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

Hannah Lee47 said:My lab results show iron is at 12, while vitamin B6 is elevated, though B12 is normal.
My doctor didn't prescribe anything, saying it’s not necessary since my hemoglobin is fine and the high B6 isn't toxic.
But I was just reading online that an excess of vitamins—especially B6—can be just as dangerous as a deficiency, so now I'm stuck wondering.
Since most foods rich in iron also contain B6, it's a bit confusing.
If anyone has a professional take, could the high B6 have actually caused anemia in my specific case?

Dear Dr. Harvey,
A few years back, I dealt with hives. Tests showed they were caused by H. pylori in my stomach. I finished a triple therapy course and then had an EGD, which revealed a hiatal hernia and some erosions. The doctor prescribed antibiotics again—honestly, I still don't get why I needed a second round when they hadn't even re-tested for H. pylori. After those treatments, I felt fine until this past spring. In the meantime, I moved to the Netherlands, where I live now. Here, I first saw a doctor about the hives, and tests showed allergies to dust and eggs; I also tested negative for H. pylori twice. Since spring, my only issue has been a sore throat. Based on my history of a hernia and previous H. pylori, my GP concluded the throat issues are due to acid reflux and prescribed Omeprazole 20 mg, which I took for nearly four months. Omeprazole didn't help, so I got a referral to an ENT specialist. The specialist checked my throat with a light and agreed the pain was caused by stomach acid, so he bumped me up to a double dose of Omeprazole 40 mg, twice a day. I took that for another month, but then I started noticing blue bruises appearing on my legs. I stopped taking it on my own and went back to my GP, who sent me for blood work to check my thyroid, thrombosis risk, liver, and vitamin levels. Everything came back normal except for my iron, which is at 12, and elevated B6. I've been off all medication for a month now, and my throat issues are returning. I'm at a loss. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,

So, according to my lab results, a normal bilirubin level should be somewhere between 7 and 30. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here with a reading north of 90.

What on earth am I looking at here?
My hematocrit and uric acid are also slightly elevated—nothing crazy, just a tiny bit over the line—but everything else seems to be perfectly fine.
Help!

Robert Adams88 said:My labs show the normal bilirubin range is 7-30, but I’m sitting at over 90.

What does that actually mean?
My hematocrit and uric acid are just slightly elevated, but everything else looks fine.
Help!

Why did you even bother getting tested in the first place?
Are your whites looking yellow? If they are, you clearly have jaundice, and we need to figure out why. It could be anything from hepatitis to gallstones, or even something more serious like a tumor. How are your liver enzymes looking? Either way, you're going to need some follow-up testing.

Angela Wright said:Why even bother searching for this in the first place?
What do your eyes actually look like? If they’re looking yellow, then obviously you’ve got jaundice, and we really need to figure out why. It could be anything from hepatitis to gallstones, or even some kind of tumor. How are your liver enzymes looking? Either way, you're definitely going to need some follow-up testing.

I was just looking up my CBC—nothing major, honestly, just wanted to see how everything was holding up.
I went back for more blood work today, so I should have the results by tomorrow...

I haven't a clue what my eyes are supposed to look like. Is it possible things are acting up because I've been popping allergy meds for years?

So, what exactly are liver enzymes? I'm assuming we're talking about ALT and AST?

If those are the ones, then everything looks pretty normal.

ALT-13
AST-17

Everything seems fine, except for that total bilirubin level—that one's a bit off. Also, the uric acid and hematocrit are drifting slightly away from the normal range, I guess.

So, the follow-up results came back at 48, which is a huge jump from that initial 93 I saw before. I’m heading back in a week to run the tests again just to be sure...

Do you guys think there's any chance this is actually linked to those gallstones?

That nagging pain in my lower right abdomen just won't quit... It’s not like a sharp, stabbing thing, more like this annoying, constant, dull ache that just sits there...
I honestly have no clue what other tests I should even be asking for to figure out what the hell is going on...
My gastroenterologist is leaning towards Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)... could that actually be the culprit here?
They told me I need to bring three consecutive stool samples for testing, so I'm wondering—if I'm grabbing them three days in a row, where am I supposed to keep them? Somewhere cold, like a fridge?
And my temperature's been hovering around 99.1°F for a few days now... please, someone help me out :-(

Robert Adams88 said:What exactly are liver function tests? You're probably thinking of ALT and AST, right?

If that's the case, then fine. It's all good.

ALT-13 AST-17
ALT-13 AST-17

Everything looks fine except for that total bilirubin level. Also, my uric acid and hematocrit are drifting slightly away from the normal range.

Those are liver function tests.

Robert Adams88 said:The follow-up results show 48, which is a huge jump from that initial 93. I'm heading back in a week to run the test again.

Does that have anything to do with gallstones?

It’s possible. Do you have them?

Hi everyone!

If anyone could help me make sense of this: "In the retroperitoneum of the lumbar regions, no enlarged lymph nodes are visible alongside the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava, though there are small, multiple lymph nodes measuring between 7mm and 9mm in diameter."

I previously had a testicular tumor, underwent a lymphadenectomy, and completed two rounds of preventative chemo. My results have been clear for four years now, and I’ve been doing routine checkups every 10 months. However, after this recent scan, they told me I need to come back for follow-up testing in three months, without giving me any real explanation why.

If anyone knows what this might imply, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

I’m looking for some help interpreting these mammogram results.
Hopefully, there’s someone here who might be able to make sense of this.
Basically, I've been dealing with some breast pain, so my doctor suggested getting a mammogram.

The report says: Bilateral mammography in two views shows more prominent connective tissue on both sides. The glandular parenchyma is dense. The galactomorphic ducts are dilated, which appears consistent with fibrocystic dysplasia, more pronounced in the upper quadrant of the left breast.
In the upper quadrant of the right breast, specifically in the prepectoral area, there is a sharply defined 1cm mass containing calcifications, which most likely corresponds to a fibroma. No skin changes were noted.

Is this something I should be worried about?

Male, 66 years old, chronic alcoholic (untreated and only recently diagnosed intermittently over the last year). Following a multi-week binge, he ended up hospitalized. Height 5'6", weight 170 lbs.

His GGT was 7.8 on admission—actually, wait, it was 995—and today, upon discharge after a week of sobriety, it sits at 823.

The internist’s diagnosis is alcoholic hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. As one might expect, the only recommended course of action is total abstinence, nothing else.

I would appreciate some commentary on these GGT values and perhaps an estimate of how long recovery might take.

thanks 🙂

It's a female patient in her early twenties. She’s dealing with constant fatigue and an ultrasound showed a benign growth—not a lymph node, from what I can tell—located between the left axilla and the breast area.





Unfortunately, the lab report doesn't list any reference ranges.

Could someone please help me make sense of this lab result:

Sample: Blood serum
Immunoassay: Hepatitis B antibodies 70 mIU/ml positive

Hey everyone,
I’m 22 years old, dealing with mild hypothyroidism, and I take Synthroid 12.5 mg. About three years ago, I was constantly struggling with heartburn, so I went in for an EGD, and everything came back totally normal. In fact, for the last six months, the heartburn hasn't even been an issue. But yesterday, things took a turn for the worse. I ended up in the ER after being hit by these intense, sharp pains radiating from my stomach area just under my left rib. The pain wasn't constant—it came in waves—but when it hit, it was absolutely brutal. My blood and urine tests looked fine initially. They gave me Controloc and Buscopan via IV, but instead of helping, the pain just became continuous, so they sent me for more testing. They drew my blood again, and now I’m looking at some discrepancies in my lab results that have me wondering what's going on.
First blood draw: Leukocytes 8.2, Red blood cells 4.05, hemoglobin 113, hematocrit 0.340
Second blood draw (3 hours later): Leukocytes 9.8, Red blood cells 3.76, hemoglobin 114, hematocrit 0.326
I’m trying to figure out if this could be some kind of minor bleeding, maybe something like gastric mucosal erosions? After all, my abdominal X-ray and ultrasound were clear, and the diagnosis I received was just irritation of the stomach lining caused by taking Anacin. To give you some context, I’ve been using Anacin for at least three months at a time, and honestly, I’ve been relying on it for about ten years because it’s the only thing that touches my menstrual cramps. Lately, though, I’ve been taking it even more frequently to deal with a stiff neck. Just to clarify, my period ended 17 days ago, so any anemia shouldn't be linked to that.
For home treatment, they sent me off with Pepcid, which has helped settle things down quite a bit. I've had that stabbing sensation flare up three times since then, but it was much milder than yesterday and usually disappears right after a small meal.

So, my first bilirubin reading was 93, then it dropped to 48, and now it’s back up at 70.

Now I’m heading in for an abdominal ultrasound. What on earth could be going on here?

I just had a urine culture done (I'm 33 weeks pregnant!), and here’s what the results say: staphylococcus species (coagulase-negative) 100,000 cfu/ml, contaminated sample, please repeat testing.
Could someone help me make sense of this? What does it actually mean?
Thanks so much!

Amanda Mitchell56 said:I did a urine culture (pregnant at 33 weeks) and the results are this: staphylococcus species (coagulase-negative) 100,000 cfu/ml, contaminated sample, please repeat testing.
Can anyone explain what this actually means?
Thanks!

Look, you basically didn't collect the sample correctly, so it got contaminated by bacteria that normally just hang out on our skin anyway. I'm not sure if they bothered to tell you, but you really should just wash up with plain water—thoroughly—and be super careful when you're opening that cup because it's supposed to be sterile (you’ve got to hold the lid upside down so you don't gunk up the inside). You're supposed to let the first bit of urine go, then catch the rest in the container, making sure the rim doesn't touch your skin.

Melissa Martinez5 said:Yeah, the EGD was done and everything turned out fine...
I’m still waiting on the referral for my stool tests—haven't gotten that part sorted out yet. Once I have it, I need to get a full panel done: Iron, UIBC, TIBC, Potassium, Sodium, CRP, fecal calprotectin, three sets of blood cultures, and anti-tTG.
I just talked to my primary care doctor, and they told me I’m going to have to bring in three consecutive stool samples. Now, here’s the thing—my digestion is all over the place and I don't have a regular schedule, so I have no clue how many days this is actually going to take me to collect three samples...

Just take whatever stools you have and keep them in the fridge.
The tests mentioned above should finally clear things up.

I haven't seen any posts from you yet! I'm ready whenever you are. Just drop the content you want me to work on, and I'll get to it. kaže:
So, here’s the situation: I'm 24 years old. Aside from being overweight—which, honestly, I can't even pinpoint the exact reason why right now—I don't have any other underlying health issues. But, my endocrinologist sent me in for some testing, and now we're digging deeper.
Iron levels are sitting at 7.0, while the normal range starts at 8.0. It’s low. Just a bit under the mark, but still not where it needs to be.
Urea at 2.7 (normal range 2.8–8.3). Just slightly under the line.
Uric acid levels: 416 (134-337)
Creatinine 89 (range 49-90).
Glucose is sitting at 4.90 (normal range is 4.20-6.0). Everything looks solid on that front.
Thanks a million.

The urea levels are up, and it’s all because of the obesity.

Susan Lee5 said:I've had my cortisol levels tested three times now, and my ACTH has consistently come back right in the middle of the range. Cortisol came back at 300 (Reference Range: 100 - 536), and ACTH is sitting at 5.6 (Reference Range: 1.6 - 13.9).Well, now my numbers have shot up again—right at the upper limit. I honestly don't know what to make of it. I’m going to have to redo all the tests in a month and just wait to see what happens. It’ll probably turn out to be another false alarm, just like always. Typical.

Clean up these results.

Hannah Lee47 said:Dr. Harvey!
I've been dealing with stomach acid issues, and my doctor put me on Omeprazole 20 mg. I took that for nearly four months, but honestly? It didn't do a damn thing for me. So, I finally got a referral to an ENT specialist. After a quick look at my throat with a light, the specialist concluded that my sore throat is actually being caused by all that gastric acid. His "solution"? Double the dose! He prescribed 40 mg of Omeprazole twice a day. I stuck with it for another month, but then things took a turn for the worse. I started noticing these random blue bruises popping up all over my legs. That was the breaking point for me. I stopped taking the medication immediately and went straight back to my primary care physician. The doctor sent me off for a full battery of tests—thyroid, thrombosis, liver function, vitamins, the whole works. Well, everything came back perfectly normal except for one thing: my iron levels are sitting at a measly 12, and my Vitamin B6 is elevated. I’ve been off all medication for about a month now, and predictably, the throat issues are crawling right back. I am at my wit's end here. I don't know what else to try. If anyone has any solid advice or has dealt with something similar, please, I am all ears.
With all due respect!

Honestly, we really ought to be rotating PPIs. For instance, you could take something like rabeprazole at 20mg twice a day for maybe one or two weeks, and then drop down to 10mg twice a day just to maintain things. It's common sense!
If those symptoms just won't quit, you really ought to get an EGD done.

Kimberly Richardson56 said:A 66-year-old male, a chronic alcoholic who’s been flying completely under the radar without any treatment until he finally got a diagnosis about a year ago, just ended up in the hospital after a multi-week bender. He stands 5'6" and weighs 170 lbs.
When I was first admitted, my GGT was sitting at 7.8. That number shot up to an insane 995. Fast forward to today—my discharge day—and after a full week of total abstinence, it’s down to 823. Still high, but moving in the right direction.
The internist handed down the diagnosis: alcoholic hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. And what’s the solution? They’re demanding total abstinence. No questions asked. Nothing else on the table. Just complete sobriety, because apparently, that's the only way forward.
Can someone please weigh in on these GGT levels? I need an honest assessment of what we're looking at here and how much time it’s actually going to take to recover.
Thanks! 🙂

The results are high. Seriously.
Look, you can't just look at that number in isolation and make a call on how things are actually going. It’s completely insufficient. To get the full picture, you need the Childov score, along with all those accompanying complications from alcohol use—things like portal hypertension, encephalopathy, ascites, and so on. You need the whole story, not just one data point!
Look, I’ll be completely blunt with you here: this is how it's going to play out. The patient is almost certainly going to slide back into drinking, and once that happens, they'll start demanding more and more frequent hospitalizations depending on what other complications pop up. It's a predictable cycle.

copperbison4 said:I'm looking at a female patient in her early twenties. She’s dealing with constant, crushing fatigue and has this growth—according to the ultrasound, it's non-dangerous—located in the area between the left axilla and the breast. From what I can gather, it isn't a lymph node.
Unfortunately, there aren't any reference ranges listed on this lab report.

It doesn't even matter that there isn't a reference interval listed; the results are perfectly normal.

Karen Wells76 said:To whom it may concern,
I’m 22 years old, dealing with mild hypothyroidism, and taking Synthroid 12.5 mg. For three years straight, I was constantly suffering from heartburn, which eventually led me to get an EGD. Thankfully, that came back totally clear. In fact, for the last six months, I haven't had any heartburn at all. Then yesterday, everything went sideways. I was hit with these intense, sharp pains radiating from my stomach area just below my left rib cage, and I ended up in the emergency department at the internal medicine unit. The pain wasn't constant—it came in these brutal, agonizing waves—but when it hit, it was extreme. My blood and urine tests were normal. They gave me IV Controloc and Buscopan, but even after that, the pain wouldn't let up; it just became continuous. They sent me for further testing and pulled more blood work, and now I'm looking at some discrepancies in my lab results that I need to make sense of.
First blood sample results: White blood cell count at 8.2, red blood cell count at 4.05, hemoglobin at 113, and hematocrit at 0.340.
Just got the second blood draw results back after three hours: WBC is at 9.8, red blood cells are at 3.76, hemoglobin is 114, and hematocrit is 0.326.
I’m trying to figure out if we're looking at some minor bleeding, maybe something like gastric mucosal erosion? My abdominal X-ray and ultrasound both came back clean, but the diagnosis was irritation of the stomach lining after taking Anacin. I've been using them for at least three months at a time for about ten years now—they're honestly the only thing that touches my menstrual cramps—and lately, I've been popping them even more frequently because of a stiff neck. Just to be clear, my period ended 17 days ago, so anemia shouldn't be stemming from that.
I started taking Pepcid for my home treatment and the pain has calmed down quite a bit. I've had that sharp, stabbing sensation three times now, but it was way milder than yesterday and goes away right after a small snack.

First off, if you're on Synthroid 12.5 mcg, then this isn't actually a thyroid issue—and even if it were, we'd be looking at subclinical hypothyroidism.
I’d really love to know the name of the doctor who is prescribing Controloc IV in a case like this. Seriously, who actually manages patients this way?

Amanda Mitchell56 said:I just did a urine culture (I'm 33 weeks pregnant) and here are the results: staphylococcus species (coagulase-negative) 100,000 cfu/ml, contaminated sample, please repeat tests.
Can anyone explain what this actually means?
Thanks!

The results pretty much explain everything themselves.

Robert Adams88 said:First bilirubin reading was 93, second was 48, third was 70.
I'm heading in for an abdominal ultrasound now. What could this possibly be?

Primarily, you need to get a full panel of lab work done properly. That includes conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin, CRP, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, glucose, urea, urates, creatinine, lipid profile, and LDH.
Only after that, combined with more precise medical history, can anyone actually have a meaningful conversation about what's going on.

Olivia Castillo562 said:Hi, this is my first time posting on the health forum, so I hope I'm doing this right.

Age: 28, not pregnant 🙂 non-smoker, using oral contraceptives

Reason for testing: I get sick with strep quite often. Had my tonsils out when I was 16. Since then, infections have been less frequent, but last year I was getting hit hard. First time in August, second time in October—they actually tried to admit me to infectious disease back then, but I refused. Then it happened again in December. In September, I also dealt with severe hives after eating raspberries (twice, even though I’ve never had an allergy before), and this year my arms have broken out multiple times after touching leaves or strawberries. My knees have been aching too, varying in intensity. I felt completely exhausted through November and December. So, I started the workup.

Tests done before seeing the immunologist at Mayo Clinic: I had two separate throat swabs; both times, I tested positive for two out of three days. Thyroid levels look fine, all within range. Negative for Waaler-Rose and latex. CBC values are all within normal limits.

Fibrinogen 4.4 (reference range 1.5 - 4),
last AST-O 678 IU/ml (reference < 200),
last CRP 17.45 mg/l (reference < 6),
protein electrophoresis: elevated alpha 2 at 11.1 (normal 6-10) and beta at 15.5 (normal 8-13).

My primary doctor referred me to immunology at Mayo Clinic, where they recommended: ANA, IEF, anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antibodies, AST, CT telethermography, autologous serum test, skin prick tests for inhalation allergens, total IgE, C3 and C4, and an ultrasound of the arm and leg arteries.

I’ve completed: the skin prick tests and the autologous serum test; both were negative.

Then the anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antibodies:



ANA, IEF, total IgE, C3 and C4



I haven't done the rest yet because the wait for the CT telethermography is incredibly long, so I'm in no rush to get the artery ultrasound or the AST done.

I would appreciate some insight on these results, as my doctor is away on vacation for a while and my follow-up with the immunologist isn't until November 6th.

Thanks in advance 🙂

Hello,

As things stand, these results seem fairly disconnected and a bit confusing without a deeper discussion regarding all your symptoms and their exact timeline (for instance, the relationship between joint pain and any potential sore throats).

To start, the elevated AST-O (regardless of the fact that your tonsils were removed) indicates contact with strep in the recent past (relative to when the sample was taken). However, this single value doesn't tell us much; it is vital to monitor the titer dynamics—essentially how that AST-O value changes over time—to determine what is actually happening.

Unfortunately, strep can hide in places other than the tonsils (like the nasopharynx, ears, or skin) and continue causing issues.

The CRP, acting as an indicator of inflammation, is slightly elevated. For interpretation, it is crucial to know if you were experiencing any symptoms at the moment the sample was drawn, as even a common virus could produce a result like this.

While they might seem unrelated, there could be a link between elevated anti-Tg antibodies and hives (though I doubt it applies to your specific case), as well as elevated IgA levels.

Essentially, a positive anti-Tg result means your body is producing antibodies that can target the thyroid and disrupt its function. Since your TSH is within the normal range, medication isn't strictly necessary right now, but you’ll need periodic thyroid hormone monitoring.

Furthermore, a positive anti-Tg finding can sometimes trigger false elevations in IgA levels—largely due to the specific testing methodology used, which is a bit too technical for this forum.

That said, high IgA can also be interpreted as the body reacting to mucosal irritation, such as chronic respiratory infections.

Chronic autoimmune urticaria can indeed be linked to an autoimmune thyroid condition.

I see an autologous serum test was performed, which is useful for diagnosing chronic hives. However, based on what you've described, I'm not convinced we're looking at chronic urticaria. We typically reserve that diagnosis for hives lasting longer than six weeks, whereas it sounds like you experienced two acute episodes.

The LE cell test has largely been phased out in favor of other diagnostic tools for systemic lupus erythematosus, most notably the ANA test.

Your negative ANA result, according to the report, strongly argues against a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

A negative rheumatoid factor doesn't completely rule out rheumatoid arthritis, though the symptoms you mentioned don't particularly point in that direction.

Ultimately, it is difficult to provide a definitive commentary on these results without seeing the patient in person and having a full grasp of the clinical picture.

For now, the findings suggest a recent contact with Streptococcus, a predisposition toward mucosal infections (like recurring respiratory issues), and the possibility of an emerging autoimmune thyroid disease—though this shouldn't impact your clinical symptoms or cause any actual distress.

Best regards. 🙂

Nicholas Myers, thank you so much for such an exhaustive response. 🙂 I’ll be sure to fill in some of those gaps in my research.

To clarify, I’ve had my AST levels checked several times—both while sick (under inflammation) and when healthy.
On Dec 10, 2012, it was 484 IU/ml (sick); on Dec 22, 2012, it was 502 IU/ml (after finishing a course of antibiotics); on Jan 8, 2013, it was 406 IU/ml (healthy) and 678 IU/ml (sick). The reference range is < 200 IU/ml.

A throat swab was done on Dec 10, 2012, which showed normal physiological flora. I haven't done any nasal or ear swabs.

I’ve had my CRP tested twice: on Dec 18, 2012, it was 17.46 mg/l (while on antibiotics), and on Jan 8, 2013, it was 14.28 mg/l (healthy). The reference range is < 6 mg/l.

Regarding the hives, there were only two episodes back in September 2012, but since this year, I’ve been getting a mild red rash on my arms whenever I come into contact with strawberry leaves. That’s never happened before. Interestingly, I ate raspberries this year and had no reaction at all.

Skin tests don't show an allergic reaction to any standard inhaled allergens except for histamine—which shows a 5x5 reading next to it—but the autologous serum test came back negative.

I’ve been battling strep since I was a kid; even before my tonsillectomy, I was frequently ill, sometimes several times within a single year.

The knee pain started about 5 or 6 years ago. There's no swelling in the joints, just a dull ache deep inside. It fluctuates from feeling like my knees are just "there" to intense pain, especially when walking up stairs. Because of this, my primary care physician sent me for Waller Rose testing, as well as latex and LE cell tests. Honestly, I have no idea what LE cells signify in my specific case.

At my doctor's suggestion, I also underwent a MUCH swab and tests for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria—both came back negative.

Given the fatigue I felt in November and December, my doctor suspected thyroid issues, but my hormone levels are normal: T3 is 2.9 (ref: 1.3–3.1), T4 is 127.2 (ref: 66–181), and TSH is 2.57 (ref: 0.27–4.2). The ultrasound showed a thyroid of normal size, with lobes measuring 41x15x15mm. The parenchymal structure shows normal echogenicity, though it's slightly coarse. No large nodules were found. There are reactive lymph nodes on both sides of the neck, measuring up to 10mm.

I’m not sure if any of this provides new insight for you; in my first post, I focused mostly on the findings from the immunologist in Washington, D.C., because my primary doctor doesn't have extensive experience in detailed immunology.

Thanks again for all your effort. 🙂