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

Rachel Gomez81 said:Listen, dear,

thank you so much once again. 🙂

Yes, the unit is µg/L. They ran both iron and TIBC tests; iron came back at 10.6 umol/l (range 8.0-30.0), and TIBC was 59.4 umol/l (range 49.0-75.0).

I’ll definitely make sure to check my ferritin levels once I'm done dealing with ControlCorp.
That said, all this talk has me spiraling down a thyroid rabbit hole. Should ferritin be significantly higher if we're looking at hyperthyroidism?

Thanks again.

The result is just a tiny bit elevated, but honestly, I think it's negligible. For peace of mind, though, you should get it retested.

vividsailor7 said:Are you experiencing any difficulty urinating?

Yes, there's a stinging sensation during and after urination, along with a dull ache in my abdomen that makes me feel like I need to go again immediately.

vividsailor7 said:The result is slightly elevated, but I believe it is essentially negligible. For the sake of caution, the test should be repeated.

Thank you for the response. 🙂

Would it be best to repeat the test once the ControlCorp therapy is complete?

The thyroid hormone and CEA results arrived the other day, and everything fell within the normal range. What else might an elevated ferritin level indicate? 🤷

vividsailor7, could you please help me make sense of these lab results?
They were ordered because my right parotid gland is swollen, accompanied by mild pain but no other symptoms. I had an ultrasound of the glands beforehand which stated:
"Salivary gland echo: The right parotid gland shows increased volume with diffuse low echogenicity and several intraparenchymal lymph nodes up to 15.5mm showing reactive echoform and vascularization; no cystic or solid lesions found in the parotid region.
Other salivary glands—left parotid, submandibular, and sublingual—show no significant changes.
Findings indicate inflammatory changes in the right parotid area."

Following this, I was prescribed Augmentin. After three days, I developed severe diarrhea and nausea, so I stopped taking the antibiotics. That same day, I ran a fever of 100.4°F, which broke by that night. Since then, I've had a mild sore throat, congestion, sinus pressure, and a headache—basically feels like a cold—and that specific gland is still slightly swollen.
Here are my labs from the day after the fever and diarrhea:
WBC 9.6 (Ref: 3.4-9.7)
RBC 5.74 (Ref: 4.34-5.72)
Hemoglobin OK
Hematocrit OK
MCV OK
MCH OK
MCHC OK
Platelets OK
RDW OK
MPV OK

Neutrophils 76.5 (Ref: 44-72)
Lymphocytes 19.5 (Ref: 20-46)
Monocytes 3.5 (Ref: 0-12)
Eosinophils 0.40 (Ref: 0-7)
Basophils 0.100 (Ref: 0-2)

AST 24 (Ref: 0-38)
ALT 23 (Ref: 0-48)
Serum Amylase 56 (Ref: 22-100)
Urine Amylase 382 (Ref: 0-490)
CRP 5.7 (Ref: 0-5.00)

Two months ago, when the gland was also slightly swollen, a doctor suggested I might have mumps, but that clearly wasn't the case since I didn't have the typical clinical presentation.

Any advice?

Could Jack please walk me through what these results actually mean? Thanks in advance.
I’m not currently on any thyroid medication, though I just started taking Concor and I use Normabel as needed because my heart feels like it's about to jump out of my chest. 😁
Scintigraphy Results: Asymmetric thyroid gland with an enlarged right lobe; radioisotope distribution is relatively homogeneous. A scintigraphic "cold" nodule is located in the lateral portion of the lower two-thirds of the right lobe.
Conclusion: Nodular goiter with a non-functional nodule.

Month 1 Hormone Levels:
T3 1.68 (1.1-3.1)
T4 112 (60-165)
TSH 0.079 (0.4-4.0)

Month 2 Hormone Levels:
T3 1.26 (1.1-3.1)
T4 148 (60-165)
TSH 0.021 (0.4-4.0)

Elizabeth Davis10 said:I’m hoping Dr. Jack can help me make sense of these results. Thanks in advance.
I’m not on any thyroid medication right now, but I just started taking Concor and I take Normabloc as needed because my heart feels like it's going crazy. 😁
Scintigraphy Results: Asymmetric thyroid gland, enlarged right lobe, relatively homogeneous radioisotope distribution. A scintigraphic "cold" nodule occupies the lateral part of the lower two-thirds of the right lobe.
Conclusion: Nodular goiter with a non-functional nodule.

Month 1 Hormone Levels:
T3 1.68 (1.1-3.1)
T4 112 (60-165)
TSH 0.079 (0.4-4.0)

Month 2 Hormone Levels:
T3 1.26 (1.1-3.1)
T4 148 (60-165)
TSH 0.021 (0.4-4.0)

Based on this report, your thyroid is overactive—hyperthyroidism. Your TSH is low. Think of TSH as the signal from the pituitary gland that tells the thyroid what to do. If the thyroid is sluggish, the pituitary pumps out more TSH to kick it into gear. But when the thyroid starts pumping out way too much hormone on its own, the pituitary shuts down the TSH production to try and compensate.

As you can see, your TSH is well below the normal range, which means you're hyper. You'll likely be put on some kind of treatment. 🙂

Hi there.
I need some help. My grandfather just got his lab results back for anti-Scl-70, and the doctor wants him to redo the ANA-ELISA test. His result came in at 160.20, while the normal range is 0-55.
Since it’s Friday, we’re stuck waiting until Wednesday before anyone can actually tell us what this means. If anyone here understands these numbers and could explain it to me, I’d really appreciate it.

melloworca6 said:Based on these results, you're looking at hyperthyroidism—basically an overactive thyroid. Your TSH levels are low, which is the hormone the pituitary gland uses to regulate everything. Think of it this way: when the thyroid is sluggish, the pituitary cranks up the TSH to kickstart it. But when the thyroid starts pumping out too much hormone on its own, the pituitary dials back the TSH to try and compensate.

As you can see, your TSH has dropped below the normal range, so you’re definitely in hyper territory. You'll likely be prescribed some medication soon. 🙂

Thanks for the explanation. My doctor actually mentioned that my case looks a bit atypical. For now, we're just monitoring how things shift, and I have a follow-up appointment in two months. If the numbers don't stabilize, I guess we'll look into treatment options. I did undergo a gynecological surgery about two months ago, so I wonder if the stress and physical toll from that might be playing a role here.

Did you happen to get your thyroid antibodies checked too, like anti-TPO and anti-TG? If not, you should definitely run those tests just to rule out any autoimmune issues.

melloworca6 said:Have you checked for thyroid antibodies yet, like anti-TPO or anti-TG? If you haven't, you really should get those tested just to rule out an autoimmune issue.

I’ve actually never had those specific tests done! I've been dealing with this for seven years now—ever since it was
officially determined that my thyroid wasn't functioning properly. Honestly, I was feeling the symptoms way before that,
but nobody seemed to catch on until a lump finally showed up on my neck.

I definitely need to bring this up with my doctor. It’s honestly frustrating; I don't understand why a patient
basically needs a medical degree just to receive decent care. 🙂
Thanks again for the input.

I don't even know where to begin with this. It’s absolutely infuriating how much energy I have to spend just trying to make sense of these endless discussions. Every single time I log on, it feels like we're circling the same drain, repeating the same arguments without ever actually getting anywhere. It's exhausting! kaže:
It’s that constant, nagging stinging sensation while you're peeing—and even worse, that lingering burn right after you're finished. On top of all that, there's this dull, heavy ache in my abdomen, almost like I have this phantom urge to go again immediately. It's incredibly frustrating.

Then we might as well just make it the USA.

Rachel Gomez81 said:Thanks for the response! 🙂

Wouldn't it be best to just hold off on redoing it until he’s completely finished his course of Prilosec?

So, my thyroid hormone levels and CEA results finally came back the other day, and everything there is sitting right in the normal range. But I’m still staring at this elevated ferritin level. If we rule out the obvious stuff, what else could high ferritin actually be pointing toward? 🤷

Prilosec isn't going to hurt you. And for the record, ferritin is used for anemia—it’s a basic TM marker.

Paul Ramirez59 said:Dr. George, if you could please take a look at these lab results and walk me through what they actually mean?
It’s the exact same story: swelling in the right parotid gland, accompanied by some mild discomfort, but nothing else is going on. I already went in for an ultrasound on those glands, and here is what the report says:
Salivary gland ultrasound results are in: The right parotid gland shows diffuse swelling with lower echogenicity. There are also some intraparenchymal lymph nodes present, measuring up to 15.5mm, which show reactive echomorphology and vascularization. Fortunately, there are no cystic or solid lesions detected within the parotid region.
The rest of the salivary glands—specifically the left parotid, plus the submandibular and sublingual glands—look completely normal on the ultrasound. No significant changes or abnormalities detected there.
The scan shows signs of inflammation around the left parotid gland.
..........................
Can someone please give me some advice? I really need a hand here.

Look, we really need to get this sorted out once and for all, and frankly, there’s only one way to actually settle the matter: we need a proper medical exam. No more guessing games.
So, have those digestive issues finally settled down?

Elizabeth Davis10 said:Dr. George, I would really appreciate it if you could walk me through these results and give me a bit more clarity on what we're looking at here. Thanks in advance!
I’m not taking any thyroid medication right now, but I just got prescribed Concor tablets and some Normable to take as needed—because honestly, my heart feels like it’s about to lose its mind. 😁
Here’s the breakdown from my latest scan results: My thyroid is looking asymmetrical, specifically with an enlarged right lobe. While the radioactive iodine uptake seems relatively even across the rest of the gland, there’s a "cold" nodule sitting right in the lateral part of the bottom two-thirds of that right lobe.
Bottom line: a nodular goiter with a non-functional nodule.

Month 1 hormone levels:
T3 1.68 (1.1-3.1)
T4 112 (60-165)
TSH 0.079 (0.4-4.0)

Month 2 hormone levels:
T3 1.26 (1.1-3.1)
T4 148 (60-165)
TSH 0.021 (0.4-4.0)

It looks like an autoimmune thyroid condition causing hyperthyroidism. Whether or not medication is actually necessary is up to the endocrinologist, but if you ask me? They definitely need to start therapy.

vividsailor7 said:The only way to actually clear this up is to get an exam.
Have the digestive issues stopped?

Yeah, they did. Now it's just that swelling in the gland I mentioned.
Sometimes it goes down a bit, then flares right back up, but it doesn't seem to have anything to do with chewing.

I’m looking for some help interpreting my hepatitis panel results.
Since my liver enzymes were slightly elevated—nothing major, just a minor uptick—I went to a private lab to get checked out.

Here are the results: HBsAg neg
Anti-HBs pos 18 IU/L
Anti-HAV neg
Anti-HCV neg

Just for context, I received the Hepatitis B vaccine back in high school.

Thanks in advance...

Maria Perez46 said:I need some help interpreting my hepatitis marker results.
Since my liver enzymes were slightly elevated—nothing major, just a minor bump—I went to a private clinic to run some hepatitis panels.

Here are the results: HBsAg neg
Anti HBs pos 18 IU/L
Anti HAV neg
Anti HCV neg

Just for context, I received the Hepatitis B vaccine back in high school.

Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

Your results align perfectly with your history of being vaccinated against Hepatitis B. That antibody titer is in the protective range (anything over 10 IU/L), which is good news; it means your vaccination is still providing coverage.

As for the Hepatitis A and C tests, they came back negative. Everything looks normal.

Best regards. 🙂

Can someone help me make sense of these urinalysis results?

APPEARANCE-cloudy
COLOR-yellow
LEUKOCYTES- 1/+
NITRITES-0
PH-5
KETONES-0
PROTEINS-0
GLUCOSE-normal
BILIRUBIN-0

SEDIMENT

LEUKOCYTES-9-12
TRANSITIONAL EPITHELIAL CELLS-3-6
MUCUS-moderate
GLUCOSE-4.8

What exactly is transitional epithelium, and why is my count high? I thought a normal range was supposed to be 0-1!

Hello,

Please refer to the instructions in the initial post. What was the reasoning behind the urinalysis—was it part of a routine physical, or have you been experiencing specific symptoms?

I'm looking for my full checkup results... I just can't seem to track down that very first post... if anyone out there knows where it went, please, could you help a person out?!!

Nicole Fisher5 said:I'm trying to go through the records... can't seem to track down that initial post... if anyone has any insight, please help me out!

Are you experiencing any issues with urination? Also, was the sample collected correctly—using the midstream method with the foreskin retracted?

It looks like they might have messed up the sample collection or something, but honestly, who cares about the transitional epithelium at this point? I'm just wondering why the levels are so high... could it be some kind of inflammation or what?? Everything had been totally fine until now...

Honestly, just looking at those results without any context, my first thought was a potential UTI. You really ought to get that urine test redone.

Generally speaking, seeing epithelial cells in a sample doesn't tell you much diagnostic-wise—it's a bit of a dead end. However, since you're also seeing mucus and white blood cells, it's worth taking seriously. Get the test repeated. If the next one comes back clean, don't sweat it. If not, go ahead and schedule a urine culture.