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

Emily Ortiz27 said:I’m seriously grateful for the help. We just did a whole battery of allergy tests—specifically checking for dust mites, dog dander, cat dander, birch, and grass—but we’re stuck waiting months for those results (they were all negative about six months ago). In the meantime, the little guy went through an endocrine workup because of some growth delays. His medical history didn't show any previous eosinophilia, though they’ll probably stumble upon it themselves if it's still there, given how much blood they pulled.
We’re also playing the waiting game for the specialist's opinion on these results; we were told it could be 2-3 months, so I’ll likely be back here bugging you all again if things don't make sense.
I can't tell you exactly what that workup entailed; it wasn't like a deep dive where I could sit and chat since I was glued to my kid the whole time. It was mostly a marathon of blood draws—I don't even know which specific ones, the doctor just mapped out a plan and handed it to the nurse, who spent several days coming in and pulling rows of vials. They did hormone levels, insulin tests, and an X-ray of his hand.
Today, he had an eye exam where they noted megalocornea, and he’ll have to undergo some more tests related to that under anesthesia soon.
Is this all connected, or is it just a series of unfortunate coincidences? It feels like nobody is looking at the kid as a whole person; everyone just sticks to their own tiny niche of expertise, which leaves us in this constant state of anxiety, while the kid himself seems like a perfectly healthy—albeit tiny with massive eyes 😍—energetic, curious, and happy one-year-old. 😕

Respect to everyone, the saga continues.
While we wait for the ophthalmology follow-up, the endocrine results finally landed:

Hand X-ray: Bone age matches the chronological age of a six-month-old boy (this was done when he was 12.5 months old).
E 4.18 [x0012/L], Hbg 106 [g/L], Hct 0.326 [L/L], MCV 78.0 [fL], MCH 25.4 [pg], MCHC 325 [g/L], RDW 15.7 [%], Trc 327 [x109/L], MPV 10.2 [f/L], leukocyte 15.9 [x109/L], NEUaps 6.48 [x109/L], LIMFOaps 7.66 [x109/L], MONOaps 0.75 [x109/L], EOaps 0.93 [x109/L], BAZOaps 0.08 [x109/L], NEUTRO% 40.8 [rel%], LIMFO% 48.2 [rel%], MONO% 4.7 [rel%], EO% 5.8 [rel%], BAZO% 0.5 [rel%], GLU (s) 4.5 [mmol/L], UREJA 4.9 [mmol/L], Na137 [mmol/L], K (s) 4.7 [mmol/L], Cl 103 [mmol/L], Ca 2.45 [mmol/L], P 1.85 [mmol/L], TBIL 4 [umol/L], AST 63 [U/L], ALT 27 [U/L], ALP 267 [U/L], GGT 9 [U/L], ACTH 5.32 [pmol/L], pH-kk 7.376, pCO2 - kk 4.41 [kPa], pO2 - kk 8.6 [kPa], Akt. HCO3 -k 18.9 [mmol/L], tCO2 kk 20.0 [mmol/L], SBE - kk 5.2 [mmol/L], SO2 92 [%], FT4 15.40 [pmol/L], TSH 3.33 [mIU/L], LHL], FSH 0.683 [IU/L], PRL 638.3 [mIU/L], CORT 596.2 [nmol/L], IgE 22.7 [kIU/L]
HGH 1 6.48 [mIU/L], HGH 2 5.19 [mIU/L], HGH 3 3.75 [mUI/L], HGH 4 16.70 [mIU/L], HGH 5 16.60 [mIU/L], HGH 6 17.6 [mUI/L], d1L], e1L], e5L], fx5 negative, t3L], antitTGmL], IGF-1 2.0 [nmol/L], IGFBP-3 55 [nmol/L]

The diagnosis is growth retardation, categorized as "other," and they said to come back for a check-up in a year. They’ve ruled out growth hormone deficiency, celiac disease, hypothyroidism, or chronic illnesses as the cause.

Honestly, that bone age thing really jumps out at me. How much of a deviation is actually acceptable for an kid this age? I don't have the reference ranges for the rest of these values, so I can't even tell if anything else is off.

Thanks in advance for helping me make sense of this.

So, my daughter is 13 months old, and I recently decided to stop breastfeeding and pumping because the whole ordeal had become quite exhausting. Initially, I assumed my persistent feelings of depletion and malaise were simply due to that transition, but even a month after weaning, I am still waking up feeling utterly drained. I might manage a little sleep through the night, but during the day, I find myself lacking any semblance of energy; if I attempt something as simple as scrubbing the bathtub, I have to sit down for half an hour just to recover from the sheer exhaustion and shortness of breath.
I went in for some blood work, and for the most part, everything looks fine—my hemoglobin, iron levels, and thyroid hormones are all within range—with the exception of my cholesterol, which is elevated, and some deficiencies in sodium and potassium.

The specific values are as follows:
-cholesterol: 6.4 (recommended -HDL cholesterol: 1.0 (recommended >1.2)
-LDL cholesterol: 4.8 (recommended -VLDL cholesterol: 0.5 (0.1 - 0.5)
-atherosclerotic index: 5 (1-5)
-sodium: 138 (137-146 )
-potassium: 3.8 ( 3.9-5.1)
-calcium: 2.15 (2.14-2.53 )

What is the best course of action here? Should I be overhaulng my diet specifically to target the cholesterol? I am somewhat concerned about the ratio of good to bad cholesterol. I am 32 years old, a non-smoker, I don't drink, and I am not exactly overweight—perhaps carrying an extra 5 to 10 pounds or so (though I feel as though I am writing a dating profile rather than a health query).
I am not particularly active, nor am I much of a "fruit person," but I do intend to incorporate more fruit into my diet.
Furthermore, does anyone know what I should take to address these slightly low potassium and calcium levels? Would it be better to rely on fruits and vegetables, or should I consider a supplement? And where could such a deficiency originate? Everywhere I read, it suggests that one shouldn't suffer from low potassium or calcium unless there is a significant underlying illness or something far more serious at play.

What about your iron levels or hemoglobin? I’m dealing with low potassium and ferritin myself, and let me tell you, the exhaustion is just as real as what you described.
Your cholesterol isn't actually that high, but you really ought to focus on boosting your HDL—try eating more green vegetables.
I’m certainly not much of a fruit eater either.😢

My hemoglobin levels came back at 140 (within the 119-157 range), and my iron is sitting at 26 (the normal range being 8-30). It is actually quite a relief to see my iron isn't hovering at the bottom of the scale for once, especially following my first pregnancy.
As for the rest of these results, I am somewhat at a loss as to what they signify... though, on a positive note, my kidney function appears to be perfectly fine.

Hey, can anyone give me their take on these blood results? I had them done because of this constant stuffy nose and coughing that’s been dragging on for about 6 months now. We did allergy testing but everything came back negative... plus we got some sinus imaging done and that looked totally normal too. Thanks so much!

leukocyte 8.9 (3.4-9.71)
RBC 4.31 (3.86-5.08)
Hemoglobin 129 (119-157)
Hematocrit 0.380 (0.356-0.470)
MCV 88.1 (83.0-97.2)
MCH 89.8 (27.4-33.9)
MCHC 339 (320-345)
Platelets 241 (158-424)

Neutrophils 34.6 (44-72) L
Lymphocytes 48.9 (20-46) H
Monocytes 6.5 (2-12)
Eosinophils 7.1 (0-7) H
Basophils 0.7 (0-1)
Luc 2.3 (0.0-4.0)
Neutrophils 3.08 (2.06-6.49)
Lymphocytes 4.34 (1.19-3.35) H
Monocytes 0.57 (0.12-0.84)
Eosinophils 0.63 (0.00-0.43) H
Basophils 0.06 (0.00-0.06)

frozenscout51 said:It’s about a kidney transplant. I can't be certain if I had this infection previously, given that I was on dialysis about twenty years ago and had the transplant sometime after that. I'm asking because interferon isn't recommended for everyone, and I appreciate any advice you can offer.

I mistakenly assumed we were discussing a liver transplant. Unfortunately, when dealing with a kidney transplant, the situation becomes quite complex; treatment for HCV in these specific cases isn't clearly defined. Immunosuppressive therapy tends to drive up the viral load. In most such instances, antiviral therapy simply isn't an option, barring very rare exceptions. For now, the only course is regular monitoring, frequent check-ups, and hoping for the best. There isn't much more profound I can offer.

Matthew Reed5 said:View on imgur

While waiting for the doctor's appointment, could someone please comment on these results?
A 10-year-old child reporting occasional mild pain near the sinuses above the eyebrow. No fever.
Thanks in advance.

The results don't show any glaring abnormalities, but without a clinical exam, it's impossible to draw a conclusion.

Emily Ortiz27 said:Respectfully, the saga continues.
While waiting for the ophthalmology results, the endocrine panel came back. Here is the data:

Left hand X-ray—bone age matches that of a six-month-old boy (the scan was performed at 12.5 months old).
E 4.18 [x0012/L], Hbg 106 [g/L], Hct 0.326 [L/L], MCV 78.0 [fL], MCH 25.4 [pg], MCHC 325 [g/L], RDW 15.7 [%], Trc 327 [x109/L], MPV 10.2 [f/L], Lkc 15.9 [x109/L], NEUaps 6.48 [x109/L], LIMFOaps 7.66 [x109/L], MONOaps 0.75 [x109/L], EOaps 0.93 [x109/L], BAZOaps 0.08 [x109/L], NEUTRO% 40.8 [rel%], LIMFO% 48.2 [rel%], MONO% 4.7 [rel%], EO% 5.8 [rel%], BAZO% 0.5 [rel%], GLU (s) 4.5 [mmol/L], UREJA 4.9 [mmol/L], Na137 [mmol/L], K (s) 4.7 [mmol/L], Cl 103 [mmol/L], Ca 2.45 [mmol/L], P 1.85 [mmol/L], TBIL 4 [umol/L], AST 63 [U/L], ALT 27 [U/L], ALP 267 [U/L], GGT 9 [U/L], ACTH 5.32 [pmol/L], pH-kk 7.376, pCO2 - kk 4.41 [kPa], pO2 - kk 8.6 [kPa], Akt. HCO3 -k 18.9 [mmol/L], tCO2 kk 20.0 [mmol/L], SBE - kk 5.2 [mmol/L], SO2 - 92 [%], FT4 15.40 [pmol/L], TSH 3.33 [mIU/L], LHL], FSH 0.683 [IU/L], PRL 638.3 [mIU/L], CORT 596.2 [nmol/L], IgE 22.7 [kIU/L]
HGH 1 6.48 [mIU/L], HGH 2 5.19 [mIU/L], HGH 3 3.75 [mUI/L], HGH 4 16.70 [mIU/L], HGH 5 16.60 [mIU/L], HGH 6 17.6 [mUI/L], d1L], e1L], e5L], fx5 negative, t3L], antitTGmL], IGF-1 2.0 [nmol/L], IGFBP-3 55 [nmol/L]

The diagnosis is growth retardation, classified as Type 2. They noted we should return for a follow-up in a year. Growth hormone deficiency, celiac disease, hypothyroidism, and chronic illnesses have been ruled out.

That bone age stands out to me. How much deviation is considered acceptable for this age group? I don't have the reference ranges for the other values, so I can't tell if anything else is off.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Looking at the standard lab work, there is a slight elevation in eosinophils, though it’s a significant improvement over the last set; it's only mildly high now. It will likely normalize gradually. There is also a minor elevation in absolute lymphocyte count. It's hard to say what significance those carry, but the trend toward improvement is good.

Allergy testing results are normal.

Aside from the hormones, I don't see major abnormalities, except for a somewhat low oxygen saturation. Since you mentioned sweat chloride tests were done previously, has the child had any respiratory issues?

Regarding the hormone levels, they seem within range, but for growth hormone and IGF-1, one really needs to know the specific laboratory's reference values and testing methodology to determine if they are truly abnormal.

Bone age should ideally align with chronological age. Since it doesn't, biological maturity is lagging behind his actual age; essentially, he is about 6.5 months behind in development.

There are countless reasons why growth might be delayed. When no clear cause is found, it's labeled idiopathic short stature. If you are feeling uncertain, my advice would be to seek a second opinion at Mayo Clinic; they have extensive experience with these cases and can likely offer more guidance.

feralrider4 said:What should I do?

The deviations in these lab results don't seem to correlate with your symptoms. You need a thorough clinical examination; routine blood work often misses the actual cause of what you're feeling.

electricmarlin62 said:Can you give me your take on this CBC?

These are minor fluctuations—they won't explain why you've been feeling this way for over six months. A sinus X-ray isn't a reliable way to gauge the true state of your sinuses. Get a solid evaluation from an ENT, and if necessary, follow up with a pulmonologist.

Hi there. I’ve been feeling some swollen lymph nodes in my neck lately. An ultrasound showed bilateral reactive lymph nodes, with the largest being 16x16mm under the jaw (noticeable hilus). My temperature also tends to hover around 98.6°F quite often. Blood work came back mostly normal, but the differential looks like this:
Neutrophil granulocyte 34 (44-72)
Lymphocytes 48 (20-46)
Monocytes 6.6 (2-12)
Eosinophil granulocyte 7.2 (0-7)
Basophil granulocyte 0.7 (0-1)
Neutrophil granulocyte 3.08 (2.06-6.49)
Lymphocytes 4.45 (1.13-3.35)
Eosinophil granulocyte 0.64 (0.00-0.43)
Is this anything to worry about? My primary care physician isn't particularly interested in helping, so I'm stuck doing the legwork myself.

Hello,

I am 26 years old... I have been dealing with hypothyroidism and taking Synthroid 25 for about three years now.
I recently went in to get some blood work done because I've been experiencing this pulsing sound in my right ear for about a month and a half... there's also this pressure in my head, constant sharp pains near my thyroid area, feeling hungry all the time, anxiety, fatigue, and my menstrual cycles have become irregular and painful.

Here are the results:

CBC
Leukocytes 6.37 (3.4 - 9.7)
Erythrocytes 5.22 H (3.86 - 5.08)
Hemoglobin 141 (119 - 157)
Hematocrit 0.426 (0.356 - 0.470)
MCV 81.6 L (83.0 - 97.2)
MCH 27.0 L (27.4 - 33.9)
MCHC 331 (320 - 345)
RDW-CV 12.5 (9.0 - 15.0)
Platelets 242 (158 - 424)
MPV 11.0 H (6.8 - 10.4)

Differential
Neutrophils 3.13 (2.06 - 6.49)
Lymphocytes 2.50 (1.19 - 3.35)
Monocytes 0.64 (0.12 - 0.84)
Eosinophils 0.08 (0 - 0.43)
Basophils 0.02 (0 - 0.06)

Neutrophils 49.2 rel % (44 - 72)
Lymphocytes 39.2 rel % (20 - 46)
Monocytes 10.0 rel % (2 - 12)
Eosinophils 1.3 rel % (0 - 7)
Basophils 0.3 rel % (0 - 1)

CHEMISTRY
Glucose 4.8 (4.2 - 6.0)
Urea 3.7 (2.8 - 8.3)
Creatinine 69 (49 - 90)
AST 19 (8 - 30)
ALT 14 (10 - 36)
GGT 15 (9 - 35)
Total Bilirubin 7.1 (3 - 20)
Cholesterol 4.37 ( Triglycerides 0.89 ( HDL-cholesterol 1.72 (>1.2)
LDL-cholesterol 2.25 ( Iron 22.8 (8 - 30)
UIBC 40.4 (26 - 59)
TIBC 63.2 (49 - 75)
Sodium 142 (137 - 146)
Potassium 4.29 (3.9 - 5.1)
CRP 3.7 (0.0 - 5.0)
eGFR-MDRD >60 (>60)
eGFR-CKD-EPI 105.2 (G1:>=90)

HORMONES
T3 1.77 (1.3 - 3.1)
fT4 19.7 (12 - 22)
TSH 2.20 (0.27 - 4.2)

Thanks a ton for such a thorough breakdown. I’m pretty sure we’re going to touch base with our pediatrician and follow your lead on heading over to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to get this checked out properly.
To answer what you were asking, the little one has already been diagnosed with asthma and non-allergic atopic dermatitis—we've been managing it with Ventolin via nebulizer and three rounds of Medrol injections so far.

Maria Fisher46 said:I honestly thought we were talking about a liver transplant. Unfortunately, since this involves a kidney, things get super messy, and there isn't really a set playbook for treating HCV in cases like yours. Using immunosuppressants just ends up driving those viral loads even higher. Antiviral therapy usually isn't on the table unless you're looking at some pretty rare exceptions. For now, I guess your best bet is just regular check-ups and hoping for the best. I can't really offer anything more insightful than that.
.

Thanks so much for getting back to me. My doctors mentioned using Soval combined with ribavirin instead of interferon because the cure rate is supposedly higher—does that actually make sense?

frozenscout51 said:Thanks sincerely for the response. Doctors are suggesting Soval paired with ribavirin rather than interferon due to the higher cure rates—does that sound right to you?

The core issue for anyone with a kidney transplant or other solid organ transplants (excluding the liver) dealing with HCV is a lack of data. There simply aren't enough clinical studies focusing on antiviral applications specifically for this demographic, so the available information remains quite limited. While it's true that the success rate for the regimen you mentioned is high, I have to reiterate: when it comes to kidney transplant patients, we're still working with a very thin data set.

Does anyone actually know what a "TOTAL PROTEIN" result implies? I’m looking at these lab reports and honestly, it’s infuriating—it doesn't even indicate whether the value is high or low. It just sits there without any context.

Hey there!
Got a question about my iron levels. For about a week now, I’ve been dealing with this crazy dizziness—like, if I move my eyes too fast, everything just spins—plus I am absolutely wiped out and need to sleep constantly. I figured maybe my iron was low, so my doctor sent me off for some blood work.
Iron is at 13 (normal range 8-30),
TIBC is 49 (49-75),
UIBC is 36 (26-59). The only thing that looks totally off is my Ferritin, which is sitting at 1 (normal is 4-24).
I’ve been reading online that having low Ferritin isn't actually a "big deal" for your health, so now I'm wondering... should I just ignore this given how crappy I'm feeling right now?
I'm 24, by the way.
Thanks for any help!

Here are my CBC results from two months postpartum... I had them done because my iron was low during pregnancy and I’ve been feeling quite weak over the last couple of months. The labs are from two weeks ago; my doctor told me over the phone that everything looks fine, but now that I have the printout in front of me, I noticed a few values are slightly out of range. For context, my iron is at 19 (normal range is 8 - 30), which is fine.

The things worrying me are:

Neutrophil granulocytes: 38.4 (44 - 72) low
Lymphocytes: 50.7 (20 - 46) high
Platelets: 152 (158 - 424) low

To add to that, I just found out today that I have CIN II again. Since I'm breastfeeding, I was only prescribed vaginal medication and won't be back for a follow-up until month five.

Lately, I've been dealing with some nagging lower back pain that seems to radiate toward the front. It also feels like it might be linked to my digestion and bathroom habits. Additionally, when I have a bowel movement, there's a bit of blood on the paper (maybe internal hemorrhoids?). For the past two months, I've also had occasional itching all over my body, mostly on my face and scalp. On my face, it always shows up in the same few spots and looks somewhat like mosquito bites.

I'm not sure if all of this is connected, but perhaps it would help to determine if there's an actual underlying issue or...

Thank you.

Laura Lopez47 said:Hi... I've been feeling some swollen lymph nodes in my neck lately. I had an ultrasound done, and the results show bilateral reactive lymph nodes... the largest being submandibular at 16x16mm (noticeable hilus). My temperature often hits 98.6 degrees. A blood panel was done later; the overall counts look fine, but the differential shows this:
Neutrophils 34 (44-72)
Lymphocytes 48 (20-46)
Monocytes 6.6 (2-12)
Eosinophils 7.2 (0-7)
Basophils 0.7 (0-1)
Neutrophil count 3.08 (2.06-6.49)
Lymphocyte count 4.45 (1.13-3.35)
Eosinophil count 0.64 (0.00-0.43)
Please tell me, is this serious? My primary care physician isn't particularly interested, so I'm having to figure this out on my own.

Hello,

The duration of these symptoms matters. Furthermore, what is the status of your oral health—your throat, your teeth? The ultrasound suggests the neck lymph nodes are enlarged as a reaction to some inflammatory event, which could be hidden, perhaps located in the upper respiratory or digestive tracts.

Laura Morgan78 said:Hello,

I'm 26 years old. I have hypothyroidism and have been taking Synthroid 25 for three years.
I had blood work done because of a pulsing sound in my right ear that’s lasted about a month and a half, along with head pressure, frequent daily pains in the thyroid area, hunger pangs, anxiety, fatigue, and irregular, painful cycles.

The results are as follows:

Given this wide array of varied symptoms alongside normal routine lab results, a thorough clinical exam is necessary, followed by further investigation of those specific findings. For now, this feels more like an endocrinology issue. It is also vital to establish the timeline—whether these symptoms occur simultaneously or if they persist constantly. Generally speaking, it is difficult to pin down a cause through an online forum.

Angela Moore63 said:Does anyone know what total protein results mean? It’s driving me crazy—there isn't even an H (high) or L (low) marker listed.

What was the actual number?

electricbison10 said:Hi there!
A quick question regarding my iron levels. For about a week now, I've been dealing with dizziness (it gets worse if I move my eyes too quickly) and extreme fatigue. Thinking it might be an iron deficiency, my doctor ordered blood work.
Iron - 13 (8-30),
TIBC - 49 (49-75),
UIBC 36 (26-59). The only outlier is my iron level, which is at 1 (4-24).
I read somewhere that low iron is "insignificant" for health, so I'm wondering: should I just ignore this given how I'm feeling?
I'm 24 years old.
Thanks for any insight.

It shouldn't be completely ignored, though I doubt it's the smoking gun behind your symptoms. You need a thorough clinical exam and further testing depending on what those findings show. Right now, it's impossible to pinpoint exactly what's causing your issues.

Megan Jones27 said:Here are my CBC results from two months postpartum... I had them done because of low iron during pregnancy and because I’ve been feeling pretty weak over the last couple of months. The labs are from two weeks ago; my doctor told me over the phone that everything looks fine, but now that I have the printout in front of me, I see some values are slightly out of range. For context, my iron is at 19 (range 8 - 30), which is normal.

What's bothering me is:

Neutrophils: 38.4 (44 - 72) low
Lymphocytes: 50.7 (20 - 46) high
Platelets: 152 (158 - 424) low

To add to that, I just found out today that I have CIN II again. Since I'm breastfeeding, I was only given vaginal medication and won't be back for a follow-up until month five.

Lately, I've been dealing with these nagging pains in my lower back that seem to radiate toward the front. On top of that, I have this sensation that it's tied to my digestion and bowel movements. Also, when there's an urgent need to go, I notice a little blood on the paper (maybe internal hemorrhoids?). For the last two months, I've also dealt with occasional itching all over my body, mostly on my face and scalp. On my face, it always hits the same spots and looks like mosquito bites.

I'm not sure if any of this is connected, but maybe it would help to figure out if we're looking at a real issue or...

Thanks.

The values you listed are very minor deviations, and I wouldn't say they're linked to the symptoms you're experiencing. Similarly, I don't think the HPV is related to this. However, seeing blood on the toilet paper shouldn't be ignored, regardless of how old you are.