

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Well, look, I'm married, and my doctor already told me there's no need for that. Especially since we've been using protection for the last two years since our baby arrived—we aren't looking to expand the family right now.
I'm heading in for a testicular ultrasound in a week. If everything comes back clean, maybe I'll circle back with the doc and ask about testing for other things just to be safe. But I don't have any symptoms like that; nothing's burning, no discharge, no skin changes. What I *do* have is this pain. It hits hardest during ejaculation. It’s not like "unbearable, scream-out-loud" pain, but more like this intense pressure—a medium-strength ache. When I'm finishing, during those 3 or 4 bursts, it hurts with every single burst. It hits, stops, hits again, like that for a few seconds. Other than that, I get this moderate, dull throbbing in that area a couple of times a day. If I touch it or press on it, it feels like when you press on a bruise from a hit, except I don't see any actual bruising or anything visible.
I mean, I was thinking about just knocking back a box of Klavocin I have lying around, but it seems pretty stupid to take antibiotics if my blood work isn't showing any signs of inflammation.

Chris Morales4 said:Look, since I'm married, my doctor said there's no real need for extra testing right now. Especially since we've been using protection for the last two years since our baby was born—we aren't looking to expand the family just yet.

Once I get my testicular ultrasound done in a week, if everything looks fine, I might circle back with the doctor to see if she wants me to run more tests just to be safe. But honestly, I don't have any typical symptoms; nothing is burning, no discharge, and nothing has changed with my skin. The pain itself is most intense during ejaculation. It’s not an "unbearable agony" type of thing where I can't function, but more like this heavy pressure and moderate pain right when I'm finishing. As those three or four bursts happen, it hits with each one—pain, pause, pain—repeating about three or four times in those few seconds. Aside from that, I get a mild, nagging ache in that area a couple of times a day. If I touch it or apply pressure, it feels like pressing on a bruise from a hit, even though I can't see any visible changes or swelling.

I wouldn't dream of just popping a whole box of Klavocin on my own, though I do have some at home; it seems stupid to take antibiotics when my blood work isn't showing any signs of inflammation.

Get the swabs done. For instance, Chlamydia doesn't always show symptoms. At least you'll know you've covered all your bases. And whatever you do, do NOT self-medicate with antibiotics!

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Hello there!
Could someone please help me make sense of these lab results?
The HLA typing was ordered because there's some suspicion regarding psoriatic arthritis—specifically due to some swelling in my fingers. There’s also a history of autoimmune issues in my family; my sister has multiple sclerosis, and several other relatives have diabetes.

I see that some of the antigens found suggest I carry certain genes, but how much of a factor is this really? If anyone here knows how to interpret these findings, I would be incredibly grateful for your insight! 🙂

https://www.linkpicture.com/q/1_1646.jpg

I have a question regarding my child, who is nearly three years old. She woke up in the middle of the night around February 13th or 14th, crying out in pain because of an earache. We rushed her to the pediatrician on the 14th, and she was prescribed antibiotics because she had a severe infection in her right ear. This was actually her very first ear infection, and only the second time in her life she’s ever needed antibiotics. She ran a fever for those first couple of days, but things settled down fairly quickly. She finished her course of antibiotics by the following Tuesday, when we went back for a follow-up, and everything seemed perfectly fine at that point.

She went back to daycare on Wednesday and Thursday, but by Friday, we decided to keep her home because she had a low-grade fever (about 99°F) and a stuffed-up nose. On Saturday, we started noticing she was breathing a bit more heavily, and her temperature began to climb. By that evening, she was struggling significantly to breathe, so we took her to the on-call pediatrician. They diagnosed her with bronchitis, gave her a corticosteroid injection in the hip, and sent us home with Albuterol for nebulizer treatments.

The Albuterol worked wonders quite fast, and by Monday, her breathing had improved noticeably, though the doctor recommended we continue the nebulizer treatments through Thursday, which is exactly what we did. In the meantime, we were also using Sinomarin at the doctor's suggestion and were constantly clearing her nasal passages. Throughout this entire stretch, she maintained a fever that would spike up toward about 100.4°F, though it most frequently hovered around 99.6°F.
By Wednesday, the fever flared up again—hitting as high as 102.2°F—and it has persisted right up until today. We’ve been managing it by giving her acetaminophen about twice a day. Her nasal and throat swabs came back clear, and the doctor says her lungs sound clean (during the check-up on Thursday, her oxygen saturation was 98%), her ear doesn't hurt anymore, and her throat looks fine.

Her nose is still runny, and she has an occasional productive cough.

We had blood work done on Wednesday, and I’ll list the values that came back elevated or low below (with the reference ranges in parentheses):
CRP 49.8 (0.1 - 2.8)
Hemoglobin 106 (109 - 138)
leukocyte 18.1 (6 - 16)
neutrophil 10.99 (1.40 - 8)
lymphocytes 5.15 (1.4 - 5)
monocytes 1.62 (0.22 - 1.51)

Since the fever was still hanging on, our doctor suggested we repeat the blood work on Saturday (yesterday) to see if anything was trending upward. Here are the new elevated results:
CRP was 48.8—just a hair lower than last time—but the next two values have increased:
leukocyte 19.1
neutrophil 13.2
Everything else fell within the normal reference intervals.

Given that our doctor isn't available until Monday, I’m wondering if it’s normal for a fever to drag on this long due to bronchitis. This was her first bout with it, so I honestly don't know if this is typical or not. Is it possible she caught a secondary viral infection right on the heels of the bronchitis?

We’re feeling pretty anxious because usually, whenever she catches a virus, it follows a predictable pattern: a high fever for three or four days, a slight dip, and then it's over. But this time, this fever has just stretched out into nine consecutive days.
The fever isn't "stubborn" in the sense that it refuses to budge; we've administered acetaminophen ten times over the last nine days. She seems to be in good spirits otherwise—she's eating, playing, and sleeping normally. We don't immediately rush to give her syrup the moment she hits 100.4°F during the day; we try to let her body fight it off a little, so sometimes the fever climbs a bit higher before we intervene, and other times it settles down on its own.
In the meantime, we are keeping up with nasal hygiene and continuing the nebulizer treatments. I would be so grateful for any advice or perspective you might have.

Laura Martinez82 said:I have a question regarding my child, who is almost three years old. She woke up in the middle of the night around February 13th or 14th, crying uncontrollably because of ear pain. We took her to see a pediatrician on the 14th, and she was prescribed antibiotics because she had a severe infection in her right ear. This is her first ear infection ever, and only the second time since birth that she’s had to take antibiotics. She ran a fever for the first couple of days, but things settled down pretty quickly. She finished the course of antibiotics and we went back for a follow-up next Tuesday, where everything looked fine.

She was back in daycare on Wednesday and Thursday, but we kept her home on Friday because she had a slight fever—around 99 degrees—and a stuffed-up nose. By Saturday, we noticed her breathing was getting a bit labored, and her temperature spiked. Once evening rolled around, she really started struggling to catch her breath. We rushed her to the on-call pediatrician, who diagnosed her with bronchitis. They gave her a corticosteroid injection in the hip and sent us home with Albuterol for nebulizer treatments.

The Albuterol worked fast—she was breathing much better by Monday already—but the doctor advised us to keep up with the inhaler through Thursday, so that’s exactly what we did. In between doses, we were also using Sinomarin per the doctor's suggestion and constantly clearing her nose. Throughout the whole ordeal, she ran a fever that would spike to about 100.4, though it mostly hovered around 99.7.
The fever kicked back up again on Wednesday—hitting as high as 102.2—and she’s still running it today. We've been bringing it down with Tylenol about twice a day. She had nasal and throat swabs done, which came back clear, and the doctor says her lungs sound perfectly clean. During her checkup on Thursday, her oxygen saturation was sitting at a solid 98%. No ear pain, and her throat looks totally fine too.

My nose is still runny, and I’ve got this occasional cough, though it feels pretty productive.

We had blood drawn this past Wednesday, and I’ve listed the values that came back high or low below, followed by the reference ranges in parentheses:
CRP 49.8 (0.1 - 2.8). That's a massive spike. You're looking at significant inflammation there.
My hemoglobin came back at 106, while the standard range is listed as 109 to 138. It’s just slightly under the mark.
Leukocytes 18.1 (6 - 16)
My neutrophil count came back at 10.99, while the standard range stops at 8. It’s a bit high.
Lymphocytes at 5.15 (Range: 1.4 - 5).
Monocytes 1.62 (0.22 - 1.51)

On Friday, our doctor suggested we redo the blood work on Saturday (yesterday) since the fever hasn't broken yet—she wants to see if things are actually trending upward. Here are the new elevated levels:
CRP is at 48.8—lower than last time, though the next two readings were higher.
leukocyte 19.1
leukocyte 19.1 neutrophil 13.2
Everything else fell within the normal reference ranges.

Since the doctor isn't back in until Monday, I'm wondering if it’s actually normal for a fever to linger this long when dealing with bronchitis. It was her first time ever having it, so I have no baseline for what "normal" looks like here. Is this just how it goes, or is it possible she caught a new virus right on the heels of the bronchitis?

We’re getting pretty concerned here. Usually, whenever she catches a virus, it follows a predictable pattern: she runs a high fever for about three or four days, it dips for a bit, and then it's over. This time, things have taken a weird turn—the fever has just stretched out and lingered for nine straight days now.
The fever isn't being stubborn or constant; we've had to give her Tylenol ten different times over the last nine days. She’s actually in great spirits—eating well, playing around, and sleeping just fine. We don't just rush to give her syrup the second she hits 38°C during the day. We usually let her fight through it a little bit first; sometimes the temp climbs higher before we step in, and other times it settles down on its own.
In the meantime, we're keeping our nasal passages clean and using inhalation therapy. I’d really appreciate any advice or second opinions you guys might have.

The kid has a virus—her CRP levels are classic for a viral infection. Her immune system took a hit after that round of antibiotics, which is exactly why she caught something the second you put her back in daycare. These symptoms can drag on for up to 14 days. Keep up with the nebulizer treatments, and make sure you're doing proper nasal hygiene: lay her on her side and use a syringe to flush 2-3ml of saline into the upper nostril while she breathes it in through the lower one, then flip her over and repeat. That’s the right way to do it, and it actually speeds up recovery. You also need to bolster her immunity with probiotics, vitamins, and plenty of fresh air. If you can swing it, pull her out of the group setting for a bit until she’s fully recovered.

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Angela Wright said:The little one is just dealing with a virus (her CRP levels are textbook for viral infections). After taking antibiotics, her immune system took a bit of a hit, which is likely why she caught something the moment she was back in daycare. These symptoms can really drag on for up to 14 days. Keep up with the nebulizer treatments, and make sure you're doing proper nasal hygiene—lay her on her side and use a syringe to flush 2-3ml of saline into the upper nostril while she breathes it in through the lower one, then flip sides and repeat; that’s the most effective way to speed up recovery. Also, focus on boosting her immunity with probiotics, vitamins, and plenty of fresh air. If you can manage it, maybe keep her home from the group setting until she's fully recovered.

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Thank you so much for the response.
We’ve been cleaning out her nose with saline several times a day, though in the meantime, she just keeps blowing it all right back out. We’re also doing the nebulizer treatments with Sinomarin a few times daily.
The pediatrician mentioned something about elevated leukocytes during that first check-up, though she didn't really go into detail. Does that usually point toward a bacterial infection, or are they strictly looking at the CRP?
I have to admit, I'm getting a little anxious because it feels like we're stuck in this endless status quo; there isn't even a hint of movement toward better or worse. She gets a fever that's definitely worth breaking every 6 to 8 hours, and in the intervals, she's still running a low-grade temperature.

We'll definitely be keeping her home for a week or two once this clears up.
We were supposed to get her chickenpox vaccine, but we can't do that until she's fully recovered, so we'll end up extending her time at home regardless. I'm hoping the weather improves soon so the kids in daycare can actually spend more time outdoors.

Laura Martinez82 said:Thanks so much for the reply.
We’re cleaning her nose with saline several times a day, and she’s blowing it out in the meantime. We’re also doing nebulizer treatments with Sinomarin a few times a day.
The pediatrician mentioned something about elevated leukocytes during the first checkup, but didn't really go into detail. Does that point toward a bacterial infection, or is it strictly about looking at the CRP?
I'm getting a bit worried because it feels like we've been stuck in this status quo for days—there’s no sign of things improving or even getting worse. Her fever is "ready to be broken" every 6-8 hours, and in between, it stays elevated.

We'll definitely keep her home for a week or two once this all passes.
We were supposed to get her chickenpox vaccine, but we can't do that until she recovers, so we’ll just be staying home longer overall. I'm hoping the weather clears up too, so she can spend more time outside at daycare.

They look at everything, but if there was a bacterial infection in the foundation, her CRP would have easily spiked over 70 by now.
There’s actually a pretty useful indicator for a bacterial infection. If the fever refuses to drop below 38.5 after taking Advil, or if the fever only stays down for less than three hours, it’s a bacterial infection in 90% of cases. So, if you run into this situation—especially by the third day after the first symptoms of fever appeared—take your child to the doctor immediately.

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Thank you so much for such an incredibly thorough response. Her temperature tends to spike up to about 101.3°F, though it usually settles down after we give her some syrup—we haven't felt the need to reach for the Advil yet since it hasn't been strictly necessary—and sometimes it just starts dropping all on its own. This pattern has been pretty much identical for five days now. We’re seeing these spikes roughly once during the day and once more overnight.

Laura Martinez82 said:Thanks a million for such a detailed reply. Her fever spikes up to 101.3°F, but it drops after the syrup (we didn't bother with Advil since it didn't seem necessary), and sometimes it just starts coming down on its own. It’s been about five days now where things stay more or less the same. We're pulling the fever down roughly once during the day and once at night.

That sounds fine. You save the Ibuprofen for when it hits above 102.2°F.

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